By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The third and final phase at the Hays Dog Park will begin soon.

Hays City Commissioners Thursday night approved moving $18,840.75 from the Friends of the Hays Dog Park fund to the city’s Park Development fund, which will pay for installation of two shade shelters.

The entire dog park project has been funded by donations and grants to the Friends group. A Dane G. Hansen Community Grant through the Heartland Community Foundation was awarded specifically for Phase 3.

According to Hays Parks Director Jeff Boyle, the shelter in the small dog area will be 16’ x 16’ with a larger 20’ x 20’ shelter in the large dog area. Both structures, totaling $15,000, come from Quality Structures Incorporated (QSI) which installed a similar shelter in Ekey Park.

The remaining $3,840.75 will be used for concrete and supplies to install sidewalks and pads underneath the shelters.

“It’s one of the first things that I seen as a commission brought forward to us (in 2011),” commented Vice-Mayor Shaun Musil.  “It wasn’t a priority for the city commission and I had my doubts.  We passed it…and they didn’t give it up and they got it done.”

“An extraordinary effort,” agreed Mayor Eber Phelps.

At Boyle’s suggestion, commissioners agreed to donate city labor for laying the concrete sidewalks and pads.

The Hays Dog Park is located on city land at the Bickle Schmidt Sports Complex.