By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
Hays city commissioners don’t like it, but it’s inevitable.
A 10-foot tall chain link wildlife fence will be built around the Hays Regional Airport starting this fall, as required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Commissioners unanimously approved a bid of $1,528,650 by Paul Wertenberger Construction, Hays, to construct the five and half miles of fencing. The FAA is expected to reimburse the city 90 percent of the $1.766 million project total cost, with the city’s 10 percent share being $176,605. The city’s Capital Improvement Plan included $200,000 in 2017 for the project to be funded out of the Airport Improvement Fund.
The city has put off the project for several years.
“Basically, the FAA approves our running five-year airport improvement plan,” explained City Manager Toby Dougherty. “When the FAA inspectors noticed wildlife at the airport (in 2010) and the FAA identified this fence as a solution to that, our response was we’re gonna do that when we absolutely have to do it. Now is the time the FAA says ‘you have to do it.'”
According to Dougherty, the FAA will not allow any other grants for projects until the fence is done because “this is their number one priority.”
“Worst case scenario, if we don’t protect the airport to their standards we could lose our certification for air passenger service…going without FAA grant money might play well for a couple years but then if we’re faced with rebuilding a runway or taxiway, that’s probably something we couldn’t foot the bill on our own,” Dougherty said.
Although the bid from Paul Wertenberger Construction (PWC) was not the lowest, only three of the five total bids were valid, according to John Braun, interim director of Public Works. The PWC bid was still lower than the $1.535 million engineer’s estimate.
The fence will be topped by a one-foot-tall outward-angled three-strand barbed wire outrigger. Underground will be a three-foot-deep buried skirt to deter digging under the fence by burrowing animals.
Commissioner Sandy Jacobs said she “hates” the way the fence will appear from the road and has begun looking for volunteers who are interested in “beautifying” the fence with some bushes if it’s allowed.
“There are some limitations,” advised City Attorney John Bird. “Some of the easements around the airport might be affected but we can look into it.”
“It looks like a prison,” Jacobs said shaking her head.
“I can’t imagine there’s a lot of wildlife seen on the airport,” Mayor Shaun Musil said, “but the airport manager, Ovid Seifers, told me Wednesday night he actually does see quite a bit out there.”
“It kind of sickens me that we have to spend this kind of money,” he added. “But on the other hand, it’d be pretty bad if we had an accident out there.”
“Absolutely,” agreed Commissioner Jacobs.
In other business, an update on the progress of the city’s wastewater treatment plant reconstruction since late April was presented by Stan Christopher, HDR Engineering, the city’s owner representative for the project.
“I’m excited to say we’re making progress after taking a step back,” Christopher said, referring to a contract termination with the Wichita firm CDM Smith in the first design phase. The design-builder, Burns and McDonnell/CAS Constructors, moved its contract trailer on site earlier this week.
The deadline for the rebuilt plant to be fully operational is Sept. 1, 2019.
During citizen’s comments, 111th Dist. Rep. Eber Phelps (D-Hays) gave a review of the state legislature’s recent wrap-up session. Legislators will return to Topeka Monday, June 26, for Sine Die, “one final day before the books are closed for the state of Kansas. That’s the last day the legislature can take action on anything,” Phelps explained.
The commission voted to approve the recommendation of Finance Director Kim Rupp to refund water and sewage system revenue bonds for better interest rates, saving about $170,000 in future debt service payments.
Commissioners also approved the sale of $1.6 million in general obligation bonds financing four benefit district/special assessment projects–46th Street Second Addition Phase 2, King’s Gate First Addition Phase 2, Tallgrass Addition Phase 5 and S&W Alley Pavement. Rupp noted the “numbers will be adjusted a little bit” because one individual property owner will be pre-paying the assessment.
In addition, $2.2 million in water and sewage system bonds that originally financed various water system will be sold for refinancing saving the city about $170,000 in future debt service payments.
Commissioner Lance Jones was absent from the meeting.