The Salina City Commission voted 5-0 on Aug. 11 to approve an agreement with Deal Enterprises Inc. for removal of debris from the Smoky Hill River at Bill Burke Park, with the contract amount not to exceed $452,351.

Martha Tasker, director of utilities, told the commission staff issued bid documents and recommended the Deal Enterprises agreement developed from a template reviewed by legal counsel. Exhibit A outlines contractor responsibilities — furnishing labor, supervision, equipment and materials; removing and stockpiling debris; hauling material to the wastewater plant; disposing or burning the debris; installing public safety barriers; and restoring disturbed areas.

Tasker said the contract is structured as an initial four-week effort (40 hours per week) using six workers and specified equipment, with daily coordination and weekly reports to city staff. The anticipated disposal timeline calls for burning the stockpile by Dec. 31, 2025. Staff said the expected execution window for the four-week removal is between Sept. 8 and Oct. 6, but weather and storm events could alter that schedule.

Payment is on a basis-of-payment exhibit; Tasker said the agreement includes an amount not to exceed $452,003.51 in one staff memo and the final motion recorded $452,351. Tasker said the approved budget will draw roughly $47,000 from the contingency fund and the remainder from the general fund. She emphasized the bid packages were open-ended because crews could only estimate the unseen work in the channel.

Commissioners and members of the public raised questions about monitoring performance, the potential for change orders, and whether staging rock used for equipment should remain in place. Tasker said Corps of Engineers and state permit language (item 13 of permit) requires temporary fill and staging material to be removed in their entirety. She said the city will photograph the site before work begins, maintain daily oversight, and evaluate remaining work after the initial four-week period before approving any change order or additional work.

Public commenters raised concerns about open-ended contract pricing and historical change orders on city projects. Ben Woodhouse said contractors might bid low anticipating later change orders; Tasker and commissioners said staff will monitor progress and prefer to work with the awarded contractor before returning to competitive procurement if more work is required.

Mayor Linkowitz moved to approve the agreement with Deal Enterprises Inc.; the motion passed 5-0.