By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The city of Hays hopes to purchase two pieces of property in the Smoky Hill wellfield south of town, where many of the city’s water wells are situated. Currently, the city leases the properties.

When the wellfield was developed, the city leased sites for water wells, monitoring wells, and access easements. The leases had automatic inflator provisions. Beginning with the wellfield reconfiguration in 2006, the city started buying out these leases in order to save money in the future.

According to Assistant City Manager Jacob Wood, there would be a cost savings in purchasing the land tracts and more flexibility in any future well configurations.

“Over time, the city has tried to purchase any well site that we have on the Smoky Hill River or even Big Creek. Currently we have a lot of wells that are on leases so we’re paying monthly rates,” Jacobs said. “On these two properties we’re paying about $400 a month on each.  Any time we have an opportunity to purchase a lease and stop paying that monthly rate, it gives us a little bit more control of the property. It works out better for the city in the long run.”

One property owner wants to sell not only the S18 well site but the entire 37-acre tract.  “The Dinges Family Trust is willing to accept $225,000 for the property,” City Attorney John Bird wrote in a memo to city commissioners. “The value of the land, in conjunction with the future rents received, will offset the cost of purchase.”

The second tract where well S11 is located on 3.7 acres is owned by Brandon and Brandi Zimmerman has  purchase price of $80,000.

Both properties would be paid from the water sales tax. City staff supports both purchases.

City commissioners will consider the recommendations during their work session tonight as well as look at the proposed 2018 Street Maintenance Program budgeted for approximately $1.2 million.

The contract for the Fort Hays Municipal Golf Course Pro-Shop manager will also be reviewed. Long-time manager Rich Guffey is retiring at the end of the year.

The entire Nov. 2 agenda is available here.

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

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Annual awards were presented Oct. 26 to Hay city employees recognizing their service of 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years.

With family and friends, co-workers and supervisors crowded into the city commission chambers, the 19 employees were called to the front of the room to shake hands with the commissioners and City Manager Toby Dougherty. Finance Director Kim Rupp read each person’s history employment with the city as they were presented a recognition plaque by Mayor Shaun Musil and posed with him for a picture.

City of Hays 2017 Employee Service Awards

5-Year Awards
Jami Breit – Jami started with the City in 2012 as an Account Clerk I for the Clerk’s Office. In 2013 she was promoted to Deputy City Clerk.
Nikki Hausler – Nikki began her career as an Animal Control Officer with the Hays Police Department in 2012 and continues in that role today.
Tim Detrixhe – Tim joined the City as a Volunteer Fire Fighter in 2012. In 2013 he was appointed to a Career Fire Fighter position.
Rick Hines – Rick has been with the City since 2012 as an Airport Maintenance Operator and continues to hold that position.
Bob Shubert – Bob returned to the City of Hays in 2012 as a Part-Time Water Resources Truck Driver. In 2017 he accepted a Full-Time Position as an Equipment Operator with the Water Resources department.

10-Year Awards
Lucas Everett – Lucas started employment as a Volunteer Fire Fighter in 2007 with the City of Hays. He was promoted to a Career Fire Fighter in 2010.
Tyler Brungardt – Tyler began his career with the City as a Volunteer Fire Fighter in 2007. In 2008 he was promoted to a Career Fire Fighter. In 2014 Tyler was promoted to Fire Lieutenant.
Brandon Hauptman – Brandon joined the Hays Police Department in 2007 as a Police Officer. In 2014 Brandon was promoted to Police Corporal and a year later was named a Police Sergeant.
TJ Mages – TJ has been with the City as a Mechanic since 2007 and still holds this position today.

15-Year Service Awards
Curtis Deines – Curtis started as a Plant Trainee in 2002. In 2003 he was promoted to a Plant Operator I and transitioned to an Inspector position that same year. He was then promoted to Inspector II in 2014. Curtis’s most recent promotion happened earlier this year when he became the Superintendent for the Planning, Inspection, and Enforcement Division.
Mike O’Gorman – Mike began his career as a Seasonal Maintenance Worker in 2002. That same year he was promoted to a Maintenance Worker I. In 2003 Mike transitioned to Plant Trainee and was once again promoted in 2005 to Plant Operator I.
Jesse Rohr – Jesse joined the City in 2001 as an Inspector for the Planning, Inspection, and Enforcement Division. One year later he was promoted to Chief Building Official which was reclassified to Planning, Inspection, and Enforcement Superintendent in 2003. He was recently promoted to Director of Public Works.
Jake Helget – Jake started with the City as a Seasonal Maintenance Worker for the Parks Department in 2002. That same year, Jake was promoted to a Park Maintenance Worker. In 2006 he was promoted to Ball Field Facilities Foreman which was reclassified to Athletic Facilities Foreman in 2011 with the addition of the Sports Complex.
Jeff Ridgway – Jeff began his career as a Police Officer with the Hays Police Department in 2002. In 2004 he transitioned to the School Resource Officer position. Jeff was then promoted to a Uniformed Police Investigator in 2010. Then, in 2013, Jeff became a Plain Clothes Investigator which is his current position today.
Tobin Miller – Tobin has been with the City since 2002. During that time Tobin has been a Maintenance Worker I, Refuse/Recycling Collector, Maintenance Worker II, Equipment Operator and, his current position, Water Resources Maintenance Foreman.
Jessi Jacobs – Jessi started at the City as an IT Aide. That same year she became a Part-Time Information Technology Aide. In 2004 she became a Technology Technician which is the same position she holds today.

20-Year Service Awards
Jeff Boyle – Jeff started with the City as a Maintenance Worker for the Parks Department in 1996. He was promoted to Parks Foreman in 1998. He now serves as the Parks Director which he has held since 1999.

25-Year Service Awards
Kevin Augustine – Kevin joined the City in 1992 as a Refuse Collector. In 1993 he transitioned to a Utility Worker, which was later reclassified as a Maintenance Worker I in 2003. He was then promoted to Maintenance Worker II in 2004. In 2006 he was once again promoted to Equipment Operator.
Kyle Leiker – Kyle began his career with the City as a Refuse Collector in 1992. In 1994 he became a Utility Worker which was reclassified in 2003 as a Maintenance Worker I. Kyle was promoted to an Equipment Operator in 2004. Kyle is currently a Service Division Foreman.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Hays City Commission candidates talked about the most pressing issues facing the city, how to create more jobs, and the strengths they each would bring to the commission table if elected, during an Oct. 17 forum at Fort Hays State University.

The event, hosted by the FHSU Student Government Association (SGA), Hays Area Chamber of Commerce and Midwest Energy, drew an audience of about 65 people who submitted their own questions to the candidates. SGA president Emily Brandt was the moderator.

There are five people running for the three open positions on the Hays city commission in the Nov. 7 general election.

The candidates are Chris Dinkel, marketing coordinator for High Plains Mental Health Center and an adjunct history professor at FHSU; incumbent Sandy Jacobs, executive director of the Heartland Community Foundation; John Mayers, a realtor with Landmark Realty and an employee of Westhusing’s, Inc., Stockton; incumbent and current mayor Shaun Musil, owner of Paisley Pear Wine Bar, Bistro & Market; and Dustin Roths, owner of Diamond R Jewelry. This is the first time Dinkel, Mayers and Roths have run for a political office.

Three main topics dominated the forum–the need for affordable housing, declining sales tax revenues and economic growth. The city’s general fund is financed solely by city sales tax receipts. Hays is the only city in Kansas to operate that way.

The two people with the highest number of votes will be elected to four-year terms. The person with the third highest vote total will serve a two-year term. The mayor is selected by the commission members.

Advance voting is underway in the Ellis County Administrative Center, 718 Main, Hays, through noon Mon., Nov. 6.

Polls for the Tue., Nov. 7 general election are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. throughout Ellis County.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Hays city commissioners unanimously approved renewal of the city employee insurance plan during their meeting Thursday night.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas’ renewal rates for 2018 included a decrease of 0.67 percent in the city’s premium cost, according to Human Resources Director Erin Giebler.

It came as a pleasant surprise. Giebler told commissioners she was anticipating as much as a 21 percent cost increase.

City commissioner Lance Jones said he was “pretty certain two years ago when I came on here that we were going to have to bump up the city’s share, or I was going to request it, because of insurance costs on the rise. But I think you guys have done an excellent job of keeping the costs down,” he told Giebler, “so the employees don’t have to pay a tremendous amount.”

“We’ve been under that $9,500 average per employee cap on health insurance the city commission set in 2010,” Giebler pointed out. “We’re going into 2018 still being able to hold that cap and that’s thanks to our employees willing to change plans, willing to do a consumer-driven plan.”

With the Wage and Benefit Committee required to find the best insurance within the provided budget, the provider has changed several times during the past eight years.

“This is the first year in I don’t know how many years we’ve actually kept same plan. I know how annoying that can be to have deductibles changed on you, co-pays changed on you, and you don’t know how much your drugs are going to cost,” said Vice Mayor James Meier. “We have good employees who have been willing to do that in order to keep costs down for the city and I appreciate that.”

The city will pay up to $1,719,500 for the triple option health insurance plan and also authorize $100,000 to fund employees’ Health Savings Accounts both out of the Employee Benefit Levy Fund.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Health insurance for employees of the city of Hays in 2018 will be discussed during Thursday’s city commission meeting.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas’ renewal rates for 2018 includes a decrease of 0.67% based on the city’s expected enrollment, according to Human Resources Director Erin Giebler.

She is recommending the city continue with the fully insured triple option plan for 2018 with the same employee costs as 2017. The recommendation, with the city paying up to $1,719,500, keeps the health insurance within the budget cap set by the city commission in 2010.

“The high deductible health plan is consumer-driven and designed to help control costs. It was the most popular plan with 60 percent of those enrolled in the city’s health insurance electing this option,” Giebler told commissioners. “Due to higher medical costs, the city was expecting up to a 21 percent renewal increase. But due to our low utilization, the city saw a slight decrease in premiums.”

Nineteen percent of the employees chose the premium plan and 21 percent chose the base plan.

Staff is also recommending using $100,000 out of the Employee Benefit Levy’s Contingency fund to provide up to $700 in employer match for employee’s Health Savings Account (HSA) in 2018 only.

“This will encourage employees to fund their own Health Savings Account and encourage employees to enroll  in the high deductible health plan,” said Giebler.

Employees have contributed more than $137,000 into their own HSAs, Giebler reported. “Remember, when they contribute into that, the city actually gets tax savings as well when they do that. The city has put about $65,000 in.” The HSAs can be rolled over year to year.

“Last year when we went into discussions, it was the employees who were really asking for this high deductible health plan,” Giebler pointed out.

Other agenda items include consideration of a bid for construction replacement of the water treatment plant’s carbon dioxide system not to exceed $312,000 and an update of the reconstruction of the wastewater treatment plant.

Mayor Shaun Musil will also make presentations to city employees for 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years of service.

The complete Oct. 26 agenda can be seen here.

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

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

“This is a very good time to clean up your yard, the basement, clean out your garage or your attic,” according to Marvin Honas, solid waste superintendent for the city of Hays.

Hays refuse customers may begin setting out their unwanted items, those not picked up in normal trash collection, for pick up during the Oct. 23 annual alley cleanup.

“It’s a free service for Hays customers and it’s been a very, very successful program,” Honas said.

The cleanup will consist of one sweep through the city starting with residential curbside customers Oct. 23. Alley services will after curbside collections are completed. “The number of employees committed to the task may vary from day to day, so we are unable to predict when crews will be by a residence,” said Honas. “City crews have a time limit of 20 minutes per residence,” he added.

Most years, the citywide clean up is usually finished in six to eight days, according to Honas.

Waste should be placed in four separate piles:

1. Tree limbs and brush (no longer than 12 feet in length or 6 inches in diameter); all yard and garden waste must be bagged.

2. Construction and demolition debris, i.e., lumber, drywall, bricks, sinks and bathtubs, wires, fencing, etc. (Please pull or bend over nails and place small quantities of concrete, bricks, and plaster in containers.)

3. White Goods/Metals, i.e., guttering, siding, washing machines, dryers, refrigerators, metal swing sets, etc.

4. Municipal Waste (all other items), i.e., furniture, carpet, TVs, computers, Styrofoam, etc.

The city will not pick up tires, batteries or household hazardous waste. Tires should be disposed of at the Ellis County Transfer Station, 1515 W. 55th.  There is a disposal fee. Batteries and household hazardous waste items should be taken to the Ellis County Hazardous Waste Facility, 1515 W. 55th, where there is no disposal charge. Call 785-628-9460 or 785-628-9449 for detailed information.

Free disposal of large tree limbs is available for Hays residents at the Ellis County Transfer Station Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Honas recommends tagging or removing ‘treasured items’ from residential collection areas to avoid wrongful pick up.

For more information, call the Hays Public Works Dept. at 785-628-7350.