By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The Hays Beautification Committee, comprised of local volunteers who work with the guidance of ex-officio board member Jeff Boyle, Hays Director of Parks, has changed its annual recognition award.

For many years, a Commercial Improvement Award was presented to Hays businesses that “updated their landscaping and made it pretty,” according to Boyle.

“Sometimes that award involved a lot of plants and flowers that may not necessarily be water-efficient or drought-tolerant,” Boyle recently told city commissioners.

“In light of the recent drought and the direction we’re going here in the city of Hays, the Beautification Committee met and discussed having a different type of awards system each year.

“What we came up with is called the Water$mart Landscape Award,” Boyle said, “and what we’re trying to do is promote (water) conservation throughout the community and highlight those locations that are doing water-smart things with their landscape areas.”

The first two Water$mart awards, one for commercial landscaping and one for residential landscaping, were presented to the winners earlier this month.

Boyle outlined what the HBC committee members look for in making the awards.

“The program principles include planning and design, low water use plants, practical turf areas, efficient irrigation or lack thereof, soil amendment and proper use of mulch, and proper maintenance of these landscape items.”

The landscapes must be in the Hays city limits and established for at least one full year to be considered as a nominee.

“We want to make sure they (property owners) are going to continue maintaining it and keeping it looking nice,” Boyle explained.

The HBC members first went on location to view each nominee and then declared two winners.

Gene and Joann Fleharty were the winners of the residential award. HaysMed won the commercial award.

“The Fleharty yard basically has everything that we’re looking for,” Boyle said. “Beautiful buffalo grass — which is drought tolerant. All the plants, shrubs and trees are drought tolerant. The backyard has a very nice wildflower display. Back in the corner are cedar trees with wildlife bundle plantings for bringing in wildlife.

“Just an absolutely beautiful location with very minimal if any water requirements,” he added. “This is exactly what we like to see in Hays from a water conservation standpoint.”