By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
Hays artist Dennis Schiel has expectations of $30,000 to $40,000 in private monies towards the historic mural he plans to paint on the Sternberg water tower.
“I’ve talked to people who want to donate money but $40,000 is just a drop in the bucket,” he acknowledged to the Hays City Commission Thursday night.
Schiel first presented his large design to commissioners in early March. The estimated cost is $268,000. Thursday he presented two more smaller designs with fewer pictures that would be less expensive.
Schiel plans to apply for a grant from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation, Logan, but told commissioners he would feel more confident if he first had a monetary contribution from the city.
Commissioner Sandy Jacobs told Schiel she believes the foundation is more interested in grassroots fundraising, volunteerism and community letters of support. Jacobs has worked closely with Hansen in her role as director of the Heartland Community Foundation.
Although all the commissioners expressed their support of the project, Mayor James Meier also said he’s concerned about funds for the city’s infrastructure needs.
“For me, the fund I would look to is CVB (Convention and Visitors Bureau) because that’s what it’s for. With the discussions we’ve been having lately and how we can better utilize that fund for infrastructure needs, it changes the nature of that fund for me,” Meier said.
He cited 27th Street between Hall and Vine, and 22nd Street as “needing attention.”
“Certain things that we would have expended that fund for I don’t think is necessarily appropriate any more.”
Commissioner Ron Mellick pointed out the city can use transient guest taxes collected for the Convention and Visitors Bureau to promote Hays “and that money is paid by out of town guests. Nobody local is going to see their taxes go up for this.”
Mellick said he favors the largest mural on the 1 million gallon water tower adjacent to the Sternberg Museum of History and just south of Interstate 70.
“Go big or go home.”
“This is a promotion for the city of Hays that would last 20 years. You take one of our billboards, they average 10 by 30 feet. This mural is almost 38 times larger than that billboard,” said Mellick.
“If you’re driving down I-70 and you look down, you miss that billboard. Those billboards cost about $4,200 average just for the rental, for 300 square feet. In 20 years, you put $84,00 into that one billboard.”
Mellick said with costs of the other billboards and signage “basically there’s only $10,00 difference and this is something when you’re driving you won’t miss it.”
The mural would include William Cody, Wild Bill Hickok and General George Custer. Depending on the design selected, the scene would also include a buffalo and possibly a train.
The commission urged Schiel to next apply for a grant from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation and also promised to write a letter of support for the project.
Commissioner Shaun Musil was absent from the work session.