Local nonprofit seeks $600,000 from Salina to buy and upgrade reuse center

Phil Black and Gary Norris told the Salina City Commission that their "Reuse It" center has proved the concept of diverting usable construction and household materials from landfills and selling them back to the community at reduced prices. Phil Black said the center tracks inventory and already sells items online; "we simply take things in from people in the community who want to not put it into the landfill and we clean it up, put it in the system, and then we sell it for a reduced amount," he said.

The presenters said they have leased a facility at 549 North Ohio, raised about $130,000 from three donors, and received roughly $30,000 in in-kind donations such as pallet racking and a forklift. Gary Norris described hiring two workers referred by OCCK and said the center will offer workforce training and a dedicated mixed-media arts section. He asked the commission to consider a $600,000 capital contribution to buy the building, add HVAC, install accessible doors, and create a rear driveway to support continuous drop-off.

Commissioners questioned operating assumptions and funding mechanics. Presenters said early diversion has averaged about one ton per week and that budgets were modeled from McPherson’s reuse facility and other peers. Staff explained the historical "tipping fee" calculation (a $1-per-ton figure referenced in resolutions dating to the late 1990s) was never segregated into a separate fund and that the city’s solid waste fund balance is not a dedicated, unrestricted pool; staff estimated the combined solid waste and sanitation fund balances at roughly $2.4 million across accounts but warned that large capital needs for landfill cells and equipment require keeping reserves.

City staff and commissioners discussed multiple funding structures, including purchase-and-lease-back arrangements, contract-for-deed options and phased grants. Staff offered to return at a regular meeting in January with a "menu" of funding scenarios and projected budget impacts; presenters agreed to provide additional cash-flow detail. Mayor and commissioners did not take a vote during the study session but indicated interest in further review.

The commission asked for clearer first-year cash-flow projections, risks tied to lease expiration, and options that would not obligate future commissions. Presenters said if ownership were not obtained, the center could hesitate to invest in capital such as HVAC or accessibility improvements. The commission requested staff return with options, including smaller phased funding requests and the potential impact on existing fund balances.