I recently received two letters from the city of Hays with photos of my storage container and some of the vehicles on my lot. It was pointed out to me by a city of Hays Planning, Inspection and Enforcement Division officer that my business was in violation of some particular codes involving “inoperable vehicles,” as well as owning a “storage container.”

Needless to say, I was very dismayed. First off, I own a repair shop in the business of fixing “inoperable” vehicles, so how does this work? Am I to understand that it is against city code to have inoperable vehicles on my personal property at my business?

The storage container letter was not much better. There are storage containers all over town within the city limits — lots of them. Business owners all over have been utilizing them for years to help with overflow inventory as well as general storage containment.

Storage containers provide an out-of-sight secure means of keeping business items as well as personal property protected from thieves and weather and now they say we can’t have them?

My property is commercially zoned for business. Why is it being made unlawful for me to carry out lawful commercial business in the city of Hays? I feel like business owners already take a beating from the local taxes as well as some of these absurd ordinances. Where does all this end? I realize we want to try and keep Hays nice but this is going too far in the opinions of myself and many others. The vehicles and the storage container on my property are there for a purpose. They are not on the street and they are not in a residential area either.

I strongly urge business owners to attend the next city council meeting. I think someone there needs to be reminded of what business does for the City of Hays via tax revenues Not only do we employee people in Hays, but we provide valuable services that bring in commerce equating to tax revenues from well beyond our city borders. We pay massive amounts of property taxes, massive amounts of “Storm Water Retention Fees” whether we utilize storm facilities or not.

WE ARE WHAT FUELS THIS LOCAL ECONOMY, PERIOD! When we are made to suffer from unreasonable city ordinances, everyone ends up paying the price, everyone! Costs go up, prices inflate. Prohibiting businesses from utilizing inexpensive storage means or forcing us to install expensive screened in fences to hide “inoperable vehicles” at repair facilities is neither helpful nor prudent thought toward this community or the businesses that keep it alive. 2013 sales tax revenues were approximately $7,300,000. The sales tax alone that we business owners generate is about enough to cover the costs of the police department, the fire department, all the parks and the general government budget for the entire city for a full year.

Again, this does not count property or storm water revenues that we submit to the city yearly. Remember, just because you, the business owner have not been harassed for your vehicles or storage containers doesn’t mean you won’t be next on the list. Don’t get me wrong. I love my city as well as my country. I appreciate where I live and I appreciate all the things and people that help make Hays a good place to live. I appreciate the efforts of our elected officials when they try to do the job we paid them to do. On the same token, we cannot allow oppressive ordinances to continue to pile up that are counter productive and unfriendly to business development.

The time to come together and voice grievance on this or any other business prohibitive ordinance matter is at the next meeting.

Scott Simpson, d.b.a. Best Radiator