“It’s a serious issue,” says Hays City Commissioner Eber Phelps.

He and the other commissioners voted Thursday night to implement new Conservation Tier 2 billing structure beginning August 1.

The hope is the top 20% of residential water users, who consume 44% of the residential water, will cut back on their water usage:

Conservation Tier 2 kicks in for all water usage exceeding the first 1,000 cubic feet in Conservation Tier 1.  Cost per  1,000 cubic feet will be $7.20; Conservation Tier 1, capped at 1,000 cubic feet, will change to $3.60 per 100 c.f.

Assistant City Manager Paul Briseno told commissioners that 83% of city water customers operate in the First Conservation Tier. The remaining 17% would not see a significant increase based on usage from July 2011-July 2012.

The top residential water user for 2012 used 139,000 cubic feet of water. The average household in Hays uses 8,000 c.f. annually.

In other business:

• Commissioners approved the City Manager to renew the 2013/2014 Commercial Insurance Policy with Companion Commercial Insurance for the coverage presented, to be funded from the Intergovernmental Insurance and Surety line item.

• Commissioners approved the authorization to enter a contract with APAC-Kansas, Inc. for the rehabilitation of 13th Street from Vine Street to Harvest Road including restriping from Milner to Harvest from four lanes to three lanes, with funding from the Financial Policy Projects line item.

• Commissioners accepted the 2012 audit for the City of Hays as presented by Adams, Brown, Beran and Ball.

• Commissioners heard an update from the City Manager in regard to concealed gun/knife legislation approving the authorization of the City Manager to send a letter to the Attorney General exempting City of Hays facilities from the provisions of the modified concealed carry law through January 1, 2014.

• Commissioners implemented a 1 year moratorium while agreeing to limit water service request for properties outside the city limits of Hays.