By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
An engineering design supplement for the North Vine Corridor roundabout project will be considered by Hays city commissioners tonight.
The agreement would give the engineering firm WSP more authority related to right-of-way property acquisitions needed as part of the project.
When the initial engineering contract was awarded, the scope of the project had not yet been formally defined.
“Without having the design started, we weren’t exactly sure which portions of property we would need to require right-of-way on,” said Jacob Wood, asst. city manager.
“We felt like it was better to have this happen after the fact, once we had a little bit of the design done and we know where the roundabouts are going to go, where the streets and sidewalks are going to go.”
There are approximately 34 land parcels involved in existing rights-of-way and easements for the Vine Street traffic roundabouts at 32nd/33rd, 37th, and 41st Streets.
“It’s kind of everything around the edges of each roundabout that’s not included in the current right-of-way,” Wood explained. “Some of the property will be a few feet; some are a little larger than that. This supplement will determine what those areas are and get the actual legal description.”
Cost of design supplement #1 with WSP is $49,904.65 to be paid with the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) contingency fund.
Also on the work session agenda are discussions requested by city commissioners about parks improvement policy and mayor-appointed boards and committees.
The first draft parks improvement policy provides an outline for determining priorities of park amenities as well as how matching funds from outside entities are considered.
Mayor Schwaller asked for a discussion of the various volunteer boards and committees throughout the city.
There are currently 13 Mayor-appointed boards and committees:
According to historical information collected by staff, there are a few boards and committees that have either outlived their initial purpose or provide very little continual value.
Therefore, city staff has recommended the following five groups be disbanded:
- Airport Advisory Committee
- Building Trades Board
- Fort Hays Municipal Golf Course Advisory Board
- Hays Beautification Committee
- Sister Cities Advisory Board
A memo to city commissioners explains how the recommendations were made. The committees have regular meetings, yet very little to discuss. Staff spends a significant amount of time in preparing for, scheduling, attending, and managing the meetings.
It’s recommended the five areas be handled with ad hoc groups and meetings, allowing for continued targeted and valuable input to the city.
An ordinance and resolution to authorize general obligation bonds for the Heart of America Second Addition and the King’s Gate First Addition. Improvement district projects for those areas are complete, the assessments have been levied, and the projects are ready for permanent financing. The maximum principal amount will be approximately $360,000.
The complete April 18 agenda is available here.
The work session starts at 6:30 p.m. in Hays City Hall, 1507 Main..