By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
Jobs and water.
That’s what Ellis County commissioners believe are the two most important factors affecting business and population growth in the county.
“We’ve been constantly growing, sometimes small steps at a time,” said Dean Haselhorst, commission chairman. “We have a lot to offer here in Ellis County.
“Water supply is always a big thing in western Kansas. I know the city of Hays has been working to address that issue. But for us to attract industry, we need water. And for growth, we need water also.”
The commission met in a special session Monday afternoon with Keith Marvin of Marvin Planning Consultants, David City, Neb., to give their input into an update of the county comprehensive plan.
Marvin and a representative of MSA Professional Services, Ankeny, Iowa, also met with the Ellis County Joint Planning Commission Monday evening.
County commissioners talked about bringing young people back to Ellis County who have moved to a large metropolis.
People with young families are attracted by the “top-notch schools” in Ellis County, believes Commissioner Dustin Roths, as well as the ability to keep a job using the internet.
“There has to be a financial possibility for those people when they come back.”
Commissioner Butch Schlyer said his daughter was job hunting in December and was able to remain in Ellis County when she was hired by an insurance company to work out of her home. “She makes a very good salary doing it.”
When he was the Ellis County Health Administrator, Schlyer said “many mature clientele ended up leaving the area to go be with their kids. … We have good wireless networks here in Eagle Communications and Nex-Tech and I think that whole technology issue needs to be marketed harder.”
Keith asked commissioners what their role would be in helping with affordable housing, although “most of the time that’s going to be up to the communities” Keith noted, “but I’m always curious to hear what county folks are thinking in that direction as well.”
“A lot of it is gonna go back to affordable ground to build housing on,” answered Haselhorst. “I know there’s different individuals now looking to put some additions in the northwest part of the county.
“That’s his reason (one individual) for doing it there. It’s more affordable. He owns the ground,” Haselhorst said. “He can put up affordable housing to accommodate just the people that work for him that he’s bringing in from out of county.”
“We’ve almost built a bottleneck in some businesses where they can’t expand because they can’t find help,” added Roths.
“I think we will grow in Ellis County over the next 20 years or so, but probably to the lessening of the rural communities around us.”
Roths also talked about the possibility of promoting Ellis County as a regional shipping hub, taking advantage of the major highways that intersect in Hays, the Hays regional airport, and an opportunity to increase railroad transport.
Fort Hays State University and HaysMed are great partners with the county, commissioners also agreed.
Town hall meetings will be held Tue. Jan. 29 and Wed., Jan. 30 for public input. Both meetings will begin at 7 p.m. in the basement of the Ellis County Administration Building, 718 Main.
Ellis County residents are also asked to fill out a survey about their opinions of county growth at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/EllisCountyCompPlan. The online survey is open until Feb. 17.
Marvin said more than 400 online surveys have been completed to date.
Paper copies of the survey are available at the Ellis County Administration Building, and the city halls in Hays, Ellis and Victoria.
The consultants will meet with other stakeholders this week including city officials in Hays, Ellis, and Victoria, Fort Hays State University, Grow Hays, Hays Area Chamber of Commerce, and other county officials.