By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

An engineering design supplement for the North Vine Corridor roundabout project will be considered by Hays city commissioners tonight.

The agreement would give the engineering firm WSP more authority related to right-of-way property acquisitions needed as part of the project.

When the initial engineering contract was awarded, the scope of the project had not yet been formally defined.

“Without having the design started, we weren’t exactly sure which portions of property we would need to require right-of-way on,” said Jacob Wood, asst. city manager.

“We felt like it was better to have this happen after the fact, once we had a little bit of the design done and we know where the roundabouts are going to go, where the streets and sidewalks are going to go.”

There are approximately 34 land parcels involved in existing rights-of-way and easements for the Vine Street traffic roundabouts at 32nd/33rd, 37th, and 41st Streets.

“It’s kind of everything around the edges of each roundabout that’s not included in the current right-of-way,” Wood explained. “Some of the property will be a few feet; some are a little larger than that. This supplement will determine what those areas are and get the actual legal description.”

Cost of design supplement #1 with WSP is $49,904.65 to be paid with the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) contingency fund.

Also on the work session agenda are discussions requested by city commissioners about parks improvement policy and mayor-appointed boards and committees.

The first draft parks improvement policy provides an outline for determining priorities of park amenities as well as how matching funds from outside entities are considered.

Mayor Schwaller asked for a discussion of the various volunteer boards and committees throughout the city.

There are currently 13 Mayor-appointed boards and committees:

According to historical information collected by staff, there are a few boards and committees that have either outlived their initial purpose or provide very little continual value.

Therefore, city staff has recommended the following five groups be disbanded:

• Airport Advisory Committee
• Building Trades Board
• Fort Hays Municipal Golf Course Advisory Board
• Hays Beautification Committee
• Sister Cities Advisory Board

A memo to city commissioners explains how the recommendations were made.   The committees have regular meetings, yet very little to discuss. Staff spends a significant amount of time in preparing for, scheduling, attending, and managing the meetings.

It’s recommended the five areas be handled with ad hoc groups and meetings, allowing for continued targeted and valuable input to the city.

An ordinance and resolution to authorize general obligation bonds for  the Heart of America Second Addition and the King’s Gate First Addition.  Improvement district projects for those areas are complete, the assessments have been levied, and the projects are ready for permanent financing. The maximum principal amount will be approximately $360,000.

The complete April 18 agenda is available here.

The work session starts at 6:30 p.m. in Hays City Hall, 1507 Main..

 

 

 

CITY OF HAYS

Hays City Commissioner Sandy Jacobs will host a small social event honoring Hays City Commissioner James Meier and Assistant City Manager Jacob Wood, who are both leaving Hays for other employment at the first of May.

Other city commissioners will be in attendance for a meal and refreshments and to bid farewell to Meier and Wood. No business will be conducted and the meeting is purely social.

The event is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 16, 2019, Smoky Hill Country Club in Hays.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meier will be moving to Wichita where he will be manager of the in-patient pharmacy at Ascension Via Christi St. Francis hospital.

Wood has taken the position of deputy city manager in Salina.

Both men were thanked for their work for the city of Hays during the April 11 city commission meeting.

(Photos by Hays Post)

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The harsh winter in Hays was rough on the streets.

In addition to numerous potholes caused by freezing and warming temperatures, a lot of sand and salt was applied to the streets, and the snowplows were kept busy.

As the plows moved snow to the street edges, the machines were also scraping the street markings.

“Our street markings have taken a beating,” says Toby Dougherty, city manager, “especially on the arterials. They’re very rough and they degraded very quickly over the winter.”

Arterials are major streets at least 53 feet wide and are heavily trafficked. In Hays, Vine, U.S. Highway 183 Bypass, 8th, 13th, 27th, Hall, and Canterbury are classified as arterial streets.

Typically, the city improves the street markings as they begin to deteriorate. Employees can do some thermoplastic applications and painting in-house.

This year though, given the scale of the deterioration, the Public Works Department and the city project planner are devising a project to bid “a rather large marking project,” according to Dougherty, “probably a $150,000 to $160,000 project to get all the arterials back into place with professionally applied paint and thermoplastic markings.”

Funding is expected to come from the 2019 Street Maintenance budget of $774,455. It has some cost savings in it after no bids were approved for diamond grinding this year. Those bids were all well above staff estimates.

“We’ll probably utilize a good majority of that (saved) money for this. It’s money well spent,” Dougherty says. “We have to get these street markings done. It’s a safety issue.”

ELLIS – Following a public hearing last week regarding application for a state grant to help finance a new swimming pool, Ellis city council members will continue the discussion at tonight’s meeting

Andy Smith of Lamp Rynearson will meet with the council to discuss the Community Development Block Grant application and an engineering contract for the proposed project.

Another community project will be updated with the consideration of contracting with Midwest Energy for electrical service in the expansion of the Ellis Lakeside Campground. City Clerk Amy Burton will also discuss the budget for the expansion.

In other business, the council will consider a resolution adopting a revised fee schedule.

The complete meeting agenda follows.

 

AGENDA

April 15, 2019

REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF ELLIS

City Hall – Council Meeting Room

 

BILLS ORDINANCE REVIEW WORK SESSION BEGINS AT 7:00 P.M.

ROLL CALL AND MEETING CALL TO ORDER AT 7:30 P.M.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

AMENDMENTS TO AGENDA (if needed)

• CONSENT AGENDA
  1. Minutes from Regular Meeting on April 1, 2019
  2. Bills Ordinance #2067
  3. Manual Journal Entries for December 2018

(Council will review for approval under one motion under the consent agenda.  By majority vote of the governing body, any item may be removed from the consent agenda and considered separately)

PUBLIC COMMENTS 

(Each speaker will be limited to five minutes.  If several people from the group wish to speak on same subject, the group must appoint a spokesperson.  ALL comments from public on agenda items must be during Public Comment.  Once council begins their business meeting, no more comments from public will be allowed.)

• PRESENTATIONS OF AWARDS, PROCLAMATIONS, REQUESTS & PETITIONS (HEARINGS)
• SPECIAL ORDER
  1. Fire Department Monthly Report – Chief Dustin Vine
  2. Discuss CDBG Swimming Pool Project – Andy Smith, Lamp Rynearson
• UNFINISHED BUSINESS
  1. Consider Approval of Engineering Contract with Lamp Rynearson for Swimming Pool Improvements
  2. Consider Approval of Donation Policy
  3. Update on Cedar Lane Lift Station Project
• NEW BUSINESS
  1. Executive Session – Data Related to Financial Affairs
  2. Consider Approval of Public Property Permit Application, Noise Permit Application, and Event Request for Traffic Control – Community Block Party
  3. Consider Resolution Adopting Revised Fee Schedule
  4. Consider Contract for Electric Service with Midwest Energy for Campground Expansion Project
  5. Consider Approval of Vinyl Contract from Lamar
• REPORTS FROM CITY OFFICIALS
  1. Administrative
     • Public Works
       • Comparative Water Report
       • Department Update
     • Police
       • Department Update
     • City Clerk
       • Financial Statements for December 2018
       • Health Insurance Savings Report for March
       • Draft Minutes from Committee Meetings
       • Campground Expansion Project Budget
       • Department Update
     • Attorney
       • Update on Status of Code Violation Cases
     • Mayor Update and Announcements
       • Update of LKM Leadership Summit

EXECUTIVE SESSIONS

• ADJOURNMENT

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The Hays City Commission seat of James Meier is open for election this year, but Meier will not run for re-election. He and his family will soon be moving to Wichita.

Meier made the announcement publicly during last night’s city commission meeting.

“I’ve taken a position with Via Christi in the in-patient pharmacy at St. Francis (Wichita) as a manager,” Meier said, “and we’ll be moving down somewhere in the Wichita area whenever we get the house sold (in Hays.)”

Meier and his wife are both from the Wichita area. Following the commission meeting, he said the move will bring them closer to family.

The job offer was the third such one for Meier.

“It was pretty hard to decide that, because quite honestly, I like doing this,” Meier told the other commission members and city officials at Thursday’s meeting. “I really like serving with you guys. I really think we’ve done a lot of good things in the last four years. I really would like to run again but at a certain point you have to decide what is more important to you.

“In the past two years, I’ve gotten the offer of two different jobs that were along the same lines and I passed,” said Meier, “mostly so I could just keep sitting in this chair.

“After the last one, my wife and I decided that if it came up a third time, we wouldn’t say no.”

Meier is currently the pharmacy supervisor at Hays Medical Center and is a board-certified oncology pharmacist.

Meier’s last meeting as a city commissioner is the May 2 work session. The commission will appoint his replacement to fill the unexpired term. The general election is Nov. 2.

Meier thanked Hays residents for voting for him; the other commissioners thanked him for his service.

“It’s been a big learning opportunity. I think I’ve changed a lot in four years, maybe for the better,” Meiers added. “It’s been one of the best experiences of my life. I’m really sad that I have to be leaving.”

“As are we,” added Commissioner Sandy Jacobs.

“I hope the citizens really realize the gift that he gave us over four years,” she said. “He’s extremely knowledgeable, really convicted, does his homework and takes it very, very seriously. He truly works for the citizens of this community and for how we spend money.

“He’s made me a better commissioner in the three years I’ve been on the commission. I’m proud to work with him, but more than that, I’m proud to call him my friend.”

“You’re intelligent and motivated,” Mayor Henry Schwaller told Meier. “You look at both sides of an issue. You certainly did come with a certain perspective, and you’ve matured and you’ve changed. You brought a lot to this commission body. You will be missed.”

Jacobs said she hopes Meier will consider running for office in Sedgwick County.

“We’ll see what’s open down there,” Meier replied.

BY BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The owner of a lot on the southeast corner of 22nd and Wheatland in Hays has submitted an application for rezoning of the south 60 feet of Lot 2 from Neighborhood Conservation District (NC.3) to Commercial General District (C-2).

The same rezoning was approved by the city commission in January for Lot 1 to the north plus the north 20 feet of Lot 2.

Lots to the west, across Wheatland, are already zoned C-2, while 22nd is a major collector street.

The area is identified as Medium Density Residential in the city’s current Comprehensive Plan. A 2016 update to the Unified Development Code (UDC) requires a bufferyard between C-2 and NC.3 zoning districts.

C-2 zoning allows 28 types of businesses or uses:

“You’ve heard me say this before,” Jesse Rohr, public works director, reminded city commissioners last week. “It’s important to keep in mind that once zoned, any of these uses on that list are fair game for that property. It’s important not to zone with one use in mind, even if it’s known what use is planned.”

The Planning Commission unanimously approved the rezoning request during a March 18 public hearing. All property owners within 200 feet of the subject property were notified of the public hearing.

According to Rohr, two nearby property owners spoke at the Planning Commission meeting. They wanted to know what is planned for the property. The list of permissible uses was provided to them.

One person was also concerned about what’s next.

“Are they gonna come back next month and want to go further south, this person asked.

“The Planning Commission was pretty adamant they’d be hard-pressed to adopt (a zoning change) going south, primarily because what (the property owner) is doing lines up with the C-2 along 22nd and to the west side of Wheatland. Going further south, they feel, would encroach into the residential neighborhood much more so than this (request) and wouldn’t have that natural break like this one has,” Rohr explained.

City commissioner Ron Mellick attended the Planning Commission public hearing.

“We never know what’s going in. I voted for this last time because it would eliminate a lot of these (permitted) things because of the lot size. It’s going to be a little bit larger now but I’m still not concerned.

“They (nearby property owners) were worried about what would happen if this (new business) closed, and we can’t predict the future… “.

The rezoning request is scheduled for a vote at tonight’s city commission meeting.

Following a proclamation reading for National Service Recognition Day by Mayor Henry Schwaller, he requested a 15-minute executive session to discuss potential acquisition of real estate.

No action was taken following the executive session.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Sen. Rick Billinger (R-Goodland) doesn’t expect any proposal to expand Medicaid in Kansas to pass in the senate.

“I don’t think there’s 24 votes to get it out of committee. There may be, and if you get it out, it takes 27 votes to get it above the line. I don’t think either one is very realistic at all,” Billinger said. “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”

The state senator joined other local legislators Saturday in Hays for a forum hosted by the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce.

The Kansas House has passed an expansion bill but two of the three state representatives at Saturday’s event voted against it.

Hays Republican Barbara Wasinger said she voted no because the problems with KanCare need to be fixed before it’s expanded. KanCare is the program through which the state of Kansas administers Medicaid.

“Right now what needs to be done is raising the reimbursement levels. The physicians, the hospitals will get more money just by raising the reimbursement levels to start with,” said Wasinger.

All the studies Wasinger has looked at indicate the “big hospitals will get all the money. Rural hospitals will get $30,000, maybe $40,000. That’s not gonna save them.

“We need to do something about our health care system and there’s great conversation with the Kansas Medical Association people, with the hospitals, that we need really need to take a look at what our health care delivery system is. How do we fix it?

“People are waiting all the time to get in to see doctors. If we add more people right away, we’re going to bump even more people further back on the waiting list.

“There’s so many issues that we need to address to make sure that any expansion helps everyone, not just KU Med Center, Via Christi.

“What rural Kansans need are pockets of health care that can help them right now and doctors that can take their claims, and that’s not happening.”

Wasinger said her vote was not a vote against rural Kansas, nor a vote against the health of rural Kansans.

“Let’s look at this. Let’s fix this and then go from there.”

Also voting against Medicaid expansion was Rep. Ken Rahjes (R-Agra).  “We can’t afford it.”

Rahjes agreed with First Dist. Congressman Roger Marshall (R-Great Bend), who also participated in Saturday’s legislative forum. “We need a real discussion about rural health care,” Rahjes contends.

Rep. Leonard Mastroni (R-La Crosse) voted in favor of the bill. The majority of his constituents in the 117th District – comprised of eight counties – supported Medicaid expansion in a survey by Mastroni.

There are six critical access hospitals in the 117th District.

“According to a KHA (Kansas Hospital Association) study, Medicaid expansion would bring another $142,000 to our little critical access hospital in La Crosse,” Mastroni said. “I think that is a significant amount to help our rural hospitals.”

Pawnee Valley Hospital of Larned, part of the KU hospital system, is the largest critical access hospital in Mastroni’s district. An additional $450,000 would come to that hospital is Medicaid is expanded.

Mastroni is concerned about how long small hospitals can continue to afford accepting patients who can’t pay for their medical services.

“That’s a huge problem. It falls directly onto the shoulders of the local counties when that happens.”

As a former Rush County commissioner and judge, “Medicaid expansion is very important to me,” Mastroni stressed.

Both Mastroni and Wasinger joined a Tuesday tour of HaysMed with Kansas Lt. Gov. Lynn Rogers.

The Democratic team of Rogers and Gov. Laura Kelley are advocating for Medicaid expansion. Kansas is one of 14 states that has not expanded Medicaid.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

“Government works kind of slow.”

As a former Ellis County and Hays city commissioner, Barb Wasinger already knew that before she was elected last fall as the 111th District state representative from Hays. Now she’s in Topeka, where the state legislative process is even slower.

During a Saturday morning forum in Hays, Wasinger and other local legislators – all Republicans – along with First District Congressman Roger Marshall talked about Medicaid expansion in Kansas as well as health care reform.

The rising cost of health care is one of the top concerns of Kansans, according to Marshall, a Republican from Great Bend.

“What we have in 2020, I think is a big choice, very much a binary choice,” said Marshall. “I think it’s very evident both Democrats and Republicans are ready to throw out the Affordable Care Act. It hasn’t worked.

“We want to address what it didn’t, and that’s the cost of health care.

“The Democrat plan would be universal health care, Medicare for all which is really Medicare for none. It’ll end up looking like Medicaid. If you’re getting health care through your employer, that’s going to be gone. If you’re in the VA (Veterans Administration) system, that’s going to be gone.”

Marshall says he wants to push choices back to the state level and “let the states run more of those types of solutions, whether it’s individual market or other things.”

The true issue, Marshall believes, is driving down the cost of health care.

“If I can drive the cost of health care down, then those people with pre-existing conditions can afford health care,” Marshall said.

“And it’ll help your state budget because it will drive Medicaid expenses (down). I can maybe someday balance the budget at the federal level.”

Currently, 28% of the federal budget is spent on health care, according to the Kansas congressman.

“I’ll never be able to balance the budget until I get the costs of health care down.”

Marshall says there are three basic principles to driving down the cost of health care – transparency, innovation and consumerism.

“When you go out for a meal, you get more information from the menu than when you have a hip procedure done, or when you walk into an emergency room and you then get a helicopter ride plus all the surprise billing.”

Pharmacies also lack transparency. He said there are four Pharmacy Benefit Managers in the United States controlling 90% of the market.

“When you go to your local pharmacist and spend $100 a month on your medication, that Pharmacy Benefit Manager is extracting a third of that. They don’t improve health care and they’re giving legal kickbacks to big pharma and insurance companies.

“That just first needs to be transparent. I think when America sees that, they’re going to scream and say this isn’t right.”

Innovation will do more to drive the cost of the health care down than any legislation, “if we just get the government out of the way,” Marshall stressed. He is a longtime obstetrician and gynecologist.

As an example, he said twice as many generic drugs are now being approved per year than were during the Obama administration. “We got the government out of the way and expedited the FDA (Federal Drug Administration) process.”

Marshall’s third principle for lowering health care costs is consumerism – making patients consumers once again.

He wants all patients to have access to an HSA – Health Savings Account – and use pre-tax dollars to pay health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket medical expenses.

“Don’t let the press fool you. We (the Republicans) do have a plan. We have 20 bills, each to help guide the cost of health care down 1 or 2%. Most of it is common sense. Now the question is, can Congress execute some of those plans?”

Many major health care systems are no longer accepting any of the Affordable Health Care Act plans, also known as Obamacare, because “they look like Medicaid,” Marshall said.

“Many of the reimbursements are so horrible, the household factors are so bad, that most of the major institutions are no longer going to accept any of these individual market plans.”