By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The third and final phase of creating the Hays Dog Park involves installation of two shade shelters.

“We’re proud to announce the first two phases are done,” Hays Parks Director Jeff Boyle told Hays city commissioners last week.

“Friends of the Hays Dog Park worked diligently to get that done. Some evenings there are 25 people out there with their dogs and it’s ‘standing room only.'”

The Friends of the Hays Dog Park group approached the Hays City Commission in 2011 requesting permission to build a dog park in Hays in three phases. The city provided space at the Bickle-Schmidt Sports Complex.

The entire project has been funded by donations and grants to FHDP.

Phase 1 and Phase 2 are completed and include fencing, a parking lot, staging area, dog water stations, waste stations and signage at a total cost of $53,342.65.

FHDP is now requesting approval to transfer $18,840.75 from the Friends of the Hays Dog Park fund to the city of Hays Park Development Fund for installation of a 16 foot x 16 foot shelter in the small dog area and a 20 foot by 20 foot shelter in the large dog area.

“They like the shelter that we have in Ekey Park (19th and Holmes Road.) It’s a very good shelter and economical to put it in,” Boyle said. “So they contacted the company that installed it, Quality Structures Incorporated, which actually agreed to donate part of the project to Friends of the Hays Dog Park.”

Both shelters would be installed for $15,000. Another $3,840.75 would pay for concrete pads and sidewalks. Boyle suggested the city donate the labor costs for laying the concrete after the shelters are installed.

The money transfer and permission to proceed with the shelter project is on the Hays City Commission agenda for Thursday, Aug. 27.

The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m., an hour later than usual. City commissioners will be participating in the Core2Campus event in downtown Hays which starts at 5:30 p.m.