By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

To the displeasure of Hays City Commissioner Henry Schwaller, the other four commissioners voted Thursday night to release all $87,550 of city funding to the Ellis County Coalition for Economic Development for the 2016 fiscal year.

Schwaller’s first motion to release just half of the amount by May, failed three to two, with Schwaller and Lance Jones voting in favor.

During the 2016 budget planning, commissioners discussed whether to stop funding the Coalition.

Ultimately, they did not approve a direct allocation for the Coalition; the allocation was earmarked for “Economic Development Activities.” The funding was contingent upon the Coalition becoming more accountable to the city–the Coalition’s largest financial contributor–and for Executive Director Aaron White and the board members to establish a new action plan for presentation to the commission by the end of December.

White made a presentation during the Jan. 7 work session; Schwaller still contends “there is no plan.”

“I served on the Coalition board during that time. Other than the ‘concept’ of providing succession planning to northwest Kansas businesses owners, it is the same projects the Coalition has done since I’ve served on the city commission–since 1999–with the exception of the worker retraining program funded by the Dane G. Hansen Foundation which is on hiatus,” Schwaller said.

Jones has been unhappy with communication between White and the commission. “I’d like a more regular update than what we’ve had,” he said, “but I am happy with the improved contact over the past few weeks.”

“We need to back off,” countered Vice-Mayor Shaun Musil. “I keep hearing so many people say the way we act and treat people up here–not all of the commissioners and I’m not pointing fingers–that we think we’re so much better than anybody else and think we have a better plan.

“But we don’t have a better plan, and we have to have economic development in this community,” Musil said with a fist to the table for emphasis. “If we don’t, we’re just gonna go away. I think the way we’re acting is a huge mistake.”

“I think holding on to the funds breeds uncertainty,” said Mayor Eber Phelps. “Absolutely,” agreed Musil. “That board needs to know their funding is in place so they can proceed with economic development efforts,” Phelps added.

Musil’s subsequent motion to release all the city’s $87,550 funding to the Coalition was seconded by Commissioner James Meier, and passed four to one, with Schwaller opposed.

Prior to the voten Meier said he “absolutely agreed” with commissioners Schwaller and Jones.

“The (Coalition) plea was made back in August–‘don’t cut our funding because we don’t know where we’re going to get additional funds and we’ll have to cut things back.’ But then as soon as it seemed like you were going to get the money, it was back to business as normal, and nothing changed. There was no communication,” Meier said.

“But, I also agree with Commissioner Musil,” Meier continued, “there has to be some type of certainty.”

“Whether I like it or not, perceptions matter, and for that reason I think we should fully fund them. But there have to be changes that have to be made,” Meier admonished. “One meeting, although I felt better, is not enough.”

“August 2016 is not that far away, and there may not be a motion to put your funds into limbo. It may just be that we don’t fund you.

“We are an oil community and oil is ‘in the tank.’ We need you guys to perform like you’ve never performed before…the future of the community is relying on you,” Meier said, with a few fist taps of his own on the tabletop.

Commissioners agreed at last week’s work session to change the economic development policy so that future requests for incentives from businesses would be screened by White before they come to the city.

Meier said that was the other reason he agreed with Musil, who recently replaced Schwaller as the city’s representative on the Coalition.

“If we’re going to make that change, then we have to fund the Coalition,” said Meier.