At Thursday’s meeting, Hays city commissioners approved a request from city staff  and members of the planning commission to enter into a $150,000 contract with a consulting firm to rewrite the city’s zoning and subdivision regulations.

According to Public Works Director I.D. Creech, a selection committee made up of city staff and members of the planning commission chose the Texas firm,  Kendig Keast Collaborative to help update the city’s current zoning regulations, which were written in 1974.

“I don’t like consultants anymore than anyone else — sometimes their judgement is not so hot — so we are taking a risk here,” said Mayor Henry Schwaller. “But I think it’s a fair risk.”

“Unfortunately, these things get tested in court cases,” he added. “Should someone say, ‘Well I should have the right to put this gentleman’s club next to this church or I want to open a hookah shop here,’  these things have to have legal standing in court.”

Creech said the firm, KKC is located in a suburb near Houston Texas but has Kansas ties. He said the president of KKC, Bret Keast, is graduate of the University of Kansas and served as president of the Kansas Planning Commission.

According to Creech, the city received nine proposals after a November request. The list was narrowed to three by a selection committee, and KKC was the top firm recommended by the selection committee.

Creech said the firm has worked with several other cities in Kansas such as Olathe, Lenexa and Paola and came “highly recommended.”

KKC staff will take multiple trips to Hays and will be in charge of conducting public hearings to gather input from the community.

Creech said the process is expected to take 14 months.