By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Hays city commissioners Thursday night approved six low bids totaling $774,456.39 for the 2019 Street Maintenance Program.

Monies will come from the Special Highway fund. A little more than $1.1 million is budgeted for street maintenance this year.

The street work includes include seal coat, asphalt rejuvenator, micro-surfacing, curb and brick repair, major rehabilitation of Ash Street from 23rd to 27th, and concrete shoulders along portions of 8th Street and Old Highway 40 east of Vine Street.

• Circle C Paving and Construction, LLC, Goddard, in the amount of $153,535.20 for seal coat
• Proseal Inc.,  El Dorado, in the amount of $84,466.84 for asphalt rejuvenator
• Vance Brothers, Inc., Kansas City, MO, in the amount of $71,159.05 for micro-surfacing
• J Corp., Inc., Hays, in the amount of $100,566.30 for curb and brick repair
• J Corp., Inc., Hays, in the amount of $189,229.00 for Ash Street major rehab

• 

  J Corp., Inc., Hays, in the amount of $175,500.00 for concrete shoulders

Vance Brothers had the contract in 2018 for micro-surfacing but was unable to finish all the work, according to John Braun, the city’s project director. The company will return this year to complete last year’s remaining work and will add additional street work, all at the 2018 contract prices.

Commissioners rejected the sole bid for diamond grinding of Commerce Parkway as recommended by Braun.

“The unit bid the contractor submitted was 60% higher than the price they submitted last year,” Braun told the commission. “They indicated their schedule was pretty full and the price that they bid is the price they bid. That’s why we’re not recommending awarding the diamond grinding bid at this time.”

Instead, a portion of the estimated $393,000 for diamond grinding will be used to also extend the concrete shoulders on East 8th Street.

“That would leave about $237,000 remaining for other work which night include diamond grinding [bids] later this year for work next year,” suggested Braun.

“I had the pleasure of driving on Highway 40 today,” said Mayor Henry Schwaller.

“I saw an 18-wheeler go onto the gravel shoulder, and it was a stunning moment. Are they going to make it or are they not? So I’m glad we’re going to do those concrete shoulders. That’s a good suggestion.”

In other business, commissioners unanimously approved a 3% increase in the base salary for City Manager Toby Dougherty, beginning with the first pay period of Jan. 2019, as well as a 40 hour annual reduction in his Paid Time Off (PTO).

The commission thanked Dougherty for his leadership of the city.

“To recognize the wonderful job that he does is to recognize the department heads that he has,” said Sandy Jacobs.

“He allows them to work very independently. They do their job very well. He supports everything that they do and I think that kind of leadership is very important in our community.”

Dougherty was hired as the Hays city manager June 28, 2007.