By NICK BUDD
Hays Post
At Thursday’s Hays City Commission work session, commissioners will discuss a $30,000 bid from Utility Solutions for the rehabilitation of manholes throughout the city. The city found the need for the rehab during video inspections of the sewer system, which began in 2012.
According to the memo sent to commissioners, the rehabilitation process adds a minimum of 50 years to each manhole’s life span. If the manholes do not go through the process, it could cost the city between $12,000 to $15,000 to remove and replace them. The item was a budgeted project for the 2014 fiscal year, and Utility Solutions offered the low bid.
According to Assistant City Manager Paul Briseno, each manhole will cost approximately $1,500 to replace, depending on the condition:
Commissioners will also discuss creating a Commission Capital Reserve for “a more efficient accounting of available funds.”
Under statute, the city is required to maintain a minimum balance of 10 percent of the city’s general fund annual operating expenditures. Any excess available funds are shown as an expenditure called City Commission Financial Policy Projects, and the city commission uses those funds to prioritize various projects.
In previous years, the CCFPP has been used to keep the mill levy low, pay for large projects and for capping employee health insurance costs. The process has been efficient, the city said, but it has also caused some confusion due to the fact that available funds aren’t realized until the close of the year — making it difficult to give commissioners a true balance. If the Commission Capital Reserve is approved, the funds that normally go into the CCFPP would go into the CCR. Excess funds from completed initiatives will also go into the new reserves. According to the memo, this practice will allow the city to give the commission a true actual balance of the money in the account, as opposed to those that are over-inflated.
Commissioners will also discuss a vehicle abatement request at 418 W. 11th.
A full agenda for tonight’s work session can be found HERE. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.