By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
With no comment, Hays city commissioners Thursday night set a public hearing for August 9 on the 2019 draft budget. The public hearing will be part of the commission’s regular meeting.
The mill levy remains at 25.00 mills where it’s remained for several years. In 2011 the city commission began paying cash for most capital projects rather than utilizing general obligation bonds in an effort to keep the mill levy at 25, requiring a prioritization of projects.
The proposed budget includes a new employee pay plan and an increase from $9,500 to $11,000 per employee to provide health insurance.
In earlier reviews, commissioners increased the outside agency funding allotted to Fort Hays State University’s city scholarship program to $100,000 from the recommended $90,000.
In other business, commissioners unanimously approved the Crawford Addition requests for annexation, rezoning and final plat. The property site, at the northwest corner of 48th and Roth, is being considered as a location for a new Tractor Supply Company (TSC) retail store by an Arkansas land developer.
The requests had already been approved by the Hays Area Planning Commission.
Public Works Director Jesse Rohr said the land, owned and sold by Scott Crawford of Hays, is north of Interstate 70 and contiguous to the Hays city limits. The area has been in agricultural production for many years and the request for rezoning was from Agricultural to Commercial General District.
There are two lots on the property. The south 3.5 acres (Lot 1) is the proposed location for the store. Rohr noted all public utilities, including public water and sewer, are in place to be extended across W. 48th allowing for development of this property.
“Water and sewer are both located on the south side of 48th and Roth and both will be extended to the north side of the developed lot by the developer at their cost, ” he said.
“They’re ready to move on this. They’ve submitted plans, hoping for your approval on these things tonight.” Rohr added that the city has received a site plan from Tractor Supply which would have two entrances on the west and north sides.
The two acres in the north end of the plat (Lot 2), for which no use has yet been designated, has a right-of-way for a future proposed street. Rohr noted the developer has dedicated the right-of-way in anticipation of a road for remaining undeveloped land to the west.
The commission also approved a bid award for construction of a three story drill tower at the Fire/Rescue Training Facility on the south ball field of the old Frank Stramel ball fields in south Hays. American Fire Training Systems had the low bid of $145,917. The city received a $272,000 grant from the Dane G. Hansen for funding to construct the facility which will be used for regional training.
Commissioners Sandy Jacobs and Henry Schwaller were absent from the meeting.