By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
In June, Hays City Manager Toby Dougherty presented to city commissioners the results of city staff’s ‘Strong Towns’ fiscal investigation of Hays.
“Since then, city staff has been very busy in the background continuing to fine-tune the investigation and implement the results as was previously discussed. I feel it is imperative that city staff and the commission continue to discuss this issue to keep it in the forefront of our thoughts and actions,” Dougherty said.
He will present an update at tonight’s city commission work session.
According to Dougherty, ‘Strong Towns’ fits in well with the city’s comprehensive plan. It differs, he said, “by putting a fiscal perspective on what we can afford to maintain over the years.”
He used parks as an example.
“As a community, we can have six really nice parks and support them with a population of 20,000 from the revenues we receive. Those parks can have shelter houses, expensive pieces of playground equipment, restrooms and things like that.
“Or we can have 12 parks that don’t have the amenities because we can’t afford to put the same amenities in all 12 parks.
“When we look at quality of life investments, we have to make sure we’re getting the maximum exposure, the maximum utilization of those amenities. That’s simply one way of looking at things.
“From our standpoint, ‘Strong Towns’ is a way of life for us. It’s a way of making sure that we are looking at short-term benefit, who we’re benefiting, and long-term cost.
“That all fits into the comprehensive plan. It talks at length about sustainability, quality of life amenities and paying attention to these issues.
“Essentially, it makes for a stronger Hays,” Dougherty added.
The other agenda item for the Oct. 1 work session is adoption by ordinance, the updated 2015
Uniform Public Offense Code for Kansas Cities (UPOC) and the updated 2015 Standard
Traffic Ordinance for Kansas Cities (STO) for use within Hays.
The complete agenda can be seen here.
The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. in Hays City Hall, 1507 Main.