BY JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

In a brief meeting Monday, the Ellis County Commission approved a three-party lease agreement with the Fair Association and RPM Speedway to continue leasing space at the fairgrounds to RPM for the racetrack.

According to County Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes, the agreement is the same as in previous years, but they have had complaints about the noise late at night, so a new section was added to the contract that stating the promoter of RPM will attempt to end all races by 11 p.m. If the races run past 11 p.m., the promoter will then contact the county and Fair Association the next day.

The agreement expired in 2015, so the new agreement retroactively covers the 2016 season. It is a three-year agreement with two two-year extensions.

In other business, the commission approved a resolution to sell the property located at 209 W. 12th in Hays, known as the Tholen Building.

The building had been used as storage and, after a number of offices moved to the Administrative Center on Main Street, there is no longer a need for the building.

The commission also met in an executive session to discuss possible land acquisition. No action was taken.