By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

The Ellis County Commission tabled a discussion on the extra-territorial jurisdiction, commonly known as the 3-mile zone around the city of Hays, at Monday’s meeting.

Planning Commission Chairman David McDaniel told the commissioners that during the Planning Commission’s October meeting, interested parties weighed in on proposed changes to the 3-mile zone. Only three people voiced their opinions at the meeting.

McDaniel said they were all in favor of changing the boundary.

“The group that spoke was in favor of shrinking (the ETJ) and even shrinking even more than has been purposed,” McDaniel said.

McDaniel said the Planning Commission also voted in favor of making the ETJ smaller.

Officials with the county and the city of Hays have been discussing the ETJ and the possibility of making changes.

The county commission already rejected one proposal from the city, which would have reduced the boundary by 19 square miles. Reductions would have been to the north, west and southwest, but the east boundary would have stayed the same.

With the absence of commissioner Barb Wasinger on Monday, the commission tabled the discussion until December.

In other business the commission approved the canvass of general election results from Ellis County Clerk and Election Official Donna Maskus. According to the official results, 12,182 ballots in Ellis County were cast. The official voter turnout was 66.52 percent.

The commission also approved an amendment to the personnel and classification and salary changes adopted in August.