ELLIS – Two properties in Ellis were officially condemned by city council members during their meeting Monday night.  The property owners have 30 days in which to remedy or remove the houses.  Fire Chief Dustin Vine requested permission for firefighters to train in the buildings before they are razed.

In other business, the council discussed a possible rebate to water customers after purchase of a high-efficiency toilet.  The potential program will be considered further during budget work sessions for possible implementation in 2019.

Mayor Dave McDaniel noted the Water Advisory Committee was scheduled to meet this week to discuss the land survey of tracts in Trego County for use as a possible new water source.

The complete meeting minutes follow.

 

ELLIS CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING Minutes

January 15, 2018 

CALL TO ORDER

Mayor David McDaniel called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. Present were Council members Bret Andries, Holly Aschenbrenner, Susan Eaton, Jolene Niernberger, Dena Patee, and Bob Redger.  Also present were Public Works Director Alan Scheuerman, City Clerk Amy Burton, Police Chief Taft Yates, Fire Chief Dustin Vine, and City Attorney Olavee Raub.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

AMENDMENTS TO AGENDA

None

PUBLIC PRESENT

Glen Keller, Leonard Schoenberger, Nickole Byers, Brian Raub, Karen Ashbaugh, Myles Vine, Westin Vine, Emily Mattheyer, Gary Luea, and Verda Flinn.

CONSENT AGENDA

Council member Holly Aschenbrenner moved to approve the consent agenda containing the Minutes from the Regular Meeting on January 2, 2018, the Minutes from the Regular Meeting on January 8, 2018, and Bills Ordinance #2037.  Council member Dena Patee seconded the motion. The Council approved the consent agenda 6-0.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

None

PRESENTATIONS OF AWARDS, PROCLAMATIONS, REQUESTS & PETITIONS (HEARINGS)

Mayor David McDaniel recognized members of the Senior Citizens Advisory Committee and presented Karen Ashbaugh, Emily Mattheyer, Jolene Niernberger, Brian Raub, and Leonard Schoenberger with a Citizen’s Award for their act of service.

SPECIAL ORDER

Fire: Report

Fire Chief Dustin Vine reported that Ellis County Fire has donated two ladders to the Department.  Chief Vine also asked City Attorney Olavee Raub if the firefighters might be able to train in the two properties set to be condemned by Council before they are removed.

Advertising: Contract

Nickole Byers, Ellis Review editor, presented proposals for the City’s 2018 advertising package.  The City would be able to advertise in thirty publications throughout Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska for $450 – $1,000 per month depending on the size of the ad and frequency of publication.  Ms. Byers is also willing to customize any type of advertising plan to fit the City’s needs.  Mayor David McDaniel suggested the Tourism Committee review the proposals and prepare a recommendation to Council.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

General Government: Violation

City Attorney Olavee Raub presented two resolutions for consideration.  Each resolution states the Council’s findings on why the listed property should be condemned and provides the owner a stated timeframe in which to address the findings.  Council member Dena Patee moved and Council member Bob Redger seconded a motion to apply a 30-day deadline for the property owners to remedy or remove the stated properties.  The motion carried 6-0.

Council member Holly Aschenbrenner then moved to approve Resolution No. 543 condemning the property at 1309 Fauteux Street.  Council member Jolene Niernberger seconded the motion.  The motion carried 6-0.  Council member Dena Patee moved and Council member Bob Redger seconded a motion to approve Resolution No. 544 condemning the property at 208 West 12^th Street.  The motion carried 6-0.

NEW BUSINESS

General Government: Special Project

Council discussed the City of Hays’ High Efficiency Toilet Rebate Program.  The City would need to implement a permit and inspection fee to ensure the resident purchased an eligible toilet.  Council discussed possible rebate amounts, resulting budget implications, and how the City could fund the approved rebates.  It was the consensus of Council to further discuss the toilet rebate program during budget work sessions for possible implementation in 2019.

Sanitation: City Code

City Clerk Amy Burton presented an ordinance removing the stated sanitation special pick-up rates and inserting language that would allow Council to set the fees by resolution.  Council inquired if the monthly service charges could be removed from the ordinance and set those fees by resolution as well.  Council member Dena Patee moved to approve Ordinance No. 1427 as amended to set sanitation service charges and special pick-up fees by resolution.  Council member Bob Redger seconded the motion.  The motion carried 6-0.

Streets: Acquisition

Council member Holly Aschenbrenner moved to accept the low bid from PMSI for crack patch material in the amount of $9,975.00 with funds to come from the Capital Improvement-Streets fund.  Council member Dena Patee seconded the motion.  The motion carried 6-0.

REPORTS FROM CITY OFFICIALS

Public Works

Public Works Director Alan Scheuerman presented a list summarizing the violations cited at 210 E. 11^th Street.  Flatlander Dirtworks, successful bidder for the removal of the condemned properties at 1309 Fauteux and 208 West 12^th St., notified Mr. Scheuerman that their bids may increase due to the County Landfill tipping fees increasing February 1^st.  Council requested Mr. Scheuerman obtain updated bids from the contractor.

Police

Police Chief Taft Yates reported the new police radios have arrived and are being programmed by the vendor in Great Bend.  Both of the Department’s Ford Explorers are at Ka-Comm in Salina for equipment transfer and installation.

City Clerk

City Clerk Amy Burton presented the Health Insurance Savings Report for December, the 2017 Catastrophic Sick Leave Summary Report, and the 2017 Safety Committee Annual Report.  Council requested a budget orientation work session to be held in late March.  Due to a situation involving the City’s Tourism Committee, Ms. Burton suggested the City develop a handbook for all Committee volunteers highlighting the parameters in which to operate. Ms. Burton and City Attorney Olavee Raub will work together to develop the document.

Tourism: Financial

At Ms. Burton’s recommendation, Council member Holly Aschenbrenner moved and Council member Bob Redger seconded a motion to create a separate Tourism Fund.

Attorney

City Attorney Olavee Raub will meet with Ellis Golf Club representatives this week to discuss the possible sale of land at a potential buyer’s request.

Mayor Update and Announcements

The Water Advisory Committee will meet this week to discuss the land survey of tracts located in Trego County for use as a possible water source.  Council member Holly Aschenbrenner requested the Council discuss holding a Committee Appreciation event at the next Council meeting.  Mayor David McDaniel and Council member Jolene Niernberger will attend the League’s Local Government Day on January 24^th.

ADJOURNMENT

Council member Bob Redger moved and Council member Holly Aschenbrenner seconded a motion to adjourn the meeting.  The meeting adjourned at 8:41 p.m.

 

CITY OF HAYS

In advance of National School Choice Week observed Jan. 21-28, Hays Mayor James Meier signed a proclamation Thursday noting the city’s participation.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Hays property owners may be eligible for lower insurance rates after April 1.

The city of Hays’ Public Fire Protection Classification by the Insurance Services Office (ISO) will improve from Class 3 to Class 2 effective April 1, 2018, according to Fire Chief Gary Brown. The rating is used by insurance companies to help set homeowner and fire insurance rates.

Brown told Hays city commissioners Thursday night a re-evaluation in October 2017 of the city’s preparedness for fire emergencies included additional credit for the Ellis County fire station, fire trucks and firefighters located in Hays.

“We made significant progress in a lot of areas. Beginning in January 2017 the city of Hays and Ellis County fire departments automatically respond together to reported building fires in the city and the built-up areas surrounding the city without regard to the city limits. This cost effective sharing of resources allows for a stronger initial response to fires, better and safer firefighting operations and increased fire insurance credit,” Brown said.

Commissioner Shaun Musil congratulated Brown for the improvement. “This is great news for the residents of Hays and Ellis County.”

He noted the Automatic Aid Agreement between the fire departments were not the only consideration. Many city departments were included in the evaluation including 911 Communications, Water Resources, Public Works, and police.

“Planning, Inspection and Enforcement (PIE) within Public Works has a really important tole in this. They make sure new buildings get built in accordance with the building code, make sure that there’s adequate water on site for the buildings that are being built, make sure that we get the water mains in place and have those fire flows.”

Brown also cited recent upgrades to the 911 and radio communications systems by Ellis County as instrumental in the reclassification.

“We’re now also getting credit for procedures to command emergencies which meet national standards. Our standard operating procedures were evaluated to make sure they were adequate. The way we do fire code enforcement and fire investigations were all rated in this schedule.”

ISO evaluates fire protection in more than 44,600 communities. The towns are rated on a scale of Class 1 (exemplary fire protection) to Class 10 (no recognized fire protection.)

As a Public Fire Protection Class 2 community, Hays will be in the top 4% of communities nationwide and the top 2% of communities in Kansas. Hays has been in Class 3 since 2005.

Brown suggested residents check with their insurance agent regarding the impact of the improved ISO score.  “In general, insurance costs are lower in communities with better Public Fire Protection Classification scores,” he explained.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

With temperatures forecasted to warm up later this week, you may want to take advantage of the increased heat and sun to water some of your landscape plantings.

“We are very dry right now, despite some of the very minimal snow amounts we’ve received,” said Holly Dickman, the city of Hays’ Water Conservation Specialist.

“If you have new trees or shrubs in the landscape, it is advisable to go ahead and water them,” Dickman said. “But don’t do it when it’s severely cold. Wait until we have a nice stretch of warm days. A week or so ago, we were in the 60s for a day or two. That’s a perfect time to get out and soak those trees and shrubs deeply, giving them something.

“We just haven’t had any moisture. It’s important to keep those things healthy going through the winter months. A healthy plant is a more water-efficient plant in the future,” she pointed out.

If the temperature falls overnight, Dickman said “it won’t hurt anything.”

“The main thing is you don’t want to be out there watering when the ground is completely frozen. For us around here, our weather fluctuates so much, to have truly frozen ground is pretty uncommon.

“So if we get some temperatures that warm up into the 50s or the 60s, the soil also warms up if it’s sunny, and the water will soak in.”

According to official statistics from the K-State Agricultural Research Center, Hays has had 0.12 inches of moisture in January, coming from one inch of snow. So far for the snow season, only 3.1 inches of snow has fallen in Hays.

ELLIS – Although Monday is the federal holiday of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the Ellis City Council will still meet on its regular day.

Agenda items include continued discussion of resolutions for condemnation of properties. In new business, council members will discuss a high efficiency toilet rebate program and also consider an ordinance that would set special sanitation rates by resolution.

The complete meeting agenda follows.

 

AGENDA

January 15, 2018

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 January 2, 2018
  2. Minutes from Regular Meeting on January 8, 2018
  3. Bills Ordinance #2037

(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)
  1. Presentation of Citizen’s Awards – Senior Citizens Advisory Committee
• SPECIAL ORDER
  1. Fire Department Monthly Report – Chief Dustin Vine
  2. Presentation of Advertising Proposal from the Ellis Review
• UNFINISHED BUSINESS
  1. Consider Resolutions for Condemnation of Properties
• NEW BUSINESS
  1. Discuss High Efficiency Toilet Rebate Program
  2. Consider Ordinance Setting Special Sanitation Rates by Resolution
  3. Consider Purchase of Street Material
• REPORTS FROM CITY OFFICIALS
  1. Administrative
     • Public Works
       • Summary of Violations Cited at 210 E. 11^th Street
       • Department Update
     • Police
       • Department Update
     • City Clerk
       • Health Insurance Savings Report
       • Catastrophic Sick Leave Summary
       • Safety Committee Annual Report
       • Department Update
     • Attorney
       • Update on Status of Code Violation Cases
     • Mayor Update and Announcements

EXECUTIVE SESSIONS

• ADJOURNMENT

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The city of Hays will make a $28,519.39 payment to the Hays Recreation Commission (HRC) to help cover operating losses by the two swimming pools in 2017.

The city contracts with HRC to manage the pools. Their contract requires any operating loss or surplus incurred by HRC to be shared evenly with the city “as long as the Contractor’s portion of the loss does not exceed $26,000.”

According to Director of Parks Jeff Boyle, in 2017 the HRC loss was $54,519.39. Boyle requested the Hays city commission reimburse HRC $28,519.39, the full 50 percent of the loss. Commissioners unanimously approved the request during their Jan. 8 meeting.

Boyle told commissioners “attendance was down this year and weather played a big part in that. We had good rains early in the season, with cool temperatures in June and again in August.”

Comparative statistics provided each year by HRC showed average attendance the Hays Aquatic Park (HAP) for the 79 days it was open was 611 people compared to 686 people during the 78 open days in 2016. Total HAP visitors in 2017 was 48,238 compared to 53,504 in 2016.

Wilson pool had an average of 60 patrons per day compared to 59 patrons per day in 2016. There were 3,772 visitors to Wilson poll last year compared to 3,923 in 2016.

“Ideally, we would like every day to be sunny and in the 90s but realize when operating an outdoor venue, we’re at the mercy of Mother Nature,” wrote HRC Superintendent Roger Bixenman in his note to commissioners.

At the commission’s Jan. 4 work session which was attended by several HRC board members and staff, there was some discussion about possibly increasing admission prices and adding new pool features.

Commissioners agreed the two pools enhance the “quality of life” in Hays.

“When the Hays Aquatic Park was built 17 years ago, people were told it would be a money-maker. From the first year, it was not,” said Vice-Mayor Henry Schwaller. “We are providing a service to the community that no one else will provide, benefiting Ellis County and the surrounding counties as well.”

Schwaller was quick to praise HRC and its staff for keeping the facility in good repair.

“The boilers, the pumps, were not projected to last more than 10 years and we’re now in its 17th year. It’s not uncommon for the costs of maintaining a pool to go up, and they will continue to go up.

“Regarding attendance, we have a lot of ideas of how to boost attendance and boost revenue and we’ll be dealing with that.”

Boyle told the commission the city has $321,000 in pool sales tax reserves.

“We’ve been very diligent as a commission, along with city staff and the HRC in not spending that money,” Schwaller said, “so we can continue to make those improvements and cover those losses for quite some time.”

“From my perspective, this is in the top half of quality of life issues,” Commissioner Sandy Jacobs added. “It’s something for the kids to do in the summer. We have been vigilant and we’re excited to see what you might bring in the future,” she told Boyle.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Outgoing Hays City Commissioner Lance Jones wasn’t expecting to make a speech at Monday night’s meeting, but he did.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time on the city commission,” Jones said. “It’s kind of bittersweet. I hate to leave but it also opens up the next chapter of my life. I’m going back to school, broadening myself, and concentrating on my civilian job for awhile.”

He thanked his fellow commissioners for their support of him as a new commissioner. “You’ve taught me more than you can ever imagine,” Jones said to longtime commissioner Henry Schwaller.

In turn, Schwaller praised Jones. “You never took ‘no’ for an answer. Sunday sales of alcohol (for example). That failed once. You moved ahead. That persistence and your engagement, those are the keys to success in life.”

“I do think all the commissioners up here think of community first,” Jones added.

Jones also thanked city staff and employees. “This is such a well-run city. As commissioners we don’t get the emails and phone calls you’d think we would. I attribute that to the city being so well-run. Part of what I ran on was being a ‘money man’ and being able to dig deep into the budgets. We as commissioners can critique the budget, but city staff has already done that. They’ve cut excess expenses. When you’re paying cash for a $4 million street project, that’s a tribute to what the staff and departments do.”

Jones was given a commemorate plaque with a key to the city, thanking him for serving from April 2015 to January 2018, nearly three years on the Hays city commission.

Shaun Musil was also presented a commemorative gavel for serving as mayor. James Meier, previously the vice-mayor, was chosen to serve as mayor while Henry Schwaller was selected as vice-mayor.

Chris Dinkel, who won the seat vacated by Jones, was sworn into office along with Musil and Sandy Jacobs.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

It’s been an exciting, and busy start to the new year for Melissa Dixon, executive director of the Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Last Thursday, the announcement of a Chicago flight at the Hays Regional Airport starting in April was unveiled by City Manager Toby Dougherty. Dixon will be working with SkyWest Airlines to help promote the new flight which can be booked starting April 9.

Two new hotel projects, plus a convention center, are also underway. “It’s all great news,” Dixon said with a smile.

On Jan. 5, HKHR Hospitality Corp. of Hays announced its intention to build a new urban design La Quinta Inns & Suites four-story, 81-room hotel west of the former Golden Corral.

The La Quinta announcement comes on the heels of approval Dec. 29 by the city commission for the first steps towards development by Hays Hotel/Mitra Developers, Wichita, of a new Hilton Garden Inn hotel and convention center on west 43rd Street directly west of Walmart.  The hotel will have 100 beds and contain a small restaurant and bar. The 8,400-square-foot conference center will seat 500 people.

City commissioners approved a 20-year rebate of the Transient Guest Tax (TGT) for the Hilton project, the first time the city has done so. The TGT is normally retained by the CVB for promotion and marketing of Hays. Dixon doesn’t mind. “If it’s going to get more people in Hays, let it go,” she said enthusiastically.

An 80-room extended-stay Marriott Town Place Suites west of the JT Travel Plaza, developed by Hays Extended Stay Hotel Partners, Liberty, Missouri, is expected to open soon and has begun hiring employees, according to Aaron White, Ellis Co. Coalition for Economic Development executive director.

When the 211-room the Hays Ambassador Hotel & Conference Center, 3603 Vine, closed Dec. 1, 2015, it left a major shortage of places for travelers wanting to stay overnight in Hays as well as large meeting places for events. “I know when we’ve had the state Special Olympics basketball tournament here, some folks wound up staying in motels in Russell and WaKeeney,” Dixon said.

“We did lose some big events in Hays when we lost the big Ambassador with all its rooms.”

“We will fill all these new hotel rooms,” she emphasized. “I have never met hotel owners who were happier in the summer because we are almost always filled during the summer months. This will work towards getting us back to where we were before we lost the Ambassador.”

She said the addition of the La Quinta will be especially attractive to a certain type of traveler.

“We can tell from our website searches on visithays.com that we always have people looking for pet-friendly hotels, so the La Quinta will fill that need. That’s great news, too.”

Dixon said she is not aware of any progress towards filling the space where the Ambassador was located and eventually razed. The land is for sale by the owner of the former hotel.

“There have been discussions but nothing yet has lined up just right for everybody,” though she’s keeping her “fingers crossed.”

 

 

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The Hays city commission was not the only governing body in Kansas to meet in an unusual Monday session.

When the Kansas legislature voted to move local elections from April to November last year, there was an additional component to the law, explained City Manager Toby Dougherty.

“I think it was an unintended consequence of that,” Dougherty said. “The intent of the legislation was to move the elections to November, but when they wrote the legislation, they specifically called out the date that the new commissioners took seats, which is today, so we had to have a special Jan. 8 meeting to make it happen.” Some bodies, Dougherty noted, may normally meet Mondays, and therefore would not have had to make a change in their schedule.

In Hays, newly elected commissioner Chris Dinkel was sworn in by City Clerk Brenda Kitchen, alongside incumbents Shaun Musil and Sandy Jacobs.

James Meier was selected as mayor and Henry Schwaller IV was selected vice-mayor.

Outgoing commissioner Lance Jones and former mayor Musil were thanked for their service.

According to Dougherty, cities were the only local governing bodies in the state required to install their new officials January 8.

The Hays city commission will not convene Thu., Jan. 11, its regular meeting night.