EDITOR’S NOTE: Hays City Manager Toby Dougherty issued a news release Thursday morning (see below) which apologizes for errors in a recently released list of the top 100 residential water users in Hays.
That list was distributed to various media, including Eagle Communications and Hays Post, which used the incorrect information in our news stories earlier this month.
We have updated our news stories with the change.
August 15, 2013
Apology for Errors on Top 100 Residential Water Users List
In June, City staff prepared a list of the top 100 residential waters users. This list was distributed to the City Commissioners as part of a water planning session. Shortly after the planning session, the Hays Daily News and Hays Post requested copies of the report. After consultation with the City Attorney, it was determined that the information was public record and therefore released.
It has come to my attention that 19 names were inadvertently placed on the list that were not in the top 100 users. The error is unacceptable and inexcusable. I take full responsibility and apologize to these 19 customers for any inconvenience that has resulted from the publication of the list with their name included. Customers who were incorrectly included on the list are:
Tom Thaemert
Scott Schneider
Ben Hammerschmidt
Michael Graham
Travis Rozean
Curt Kitson
Gerold Linenberger
Merlin Romme
Bob White
Chad Peterson
Roger Rohr
Greg Pfannenstiel
Marina Neira
Eric Schibi
Jeff Luebbers
Tim Herman
KC Western Investments
Austin Base
Adam Tabor
Again, I apologize for the error. It is unprofessional and unacceptable.
City of Hays staff has a duty to our customers to ensure errors like this are caught before they become part of the public record. I will do my best to ensure it does not happen in the future.
Toby Dougherty
City Manager
City of Hays
Phone: (785) 628-7320
Clarification: The water usage data listed below that was given to the Hays City Commission consisted of water usage data from 2012. City Director of Finance Kim Rupp confirmed to Hays Post that Stormwater Superintendent Nicholas Willis had requested for the 2012 data to be collected and presented to the commission to demonstrate water usage from the previous year.
This list was given to the Hays City Commission at the June 20th Work Session and contains the top 100 residential water customers in Hays, an address, and the amount of water used. The yellow shaded area is for the the top 1%.
Most individuals on this list were unaware of their water status and more than willing to work to reduce their water use.
According to Hay City Manager Toby Dougherty, the average residential household uses 8,000 cubic feet of water annually.
The city sent each of of these listed a letter to inform them of their water status.The city sent 569 letters to water users.
The Hays Police Department is in charge of complaints and violations about water use. Chief Don Scheibler explains it’s an extra duty and officers do not patrol specifically to find wasted water:
Complaints or observations of water waste also come from the public…
Between June 1 and July 30, Hays police issued 81 notices of violation. Fifty-eight of those were to residential customers; 23 went to business customers.
HAYS WATER VIOLATIONS
June 1-July 30
81 Total
58 Residential—23 Business