The Salina City Commission is scheduled Monday to consider two actions tied to property acquisition, public access, and floodplain permitting for the Smoky Hill River Renewal Project.

The items are part of the city’s continued work on the Old Smoky Hill River Bridge Replacement project, which is funded through a federal RAISE Grant. The project includes replacement of seven bridges over the Old Smoky Hill River, about 3.4 miles of multi-use accessible trails, pedestrian crossings, trail lighting, pedestrian bridges, underpasses, canoe and kayak launches, a boardwalk, and other river corridor improvements.

According to city agenda materials, the commission will consider Resolution No. 26-8355, which would establish the amount of just compensation for real property interests needed for the project. City documents state Salina has obtained surveys, legal descriptions, title reports, and appraisals for property interests to be acquired.

Based on those appraisals, the proposed just compensation amount is listed at $1,021,760 or less for 43 parcels. The resolution would also authorize the city manager to purchase title insurance and cover associated closing costs up to $44,000.

City documents state the city is in the process of providing each property owner with a written purchase offer and a written statement explaining the basis for the offer. If the city is unable to negotiate a purchase based on the appraised amount, the resolution would allow the city manager to sign a contract for a negotiated purchase price above the initial offer, as long as the terms remain within the project budget and are consistent with the public interest.

The commission will also consider Resolution No. 26-8356, which relates to city acquisition or ownership of legal interests in property along the Old Smoky Hill River channel. City documents state the city needs property interests from the high bank on both sides of the river channel to allow recreation in the waterway, develop and maintain drainage, maintain river banks, and control public access in dry portions of the channel.

The proposed policy says the city would acquire real property interests in the river channel to the high bank on both sides, as determined by the city engineer, as needed for the River Renewal Project. The city documents also state that the public will not have access to all areas where the city holds a real property interest.

The city says controlling and maintaining the channel area would benefit the public while also reducing potential premises-liability exposure for adjoining private property owners. Deeds or other transfer documents may include restrictions on public access to portions of the property transferred to the city.

A separate agenda item asks commissioners to authorize the city manager to execute Amendment No. 1 to the city’s agreement with HDR Engineering for property acquisition services. The amendment would add $63,120 to the previously approved $200,340 agreement, bringing the amended amount to a total not to exceed $263,460.

That amendment is connected to additional property acquisition work related to floodplain permitting. City staff wrote that updated hydrologic and hydraulic modeling shows existing 100-year water surface elevations are higher than FEMA effective elevations throughout the river corridor.

According to the staff report, 32 properties require acknowledgments because the base flood elevation would increase by more than one foot while remaining in the defined banks of the channel. The city says 22 property owners have signed acknowledgments. For the remaining 10 property owners, city documents state Salina will purchase the necessary property from the centerline of the river channel to the adjacent high bank to proceed with the RAISE Grant project.

The estimated property acquisition cost to date is $1,414,845. That figure includes HDR acquisition and appraisal review services, just compensation for real property and easements, appraisal services, survey review, title insurance, and closing costs.

City documents state local funding for the city’s portion of the River Renewal Project comes from a $1.3 million per year sales tax allocation, a $5 million transfer from the General Fund, private funding through Friends of the River, and possible downtown STAR Bond funds.

The City Commission meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. Monday, May 11, in Room 107 of the City-County Building. The property acquisition items are listed under the administration section of the agenda.