By NICK BUDD
Hays Post

At Thursday’s Hays City Commission work session, Hays Parks Director Jeff Boyle said despite a decrease in the number of golf tournaments at the city golf course, the city made more money due to increased fees.

In 2014, 16 tournaments were held at Fort Hays Municipal Golf Course, in comparison to an average of 21 to 22 a year. In January of last year, the commission approved a flat $15-per-player tournament green fee. Previous fees varied from $2.50 to $8.33 depending on the number of holes and days of the tournament.

The increase resulted in a total revenue of approximately $18,000, a $9,000 increase when compared to what the old fee schedule would have brought in.

“We were averaging about $6.73 on the old fee schedule,” Boyle said. “I think it was successful and city staff is not recommending any changes.”

Boyle also said a lot of the tournaments are “tee-time” tournaments, which allow members to still use the course while a tournament is going on. Outgoing Commissioner Ron Mellick noted the city needs to keep an eye on fees in other communities to ensure Hays doesn’t fall behind.

Boyle also reported on the idea of implementing a $50 to $70 family pass at the two pools in Hays. The idea was brought to the city by a local resident. Boyle said the city wouldn’t make nearly as much money if a family pass was implemented.

According to agenda materials, if a $50 to $70 family pass was offered to everyone with two or more family members, it could create a 20 percent to 37 percent loss in revenue. Based on projections from last year, a family pass would need to be at least $140 and would only benefit a family of five or more in order for the city to break even.

The pool does offer a reduced rate of $15 per person for low-income families.

“Our recommendation is to not have the family pass for now,” Boyle said. “I think it’s something we could monitor and make something work in the future, but right now, we just won’t gain anything.”

By NICK BUDD
Hays Post

At Thursday’s Hays City Commission work session, several residents brought up concerns about a rezoning proposal that would bring as many as 14 duplexes to an empty plot of land located between 33rd and 35th streets near Elm Street.

ZMM Development bought the land from Hays USD 489 last year and has applied to have the interior area rezoned from R-1 to R-3. A street would also be placed through the middle of the plot.

An R-3 zoned plot allows for multi-family and single family dwellings, whereas an R-1 area only allows for single-family homes. The planning commission held a public hearing and voted 7-1 to recommend the area be rezoned. At the hearing, several residents of the area brought up concerns regarding increased traffic and decreased property values. Some continued to stress their concerns to commissioners at Thursday night’s work session.

“That’s awfully close to Hall Street and, in the morning when I’m trying to go to work, I have to be careful because cars come by around the corner very fast,” said Connie Leikam, a resident who lives near the plot. “If there are 14 new duplexes … you’re going to have as many as 28 vehicles trying to get out of that one block.”

Leikam also mentioned concerns about the planning commission’s decision, noting that members “already had their minds made up,” despite the concerns.

Jennifer Whitman, another resident who lives near the area, also expressed concerns about the value of the land on the outside of the plot.

“Zoning the inside as an R-3 will lure us into basically giving up the outside,” Whitman said. “I can’t see anyone in their right mind thinking of that area very attractive to build a house. You’ve got a busy street in front of your house and duplexes behind.

“Eventually, the lots might not get sold and then we’ll be back here trying to zone the outside as R-3, and then you put up duplexes that are going to increase the traffic even more,” she added.

Whitman also expressed concerns about the decreased property values, noting the planning commission noted property values could actually increase.

“When we asked them about what this would do to our property values, they said ‘We don’t know,’ so I don’t understand how this statement (about increased values) could be in the minutes,” she said.

Commissioners will continue discussion on the topic at next week’s regular meeting.

By NICK BUDD
Hays Post

In a preliminary hearing Thursday, 23rd Judicial District Judge Richard Flax held Chance Charles Keiswetter over for trial on two counts of solicitation of a child and one count of possession of child pornography after the prosecution submitted two Facebook conversations and several photos as evidence. Keiswetter was arrested in August and was released on bond in September.

At the hearing, Assistant Ellis County Attorney Crystalyn Oswald presented two social media conversations and several photos as evidence of the alleged crimes. The Facebook conversations involved Michael Hays — a name the prosecution said used as an alias — and two teenage girls. In both conversations, Keiswetter, age 25 at the time of his arrest, is accused of asking both girls to engage in sexual relations. Hays Police Department Detective Aaron Larsen seized the conversations after a complaint by a parent and testified at the hearing.

HPD Detective Jeff Ridgway, an investigator on the High Tech Crime Task Force, also testified about the seizure of Keiswetter’s laptop. During an investigation, Ridgway reported finding seven images that he considered pornographic images of a child.

A date for Keiswetter’s arraignment is being scheduled.

The Hays Area Chamber of Commerce will host the first of three Eggs & Issues Legislative Forums on Saturday, February 7 at 8 a.m. at the Ellis County Administrative Center, 718 Main, in the basement conference room.

Sponsored by AT&T and Midwest Energy Inc., these forums are a series of meetings with state legislators, providing area residents the opportunity to learn more about the legislative process and happenings in Topeka. It’s an opportunity to provide feedback and ask questions to the men and women who are representing Kansas.

Sen, Ralph Ostmeyer, R-Grinnell, representing the 40th District and Rep. Sue Boldra, R-Hays, from the 111th District will be present to discuss plans for 2015 and answer questions.

A light breakfast will be served prior to the beginning of the forum between 8 to 8:30 a.m.

The event is free to the public, however a RSVP is requested. RSVPs will be collected via email at
[email protected] or by calling (785)-628-8201.

Very warm temps are expected Today and Saturday with record highs possible Saturday. The mild and dry weather continues into early next week.

Today Sunny, with a high near 73. West wind 5 to 7 mph.
Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 33. West southwest wind around 6 mph.
Saturday Sunny, with a high near 78. West wind 5 to 7 mph.
Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 39. West wind 6 to 14 mph.
Sunday Sunny, with a high near 69. Northwest wind 7 to 13 mph.
Sunday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 35.
Monday Sunny, with a high near 66.
Tuesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 63.

COLBY – A man died in an accident just after 8 p.m. on Thursday in Thomas County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix driven by Billy M. Garcia, 63, Fort Smith, AR., was westbound on U.S. 24 four miles east of Colby.

The vehicle traveled across the eastbound lane into the south ditch, across County Road 27, struck a fence a power pole.

Garcia was transported to Citizens Medical Center where he died.
He was properly restrained at the time of the accident according to the KHP