By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

The Ellis County Commission voted to move forward with the 718 Main Administrative renovation project Monday night by awarding the bid to Paul-Wertenberger Construction for $709,000.

Ellis County Administrator Greg Sund said now it is up to the Hays construction company to work with the architect to lay out a timeframe for construction, noting the company has 180 days to complete the work.

Commissioner Barbara Wasinger said she is happy the project is advancing.

“I’m very pleased to be at this point,” she said. “To start moving forward, it’s a very exciting day. A little bit bittersweet at this point, but still a good day.”

Now that the bid has been awarded, the commission can discuss what to do with staircase in the center of the building, which formerly housed Commerce Bank’s downtown location.

County officials have discussed removing the basement portion, although it would leave a hole on the ground floor that they would still have to deal with.

Sund said the county will talk with the contractor about finding a way to create a fire break between the main floor and the basement.

With the 718 Main project now in the works, county officials turn their focus to the two other projects — the EMS/Rural Fire building and the Law Enforcement Center/courthouse, which are being funded by a special sales tax issue passed by voters a year ago Wednesday.

Sund said one of the main reasons the EMS/Rural Fire building is behind is because they changed the structure. After the original bids came in well over the expected cost of $3.5 million to 3.6 million, the commission elected to go with a metal building as a cost-cutting measure.

Sund said when you go from a building that the engineer can design to a pre-engineered steel building the architect has to adjust the plans to accommodate the new building.

“It was just a far more complex project,” Sund said.

Sund also said they are a little bit behind on the Law Enforcement Center/courthouse because the original plan was to keep staff in the building while construction was underway.The county now has decided to move staff to a different location, which would trim the construction timeframe from 2 ½ years to almost 14 months.

Currently, the architect and county staff are searching for a location to house county staff and law enforcement during construction.

Staff has toured the Kennedy School, portions of the Hadley Center and the former PATH Lab. But Sund said they were notified last week Kennedy is no longer an option.

In other business, the commission:

• Approved a five-year lease/purchase agreement to purchase breathing apparatus for Rural Fire No. 1.

• Approved four applications for High Risk Rural Road Grant applications for improvements to Old U.S. 40 from Yocemento to Ellis. Public Works Director Mike Graf said if the projects are approved by KDOT, it would reduce the costs of a project that is in the design phase.

The Hays City Commission this week will discuss the possibility of extending water and sewer lines to accommodate new hotel and travel plaza at the southeast corner of 55th Street and 230th Avenue.

The commission will meet for a work session at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at City Hall, an hour earlier than usual.

The hotel would be in addition to a Peterbilt dealership, which is being constructed on the easternmost portion of the property, just north of the Interstate 70 exchange.

The developer, Mike Woofter of Colby-based NWK Investments, has an option to purchase the remainder the property, according to a memo to commissioners, and is asking for an extension of city services. The city has estimated the cost of the extension at $2 million.

NWK Investments is proposing footing that bill, but requesting that the city not annex the property until a loan financing the extension is paid off. The developer hopes to attain a 10-year, $2 million loan through the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help fund the utility extension.

In his letter to the city, Woofter estimated the development to be an investment of between $14 million and $20 million, which would include a hotel, travel center/convenience center and restaurant. An estimated 115 jobs could be created by the development, he wrote.

However, the developer is requesting to remain outside city limits for 10 years, which would mean sales and property tax revenues would not flow into city coffers.

In the past, City Manager Toby Dougherty wrote in his memo, developers have paid the costs of infrastructure extensions, while the city has paid for oversizing line to accommodate future growth.

“The one exception was the area developed in conjunction with Home Depot. This was a very costly development and TDD and TIF (Tax Increment Financing) districts were utilized to pay for the infrastructure improvements,” Dougherty said. “With Mr. Woofter’s property, the extension and oversizing of infrastructure is quite expensive, and it will be difficult to find the money to treat it as a traditional development, especially when we are struggling to find enough monies to maintain the street, water and sewer infrastructure already in place.”

The commission’s discussion is in the preliminary stages, as Dougherty noted items such as drawings and revenue projections have yet to be submitted by the developer.

A complete agenda for this week’s Hays City Commission meeting can be seen HERE.

OAKLEY (AP) — A Kansas man who was scheduled to go to trial this week for shooting a former employee has been granted immunity from liability under the state’s “Stand Your Ground” law.

David Collins of Oakley could have faced prison time if found guilty of aggravated battery in the March 5, 2013, shooting of David Bowles. The Salina Journal reported Chief Judge Glenn Schiffner’s ruling Thursday caused the case to be dropped.

Bowles was a former employee of the Collins farm and ranch and had been told to stay off the Collins property. Court documents show Bowles went to the home David Collins’ father, where David Collins confronted him.

Collins says he pulled his gun and it went off during a scuffle. Bowles survived but lost sight in his left eye.

 

On Saturday, the Hays Police Department will conduct a drunken driving saturation patrol in an effort to deter and decrease the number of impaired and intoxicated drivers on the street.

The purpose of the program is to saturate the city with roving police officers who continually monitor vehicular traffic for signs of impaired driving. Officers will place an emphasis on speeding, safety belt and alcohol-related violations.

The Hays Police Department reminded the public of its a zero tolerance policy on drunk driving. If you have been drinking, call Safe Ride at (785) 621-2580 or have a designated driver help you get home safely.

The saturation patrol is being conducted in accordance with the Kansas Department of Transportation Impaired Driving Deterrence Program.

The Hays Police Department conducted 42 traffic stops and received five animal calls on Monday, May 13, according to the HPD activity log.

Criminal damage to property, 1000 block Downing, 7:51 a.m.
Animal at large, 500 block West 20th, 8:29 a.m.
Welfare check, 800 block East Eighth, 8:35 a.m.
Phone/mail scam, 3400 block Vine, 9:24 a.m.
Phone/mail scam, 1000 block East 41st, 9:31 a.m.
Suicidal subject, 3300 block Lincoln, 10:49 a.m.
Burglary/residence, 700 block East Sixth, 10:30 a.m.
Welfare check, 1600 block East 28th, 11:49 a.m.
Towed vehicle, 500 block East 20th, 12:15 p.m.
Criminal damage to property, 200 block East 14th, 12:22 p.m.
Motor vehicle accident, 1400 block East 29th, 1:13 p.m.
Criminal damage to property, 100 block West 15th, 3:23 p.m.
Motor vehicle accident/private property, 4300 block Vine, 4:10 p.m.
Burglary/vehicle, 2000 block Marshall, 4:07 p.m.
Motor vehicle accident/private property/hit and run, 4300 block Vine, 4:21 p.m.
Motor vehicle accident, 27th and Canterbury, 4:58 p.m.
Animal at large 27th and Canal, 5:40 p.m.
Animal at large, 100 block West 12th, 5:49 p.m.
Suspicious activity, 400 block East 19th, 6:17 p.m.
Motor vehicle accident, 27th and Plum, 6:18 p.m.
Drug offenses, 3400 Vine, 7:57 p.m.
Suicidal subject, 1000 block West 28th, 11:17 p.m.
Abandoned vehicle, 1200 block Cedar, 11:45 p.m.
Abandoned vehicle, 300 block East 12th, 11:51 p.m.

Criminal transport, Fort County Jail, Trego County Jail, 7:58 a.m.
Criminal transport, Larned, 12:58 p.m.
Theft, 2200 block Southview Drive, 1:26 p.m.
Animal call, Munjor, 3:57 p.m.
Criminal transport, Trego County Jail, 4 p.m.