The city of Hays is encouraging homeowners to add a “sprinkler spruce-up” to their spring cleaning lists this year.
Water Conservation Specialist Jason Riegel says maintenance and inspection of a lawn irrigation system will save money and water.
In conjunction with the EPA’s WaterSense program, Riegel recommends following these four steps:
INSPECT–Check your system for clogged, broken or missing sprinkler system. The city can provide a list of licensed irrigation contractors.
CONNECT–Examine points where sprinkler heads connect to pipes. If water is pooling in the landscape or there is a large soggy area, there may be a leak in the system.
DIRECT–Redirect sprinklers to apply water only to the landscape. Avoid watering the driveway or sidewalk instead of the yard.
SELECT–An improperly scheduled irrigation controller can waste a lot of water and money. Update your system’s schedule with the season.
Rainfall shutoff sensors and soil moisture sensors are required on all new installations of landscape irrigation in Hays.
Watering restrictions in Hays will start June 1 and continue through September 30. Outdoor watering will be prohibited between noon and 7 p.m.
The city’s website, www.haysusa.com, now has a daily Drought Monitor graphic which shows Hays’ current water status ranging from normal to emergency.
ELLIS–Water leakage problems continue with the liner of the Ellis municipal swimming pool.
The liner was purchased in 2009 from Natare Corporation, Indianapolis, and the city has had difficulties with the company not following through with repairs.
During the April 17 Ellis city council meeting, members reluctantly agreed to the company’s requirement of a signed repair agreement and a 50 percent deposit of $1,666.48 prior to on-site inspection of the pool liner. In a written memo, Natare Corporation Field Operations Mngr. Scott Calwell told the council if the liner is determined to be under warranty after inspection, the company will refund the deposit.
Council members also approved a $10,000 donation to the Ellis Community Foundation for a new $48,000 pool slide, contingent on the slide being installed before May 30, 2017.
At the request of Fire Chief Dustin Vine, the council voted to approve purchasing three used Motorola 2500 radios from the Hays Fire Department at $400 each and retiring two older Johnson handheld radios.
The complete meeting minutes follow.
ELLIS CITY COUNCIL
REGULAR MEETING
Minutes
April 17, 2017
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
Mayor David McDaniel requested an Executive Session at the end of the meeting.
PUBLIC PRESENT
Buck Driggs, Darrell Romme, Glen Keller, Westin Vine, Myles Vine, Dustin Mattheyer, Nan Brown, Kassi Brown, Pauleen Edmonds, Margie Mickelson, Justine Benoit, Cheryl Kinderknecht, and Gary Luea.
CONSENT AGENDA
Council member Dena Patee moved to approve the consent agenda containing the Minutes from the Regular Meeting on April 3, 2017 and Bills Ordinance #2019. Council member Jolene Niernberger seconded the motion. The Council approved the consent agenda 6-0.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Dustin Mattheyer requested Council consideration to purchase a pallet of sod for him to replace the sod that was disturbed during construction with the Street Improvement Project.
PRESENTATIONS OF AWARDS, PROCLAMATIONS, REQUESTS & PETITIONS (HEARINGS)
Gary Luea, 1807 Spruce, stated he was originally placed on the agenda to request City assistance with a project on his private property; however, he instead requested that Council revisit the legality of their motion on spreading millings on the private drive commonly referred to as West 14th Street.
SPECIAL ORDER
Fire: Acquisition
Fire Chief Dustin Vine presented the monthly report for the Fire Department. Hays Fire Department has used Motorola radios available for $400 each. These radios retail for $3,200 if purchased new. Chief Vine requested approval to purchase three of the used Motorola radios and to retire two of the older Johnson handheld radios. Council member Bob Redger moved and Council member Jolene Niernberger seconded a motion to authorize Fire Chief Dustin Vine to purchase three used Motorola model 2500 radios from Hays Fire Department at a total cost of $1,200 with funds to come from the Fire Department budget. The motion carried 6-0.
General Government: Insurance
Darrell Romme, Romme Agency, reviewed the City’s renewal for property, automobile, workers compensation and liability insurance. The City is in a pool with approximately 400 other cities with populations less than 17,500. This year’s premium increase is less than 1%. Dividend checks are returned to the cities depending on the pool’s loss ratio. Last year the City received a dividend check around $16,000. Council member Holly Aschenbrenner moved and Council member Dena Patee seconded a motion to approve the insurance policy as presented and to approve the invoice to Romme Agency in the amount of $98,969. The motion carried 6-0.
Swimming Pool: Special Project
Pauleen Edmonds and Nan Brown, representing the Ellis Community Foundation, gave an update on the fundraising efforts to purchase and install a swimming pool slide at the municipal pool. Just over half of the funds needed for the $48,000 project have been received through donations and a $10,000 grant from the Dane G. Hansen foundation. The Foundation is requesting a City donation in the amount of $10,000, with the Foundation unrestricted funds covering the remaining $12,000 needed. Council asked to table consideration until later in the meeting in order to discuss the repair agreement with Natare Corporation on the swimming pool liner.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Personnel: Policy
City Attorney Olavee Raub presented the amended provision in the Personnel Policy for compensating Public Works Department employees for responding to alarm calls on their personal phones after business hours. Council member Jolene Niernberger moved and Council member Bob Redger seconded a motion to approve the amended provision as presented. The motion carried 6-0.
Streets: Special Project
Buck Driggs, Driggs Design Group, updated Council on the progress of the Street Improvement Project. Spruce and Dorrance Streets are currently under construction and then the contractor will move to Cottonwood Avenue. Council discussed Mr. Mattheyer’s request during Public Comment for the City to purchase fescue sod to replace the sod disturbed during the construction on Spruce Street. Mr. Driggs stated that generally the property owner is responsible to make repairs when property located in the City’s right-of-way is disturbed. The contractor has agreed to place dirt and grass seed; however, if the property owner requests sod, the City should be cautious in setting precedent for individual resident requests. Mr. Driggs stated he is willing to honor Council’s direction if they choose to allow individual requests from residents during the project, otherwise he will direct the contractor to follow industry practice. It was the consensus of Council to follow the general practice and not set precedent with individual requests for repairs. Council member Holly Aschenbrenner added that for the City to purchase fescue sod for a resident would go against the City’s encouragement of planting warm season grasses as well.
NEW BUSINESS
Streets: Special Project
Mr. Driggs continued by presenting two change orders for the Street Improvement Project. The first change order is to replace 50 linear feet of sanitary sewer line on Spruce Street at the Good Samaritan Center. The Mayor approved the request prior to the meeting due to time constraints on the progress of the project. Council member Dena Patee moved and Council member Jolene Niernberger seconded a motion to ratify Change Order #1 for the Street Improvement Project in the amount of $1,500. The motion carried 6-0.
Mr. Driggs then presented Change Order #2 expanding the project on Cottonwood Avenue through the intersection at 12th Street. This will maximize additional grant monies available due to the contractor’s bid being under the engineer’s estimate. Council member Jolene Niernberger moved to approve Change Order #2 in the amount of $19,331.50. Council member Bret Andries seconded the motion. The motion carried 5-1, with Council member Holly Aschenbrenner opposed.
Streets: Special Project
Justine Benoit, Grant Administrator with the Northwest Kansas Planning & Development Commission, presented the first set of pay applications for the Street Improvement Project. Council member Jolene Niernberger moved and Council member Holly Aschenbrenner seconded a motion to approve Contractor’s Pay Estimate #1 to Vogts-Parga Construction, LLC in the amount of $32,492.25 for the Street Improvement Project. The motion carried 6-0.
Ms. Niernberger then moved to approve the invoice to Northwest Kansas Planning & Development Commission in the amount of $4,875.00 for grant administration services for the Street Improvement Project. Ms. Aschenbrenner seconded the motion. The motion carried 6-0.
Council member Bob Redger moved and Council member Dena Patee seconded a motion to approve Request #1 for Payment of CDBG Funds in the amount of $22,745.74 for the Street Improvement Project. The motion carried 6-0.
Ms. Aschenbrenner then moved to authorize the Mayor to sign the related documents for the Street Improvement Project. Mr. Redger seconded the motion. The motion carried 6-0.
General Government: Fees
City Clerk Amy Burton presented the updated fee schedule for approval. The various types of contractor licenses have been increased to $75, per recommendation from the Trades Board. The fees have not been increased for almost ten years. Also, police reports have been increased from $4 to $5 to match the fee charged for accident reports. Council member Jolene Niernberger moved and Council member Bob Redger seconded a motion to approve Resolution No. 535 adopting the Schedule of Fees. The motion carried 6-0, with Council member Bret Andries abstaining due to a perceived conflict of interest.
Swimming Pool: Repair/Maintenance
City Attorney Olavee Raub reviewed correspondence received from Scott Calwell, Field Operations Manager for Natare Corporation. The company is requiring a signed repair agreement and a 50% deposit in order to inspect the liner at the swimming pool. Once inspected, if the liner is determined to be under warranty, the company will refund the deposit. The City has had issues with Natare Corporation since the liner was purchased in 2009 regarding the company not following through with repairs and correspondence. Council members expressed frustration that there was no choice but to sign the agreement in order to even have the company come inspect the liner. Council member Bob Redger moved and Council member Dena Patee seconded a motion authorizing the Mayor to sign the Service, Inspection, Maintenance & Repair Agreement with Natare Corporation, to pay the deposit required in the amount of $1,666.48, and to pay the remaining portion of the total cost estimate of $3,732.96 if needed. Funds not exceeding $3,732.96 will be paid out of General-Swimming Pool account. The motion carried 6-0.
Swimming Pool: Special Project
Council revisited the donation request from the Ellis Community Foundation for the pool slide. Council member Holly Aschenbrenner asked if the $10,000 request could be part cash and part in-kind services for labor and materials. Ms. Edmonds replied the Foundation would prefer the full requested donation, in addition to the Public Works Department providing assistance in the construction of the concrete pad and additional fencing. Once all the funds for the project are committed, the Foundation can call the company and schedule installation of the slide, preferably for this pool season. Council member Bret Andries moved and Council member Holly Aschenbrenner seconded a motion to approve a $10,000 donation to the Ellis Community Foundation for the pool slide, contingent on the slide being installed before May 30, 2017, with funds to come from the Special Machinery fund. The motion carried 6-0, with Council member Dena Patee abstaining due to perceived conflict of interest.
Swimming Pool/Sewer: Acquisition
Public Works Director Alan Scheuerman presented two bids for the purchase of calcium hypochlorite for the Sewer Plant and Swimming Pool. Council member Bret Andries moved to accept the low bid from D. Gerber Commercial Pool Products in the amount of $7,445, with $6,845 coming from Swimming Pool funds and $600 coming from the Sewer Utility Fund. Council member Jolene Niernberger seconded the motion. The motion carried 6-0.
REPORTS FROM CITY OFFICIALS
Public Works
Public Works Director Alan Scheuerman updated Council on the numerous projects currently underway. Work continues on the Sewer Plant sludge pit and tree and branch cleanup work was completed around various sites around town.
Police
Police Chief Taft Yates gave an update on his Department. Chief Yates invited Council members to attend the DARE graduation at Washington Grade School on April 21, 2017 at 10:30 a.m.
City Clerk
City Clerk Amy Burton presented the Health Insurance Savings Report for March. Blue Cross and Blue Shield has submitted the renewals for the employees’ dental and life insurance policies with a 1% decrease in premiums. Midwest Energy has contracted with TMD to change out the electric meters in Ellis. The TMD trucks will be in town in late April and the work will take several weeks.
Attorney
City Attorney Olavee Raub reported there have been no changes in the status of pending code violation cases. Council entered into a discussion regarding a letter Ms. Raub submitted offering ways to reduce the amount of time spent on City business. Some of the suggestions included reducing the number of Council and committee meetings that Ms. Raub attended, requesting Council to stop micromanaging the department heads, which leads the department heads to confer with her office, asking Council members to be well prepared for meetings, and to use caution in airing grievances regarding the City and its employees on social media. After much discussion, it was the consensus of Council to have Ms. Raub continue to attend all Council meetings, but to only attend committee meetings upon request from the Committee Chair. Council also suggested Ms. Raub redirect employees’ concerns to the Mayor, unless a legal issue is present. Finally, Council asked Ms. Raub to push the Council to give her more direction in developing policy or drafting ordinances to reduce the number of revisions needed for Council to approve the final document.
Mayor Update and Announcements
Mayor David McDaniel requested discussion on a letter received from the property owners on the private drive referred to as West 14th Street. Several council members felt the letter expressed ungratefulness of the City’s willingness to help and were concerned with some of the questions the letter posed. The Council’s motion clearly stated the City would spread the millings at no charge; however, the residents questioned if the City would now be providing the millings and if they needed to appear at future Council meetings to propose further work. Ms. Raub noted that she contacted property owner Ross Wichman to inquire of his willingness to allow the City to spread the millings; however, Mr. Wichman never responded. Council member Bret Andries expressed concerns of encountering legal problems in the future with possibly being responsible for maintaining the millings since the City spread the material. After further discussion, Council member Holly Aschenbrenner moved and Council member Bob Redger seconded a motion to withdraw the previous motion made on April 3rd to spread millings on a portion of the private drive referred to as West 14th Street after further reconsideration. The motion carried 6-0.
EXECUTIVE SESSIONS
Mayor David McDaniel called for an executive session to discuss personnel matters of non-elected personnel. A 30-minute executive session was proposed starting at 9:41 p.m. Mayor David McDaniel asked for a motion to recess. Council member Dena Patee moved and Council member Bret Andries seconded a motion to recess to executive session to discuss personnel matters of non-elected personnel with City Attorney Olavee Raub and Public Works Director Alan Scheuerman present. The motion carried 6-0. The Council returned to open session at 10:11 p.m. No action was taken in executive session.
ADJOURNMENT
Council member Dena Patee moved and Council member Bob Redger seconded a motion to adjourn the meeting. The motion carried 6-0. The meeting adjourned at 10:12 p.m.
Reconstruction of 8th Street between Milner and Vine streets is scheduled to begin next week, on or about Mon., May 1.
A public information meeting about the project will be held Mon., April 24, at 5:30 p.m. in Hays City Hall, 1507 Main. The construction contractor, Morgan Bros. Construction of LaCrosse, the project engineer, Driggs Design Group, Hays, and city staff will present the plan and work schedule and to answer questions.
According to John Braun, asst. public works director, the $1.5 million project involves removing and replacing all concrete pavement, curb and gutter, sidewalk, driveways and includes waterline improvements at the intersection of 8th and Riley. It has been on the Capital Improvement Plan since 2011. The bid was awarded at the April 13 city commission meeting.
More than 7,000 vehicles a day drive on 8th Street, classified as a minor arterial street. “Every business will always have access to 8th,” Braun said, although it will be limited at times.
“Access may be limited to one-way traffic during various phases of the project,” Braun explained. The initial phase will include some waterline work which will have minimal impact. “But once they really start tearing into the project, traffic will mostly be one-way westbound only. During various phases, it will change.”
The work will continue throughout the summer months. Braun said the project should be completed in November.
Those with questions but unable to attend the meeting may contact the Public Works Department at (785) 628-7350 or e-mail [email protected].
The reconstruction of 8th Street between Milner and Vine streets is scheduled to begin about May 1.
City staff will conduct an informational meeting/open house about the project Mon., April 24 at 5:30 p.m. in City Hall, 1507 Main. The contractor, Morgan Brothers Construction of LaCrosse and the project engineer, Driggs Design Group, will also be on hand to answer questions and present the plan and time schedule.
The $1.5 million dollar project involves removing and replacing all concrete pavement with concrete, along with the curb and gutter, sidewalk, driveways, and includes waterline improvements at the intersection of 8th and Riley.
It has been on the city’s Capital Improvement Plan since 2011. The bid was awarded April 13 during the city commission meeting.
Vice-Mayor James Meier wants residents to understand the Morgan bid was $1 million dollars under budget and the city is paying cash for the work, something many other governmental entities are not able to do. In 2006, Hays implemented a “pay-as-you-go” policy for large capital projects.
“You want to make the right decision for the future…I’m not pointing to this current commission. We were set up to do that by prior commissions and mostly from city staff,” Meier acknowledged. “I can’t point to any other city in the state of Kansas that’s doing stuff like that.”
“The commission before us, and Commissioner Henry Schwaller was on it, was very proactive rather than being reactive in doing stuff,” Mayor Shaun Musil said. “And we as a group have continued to do that.
“Our city is in really good shape right now. We’re doing a lot of infrastructure projects that the state and a lot of cities aren’t doing. I’m very proud of that,” Musil added.
According to Meier, the Sedgwick County Commission in Wichita recently had a discussion about “what percentage of their budget they’re going to limit themselves to paying debt service over.”
“The discussion Hays is having is what type of infrastructure do we want to put in so we get the most bang for our buck, which we’re paying cash for,” Meier said. “Our discussion is 180 degrees from what everybody else is doing.”
Hays City Commissioner Lance Jones (right) will not run for a second term.
By BECKY KISER Hays Post
First-term Hays City Commissioner Lance Jones will not run for a second term.
Jones made the public announcement at the end of Thursday night’s commission work session. Jones did not give any reason for his decision. He noted the June 1 filing deadline for municipal office candidates and encouraged residents to “get out there and file.”
“We had a lot of applications put in for Eber Phelps’ open seat and I’d like to see voters have the amount (of candidates) to select from that we had to pick Commissioner Sandy Jacobs,” Jones said.
Three seats will be open on the Hays City Commission. Those are Jones, Jacobs and Shaun Musil.
As Assistant City Manager Jacob Wood explains, the Kansas legislature passed a bill in 2015 that moved local elections to Nov. Local elections were previously held in April.
“In order to account for the move to Nov. elections, the city extended the terms of current commissioners that were scheduled to expire in April 2017. There are three commission seats that are up for election in Nov. The three candidates who receive the most votes in the Nov. 7 general election will take office in Jan. 2018,” Wood said.
All candidates for municipal office are required to file with County Election Officer Donna Maskus. There are two ways to file for election.
Candidates must submit a declaration of intent to become a candidate, accompanied by a $20 fee, or submit a nomination petition signed by 50 qualified electors, or one percent of the qualified electors of the city of Hays, whichever is less.
The primary election is Aug. 1. There must be more than three times the number of candidates as there are open positions to hold a primary. In this case, 10 candidates would trigger a primary.
After reviewing the pros and cons of using asphalt or concrete to reconstruct a portion of 8th St. during their April 6 work session, Hays city commissioners last week went against staff’s recommendation of asphalt, and instead, voted for concrete paving from Milner to Vine.
It was also the low bid, coming from Morgan Brothers Construction of LaCrosse for $1,497,225.69. APAC-Kansas, Inc., Hays, submitted a bid for the asphalt paving option of $1,516,288.61.
Assistant Public Works Dir. John Braun pointed out the asphalt option would be completed in 20 fewer days than the concrete option and 25 fewer days during the phase that would most impact access to businesses.
John Braun, Asst. Hays Public Works Dir., explains the benefits and disadvantages of asphalt and concrete paving.
“Because of the shorter project timeline and the lack of a definitive answer to why some new concrete pavement in Hays has been warping and prematurely failing, staff is recommending the asphalt pavement option,” Braun said, repeating the same explanation he had given in the earlier work session.
Research is underway by an outside entity to determine why 43rd and 45th near Walmart are deteriorating and a short section of 27th east of Vine is warping.
The city has predominantly built concrete collector and arterial streets for the past 15 years.
When comparing total lifecycle costs, the long lifespan of concrete streets typically makes it the more affordable option when prices are similar to asphalt as they are now. However, when the lifespan of a concrete street is shortened, those lifecycle costs tip toward asphalt, Dougherty explained in an earlier memo.
Both Braun and City Manager Toby Dougherty were quick to say either option would be acceptable. “It’s pretty much a 50/50 proposition,” Braun said.
Eighth Street was constructed in 1947 out of concrete pavement and today endures more than 7,000 vehicles a day, many of which are heavy trucks.
“I was a little upset by this presentation because I think it focuses on elements with a very low probability,” said Commissioner Henry Schwaller.
“We’ve installed a lot of concrete streets–8th, 13th, 22nd, 27th, 41st, Hall, residential streets–none of them failed. Some of them are more than 20 years old.
“We also had to redo Vine Street. One of the business owners on Vine reminded me that they were shut down twice because we did a mill and overlay with asphalt, before Toby’s tenure, and then we had to come back and do it again in concrete.
“There is a probability of concrete failing and Toby wanted us to be aware of that,” which Schwaller said he appreciated.
“You were right by giving us that option,” Mayor Shaun Musil said to Dougherty. “We’ve complained about 27th Street and we haven’t been able to solve it yet.
“I think we should keep 8th Street concrete. I think it looks great,” Musil said.
Vice-Mayor James Meier said he had two major concerns, “the taxpayer getting the most bang for their buck and the accesses to the businesses. But a perfect example is Vine Street with an asphalt overlay, and then concrete and getting shut down twice.”
“Some of the businesses I talked to on the north side of 8th Street preferred concrete. Some businesses didn’t care,” Meier reported. “One business really wanted asphalt due to the shortened project timeline. So, again it was kind of a toss-up.”
The project will include removing and replacing the three driving lanes, curb and gutter, sidewalk, ADA ramps, driveways, replacing storm sewer inlet tops, resurfacing the sidewalk along the Montgomery ditch bridge and waterline replacement at Riley.
A public information meeting about the reconstruction will be held Mon., April 24, at 5:30 p.m. in Hays City Hall, 1507 Main.
A proposed amendment to the Hays Neighborhood Revitalization Plan (NRP) would increase considerably the size of the area–from 209 acres in the downtown area to 1,628 acres primarily north and east of downtown. Individual properties in the NRP would increase to 4,126.
The city hopes the area’s expansion would encourage more redevelopment in older neighborhoods.
According to Greg Sund, Hays public works director, the proposal includes properties that reflect the build-out of Hays as of 1965. “It would establish a standard of 50-year old properties in the NRP giving the city a bellwether for amending the area from time to time in the future,” Sund wrote in his memo to city commissioners.
More than 45 properties have benefited from the NRP since its inception in 2002. Property owners receive a rebate on their property taxes which go up due to increased property value. The rebate is not based on the amount invested in a project.
City staff is recommending residential projects be rebated the same as commercial projects which is a 95 percent rebate of increased property value each year for 10 years. The minimum investment for each property type would also be increased, from $5,000 for Residential to $25,000 and from $15,000 for Commercial to $50,000.
At their April 13 meeting, city commissioners voted unanimously to schedule a public hearing during their April 27 meeting to amend the NRP.
Commissioner Henry Schwaller favors keeping commercial tax rebates bigger than residential rebates.
“We have more commercial vacancies than we have commercial tenants,” Schwaller said, “and the threshold for commercial rehab and redevelopment is much higher than residential. But when it happens, then you bring something on the (Ellis county) tax rolls that’s worth a lot more.
“It creates long-lasting jobs because now you have new businesses and offices, retail and restaurants occupying otherwise vacant structures.”
Schwaller described the current Hays housing marketing “a little soft right now” but added “people are always buying houses to flip them. If someone sees a house and they think they can make a profit on it, whether they’re going to live in it or not, they’re going to do it.
“I really believe the focus should be on commercial,” Schwaller said. “Most of the commercial properties in this area have been unchanged since they were built in the late ’50s and early ’60s. I’d like to see us incentivize that change.”
Mayor Shaun Musil agreed.
“We have a lot of houses being torn down, being rebuilt, but we don’t have a lot of the commercial (activity). I would probably lean towards the commercial.”
Commissioner Lance Jones favors equal rebates.
“If you put $100,000 into your house, your house may only go up $50,000 in assessed value,” Jones said. “There are certain things you do on the inside of your house that are not going to raise your assessed value. That’s why I would keep it the same 95 percent rebate for both residential and commercial.”
“But again, it’s only what the market will bear,” countered Schwaller. “If you’re making improvements to the home that don’t affect the assessed value, we’re not incentivizing you. You won’t get the incentive, so 95 percent is of no help.”
“Correct,” Jones nodded in agreement.
“There’s a hard cap on what a residential home is worth per square foot, so it doesn’t matter whether the incentive is 95 percent or 65 percent. If I paint the house green and do all this great stuff that nobody’s going to want, then it’s not going to affect the assessed value,” countered Schwaller. “That’s an argument for a future meeting, but point taken,” Schwaller said to Jones.
Both the Ellis County commission and the Hays USD 489 school board would also have to approve resolutions supporting the amended NRP.
Commissioner Sandy Jacobs was absent from the meeting.
The Hays Area Planning Commission will conduct a hearing Mon., April 17, for a recommendation to the Hays City Commission for proposed modifications to the Unified Development Code (UDC), particularly reducing certain building setback requirements for commercial and industrial zoned properties within the city and the three-mile extraterritorial jurisdiction area.
The public hearing begins at 6:30 p.m. tonight at Hays City Hall, 1507 Main.
Hays city commissioners agreed Thursday night with a recommendation from staff and the Hays Area Planning Commission to change the zoning of 1601 E. 27th St. Frontage Road from Multi-family Residential (NC 4) to Neighborhood Shopping (C-1).
The property sits at the northeast corner of the intersection of 27th St. and Indian Trail in east Hays.
A house was torn down in early 2016 leaving an empty lot which abuts existing multi-family and single-family zoning. The property owner requested the rezoning to encourage redevelopment of the property for a use more suitable to the location along 27th, a major arterial street. Commercial zoning (C-2) is across 27th St. to the south.
With visibility that is more than adequate and access from 27th Street, Hays Planning, Inspection and Enforcement Superintendent Jesse Rohr said “the area is well-suited to commercial development.”
“Of course, the Unified Development Code (UDC) will require certain screening and buffering is the lot is developed as proposed,” Rohr explained. “At a minimum, a fence that is at least six foot in height will have to be erected along the adjacent boundaries of the residential zoned properties. Landscaping will also be required.”
1601 E. 27th Frontage Rd.
A public hearing was conducted March 20 by the Planning Commission. All property owners within 200 feet of the subject property were notified of the public hearing. “Three neighboring property owners spoke up at the hearing with various questions, with none being opposed to the rezoning request,” Rohr reported.
The Hays Comprehensive Plan identifies this immediate area as “Low Density Residential” while the surrounding areas are denoted as “Commercial,” “Mixed Use,” and “Park/Greenway” uses.
Hays Mayor Shaun Musil (left) said the Neighborhood Shopping Dist. will be a nice addition to the frontage area at 1601 E. 27th.
“I think this will be a nice addition,” said Mayor Shaun Musil. “Some of those houses have fallen into disrepair. I know they tore that one down. From my understanding, I believe this is going to be an office building, so I think it’d be a nice addition.”
Commissioners voted 4-0 to approve an ordinance rezoning the property. Commissioner Sandy Jacobs was absent from the meeting.
Prairie Acres current lift station location (Click to enlarge)
By BECKY KISER Hays Post
After years of discussion, the city of Hays and Prairie Acres, a residential development Just west of the city limits on old Highway 40, have reached an agreement to tie the private Prairie Acres sewer lift station into the city’s lift station.
Prairie Acres is a private sewer district. The system connects with the city’s sewer system and has been treated at the wastewater treatment plant since 2004.
The aging Prairie Acres meter has resulted in difficulties for city staff to determine accurate billing. It’s also become very time consuming for the city clerk’s office, according to Jeff Crispin, interim director of water resources.
“Waste water is typically very difficult to measure,” Crispin explained to city commissioners Thursday night. “Due to issues with their meter, staff has been estimating flows and billing quarterly based on ‘outside city’ rates.”
According to Crispin, when the Bickle-Schmidt Sports Complex, 1376 U.S. Highway 183 Bypass, was built in 2011, it was designed to receive Prairie Acres’ sewage and eliminate the Prairie Acres lift station. Staff recognized an opportunity assist Prairie Acres and negotiated a new agreement that brings their system up to date with the city’s current billing practices and rate structures.
105 ft. of sanitary sewer pipe will tie the Prairie Acres sewer system into the sports complex lift station. (Click to enlarge)
The project will require installation of 105 ft. of sanitary sewer pipe and a tie-in of the Prairie Acres sewer system to the sports complex lift station.
“The city is able to pay for this project upfront and Prairie Acres will be billed for the improvements as part of their regular bill. We have a 20-year time frame for payback by Prairie Acres, estimated at about $460 per quarter,” Crispin said. The project was included in the 2016 budget with $30,000 set aside in the Sewer Capital line item.
There are 51 homes, 51 sewer accounts, located in Prairie Acres, 28 of which are on rural water from Trego County.
“Within the last couple of weeks, Trego County Rural Water District has installed automated readers out in Prairie Acres,” Crispin announced. “That allows for all their data to be collected via cellphone tower and submitted into Trego County.”
Commissioners unanimously approved the low bid of $37,352.65 by APAC of Hays.
APAC indicated they would begin work in April and complete the project within five working days. No service interruptions are anticipated during this project.
City Commissioner Sandy Jacobs was absent from the meeting.
Hays city commissioners heard a review of the city’s 2016 budget audit Thursday evening by Melissa Romme of Adams, Brown, Beran and Ball.
It was completed earlier than usual this year, according to Hays Finance Director Kim Rupp, who thanked city staff for their hard work.
“I appreciate all their help,” Rupp said. Romme also recognized city employees. “If your staff hadn’t helped us, we wouldn’t have been able to deliver the audit report as quickly as we did. We thank them for their time and effort in getting us the reports in a very timely manner.”
One change noted by Romme was an increase in the city’s cash balance.
“If you look at the total cash balance for the city of Hays a year ago (2015), it was at $49 million. And at the end of this year (2016) it was at $53.7 million, up by $4.7 million,” she said. “That’s because you’ve been setting money aside for certain capital projects and you’ve watched what your spending has been.”
Romme said her firm expected the cash amount to go up.
“It’s not because you got a lot of additional revenue. It’s because you’ve controlled your expenditures going into 2016,” she explained.
As required by Kansas statute, the city of Hays hires an outside firm to conduct an annual audit of city finances. The audit represents an unbiased opinion of business practices and the financial soundness of all city funds.
Wednesday’s wacky weather in Hays dropped an official 2.65 inches of rain, according to the K-State Agricultural Research Center south of town.
Weather observer Joe Becker says pea to marble-sized hail fell for 40 minutes early last evening in blowing rain with wind speeds of 50 to 60 mph. Drifts of hail stones still remained at the weather station at observation time, 10 a.m. Thursday morning.
The moisture total for April is now 4.83 inches, with a total of 7.68 inches so far in 2017.
We have reached first adjournment of the 2017 Kansas Legislative Session, after 76 legislative days, the House has passed 166 total bills, including: 127 House Bills, 39 Senate Bills with 7 of these bills have been signed into law by the governor.
The legislators are back in their districts for the next three weeks before heading back for the “Veto Session” which could take a few days or several weeks if agreements can’t be reached on the remaining topics of budget, taxes and school finance.
The House and Senate have concurred on the rescission bill, which would reconcile the budget changes required for FY 2017. HB 2052 will be signed by the Governor in the coming days, and then the budgets for FY 2018 and FY 2019 must be established once the Legislature reconvenes in May. While both chambers approved of a tax plan in February, HB 2178 was vetoed by the Governor. Since the veto was sustained, the House Taxation Committee has been vetting several revenue solutions to address the budget shortfalls. Discussion will continue during the month of April to devise a comprehensive tax package that will finance the state’s expenditure obligations. The Appropriations and Tax Committees will be working closely to ensure that a feasible solution is reached before the Legislature adjourns, and will be based on the April 20th Consensus Revenue Estimates.
The K-12 Education Budget Committee culminated its months of deliberative work on the Kansas School Equity and Enhancement Act, HB 2410, on Wednesday. The bill remains in Committee and will be reviewed by the Revisor and outside legal counsel regarding its constitutionality. When the Legislature returns on May 1, Chairman Larry Campbell plans to call a Committee meeting to report the bill out.
On Friday, the Legislative Coordinating Council approved the hire of former Sen. Jeff King, to represent the state in the ongoing school finance litigation.
Going into the session, we knew we had to come up with a plan to correct the $250 million budget shortfall for FY 2017. The House, on a vote of 108-15, passed HB 2052, I voted for the measure, it was the best of a number of bad choices, but we simply have to balance the budget and no amount of rhetoric will make the deficit go away. After concerns were expressed with the positions the Budget Conference Committee adopted on KPERS, the House and Senate Budget conferees continued negotiations. The House proposed adding $85.9 million to fund the fourth quarter KPERS payment for the current fiscal year, which the Senate accepted. The bill will now go to the Governor for signature. I still remain very concerned about the long term bonded indebtedness we as a state have and will continue to encourage thrift rather than trying to bond our way to prosperity.
During the legislative break, the House Appropriations Committee will hold Omnibus meetings following the release of the Consensus Revenue Estimates (CRE) on April 20. The Committee will be briefed on the CRE and will then consider changes to the Mega 2018-2019 budget bill (HB 2364) that they have already adopted. Changes may include the adoption of Governor’s Budget Amendments, which are adjustments proposed by the Division of the Budget. In addition, the Committee has deferred a number of enhancements and additional expenditures for review at Omnibus. The meetings are scheduled for April 26 and 27.
On Friday morning, Representatives, Senators, pro-life advocates, the family of Simon Crosier, and others joined the Governor for the bill signing ceremony of SB 85, also known as “Simon’s Law.” Other families that have experienced tragedy with their children and do-not-resuscitate orders were also present for the signing. This bill passed the House with a vote tally of 121-3, and the Senate with a vote of 29-9. Kansas is the first state in the nation to approve of this pro-life legislation. With this law, parents and guardians must be aware and approve of a do-not-resuscitate order before a hospital can institute such an order on a child.
Over the past several years there has been a proposal to “Uncork Kansas.” This has met with greater opposition until this year when a compromise was reached between most of the parties. H Sub SB 13 is the product of long-term negotiations between multiple parties including liquor stores, grocery stores and distributors. Essentially, the bill would allow convenience stores, grocery stores, and drug stores who are licensed to sell cereal malt beverages (alcoholic beverages with less than 3.2% alcohol by weight) to sell beer with less than 6% alcohol by volume. Additionally, liquor retailers would be allowed to sell CMBs, and other goods normally sold in grocery stores including tobacco, lottery tickets, fruits and other miscellaneous items. In 2028, the Director of Alcohol Beverage Control would conduct a market impact study on the sale of beer in grocery stores, convenience stores, and drug stores. The bill passed the House with a vote count of 80-45, and passed the Senate 27-11, and awaits the Governor’s action. I voted again the measure. I stand with local small business owners. Should the bill be signed into law, the provisions would be effective as of April 1, 2019.
I hope to see many of you as I will be out and about the next three weeks. If you would like to get in touch with me, email is: [email protected]. My cell number is (785) 302-8416. You can also follow along with what is going on through social media: kenforkansas on Facebook, @kenrahjes on twitter or my website: kenforkansas.com.
Thank you for the opportunity to be your representative.
Ken Rahjes, (R-Agra), is the 110th District State Representative.
By BECKY KISER
Watering restrictions in Hays will start June 1 and continue through September 30. Outdoor watering will be prohibited between noon and 7 p.m.
