At the latest meeting Monday night, the Salina City Commission decided the fate of summertime athletics in the city as well as whether or not Kenwood Cove will open this summer.

In regards to summertime athletics, such as youth and adult baseball and softball; soccer, etc., the commission voted 3-2 in favor of allowing the sports to go on as scheduled, which includes several tournaments with a caveat: as long as local health experts say it is safe to do so.

Salina Mayor, Mike Hoppock, and commissioners Dr. Trent Davis and Karl Ryan voted in favor of the motion allowing sports to go on this summer as long the State of Kansas and Saline County Health Department deem it safe to do so. Commissioners Melissa Hodges and Ron Frantz are the two who voted against the motion.

The economic impact of not having sports tournaments in Salina this summer could have cost the community around $1.2 million in economic activity.

Meanwhile, the commission did decide to suspend opening the Kenwood Cove Water Park for the summer of 2020. Chris Cotten, Salina Parks and Recreation Director, brought several different alternative options to have Kenwood Cove partially open in some capacity–like only opening the lap pool, however, commissioners agreed that opening the  facility is not practical.

While Kenwood Cove will not open this summer, a decision on spray parks in Salina, and whether or not they will be turned on this summer, has not yet been determined by the commissioners.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOmkOJInsKM&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR2jKcCHlgtEIu__n8_2RAEVlcf6nlaCp9ksnBUcRnAb3hxkZ3VDSt2ZuL8