By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The new director of the Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau is just finishing her second full week on the job and she used the time getting to know the CVB staff.

Melissa Dixon formally introduced herself to Hays City Commissioners Thursday night during their work session.

Dixon most recently was the assistant director of digital marketing at Fort Hays State University. She moved to Hays with her husband Dr. P. Grady Dixon, an associate professor and the chairman of the FHSU Geosciences Department.

Prior to her employment with FHSU, Dixon was for nine years the owner and creative director of Blufish Design, a full service design studio and marketing agency in Starkville, Miss. One of her main clients was the local CVB, chamber of commerce, economic development partnership. “That past experience really led me to want to pursue this CVB position,” Dixon explained.

“Everybody wishes for more hours in the day and that’s absolutely what we got when we moved to Hays,” Dixon joked. “We came from a similar-sized town but we still had a commute. We’re absolutely sold on the community and we love the schools.” The Dixons have two children who attend Lincoln Elementary School.

“I’m thrilled to market Hays and pursue tourism, and I’m excited to work with all of you,” Dixon told the city commissioners.

While in Starkville, Dixon served on the advisory boards for the Chamber of Commerce, Convention and Visitor Bureau, the Main Street Association and the Greater Starkville Development Partnership.

Dixon holds a bachelor’s of fine arts with an emphasis in graphic design from Mississippi State University.

She replaces Rick Rekoske who resigned as the CVB Director Sept. 2.

EPA

LENEXA – – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is releasing its scientific report on the impacts from hydraulic fracturing activities on drinking water resources, which provides states and others the scientific foundation to better protect drinking water resources in areas where hydraulic fracturing is occurring or being considered.

The report, done at the request of Congress, provides scientific evidence that hydraulic fracturing activities can impact drinking water resources in the United States under some circumstances. As part of the report, EPA identified conditions under which impacts from hydraulic fracturing activities can be more frequent or severe. The report also identifies uncertainties and data gaps. These uncertainties and data gaps limited EPA’s ability to fully assess impacts to drinking water resources both locally and nationally. These final conclusions are based upon review of over 1,200 cited scientific sources; feedback from an independent peer review conducted by EPA’s Science Advisory Board; input from engaged stakeholders; and new research conducted as part of the study.

“The value of high quality science has never been more important in helping to guide decisions around our nation’s fragile water resources. EPA’s assessment provides the scientific foundation for local decision makers, industry, and communities that are looking to protect public health and drinking water resources and make more informed decisions about hydraulic fracturing activities,” said Dr. Thomas A. Burke, EPA’s Science Advisor and Deputy Assistant Administrator of EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “This assessment is the most complete compilation to date of national scientific data on the relationship of drinking water resources and hydraulic fracturing.”

The report is organized around activities in the hydraulic fracturing water cycle and their potential to impact drinking water resources. The stages include: (1) acquiring water to be used for hydraulic fracturing (Water Acquisition), (2) mixing the water with chemical additives to make hydraulic fracturing fluids (Chemical Mixing), (3) injecting hydraulic fracturing fluids into the production well to create and grow fractures in the targeted production zone (Well Injection), (4) collecting the wastewater that returns through the well after injection (Produced Water Handling), and (5) managing the wastewater through disposal or reuse methods (Wastewater Disposal and Reuse).

EPA identified cases of impacts on drinking water at each stage in the hydraulic fracturing water cycle. Impacts cited in the report generally occurred near hydraulically fractured oil and gas production wells and ranged in severity, from temporary changes in water quality, to contamination that made private drinking water wells unusable.

As part of the report, EPA identified certain conditions under which impacts from hydraulic fracturing activities can be more frequent or severe, including:

• Water withdrawals for hydraulic fracturing in times or areas of low water availability, particularly in areas with limited or declining groundwater resources
• Spills during the management of hydraulic fracturing fluids and chemicals or produced water that result in large volumes or high concentrations of chemicals reaching groundwater resources
• Injection of hydraulic fracturing fluids into wells with inadequate mechanical integrity, allowing gases or liquids to move to groundwater resources
• Injection of hydraulic fracturing fluids directly into groundwater resources
• Discharge of inadequately treated hydraulic fracturing wastewater to surface water resources
• Disposal or storage of hydraulic fracturing wastewater in unlined pits, resulting in contamination of groundwater resources

The report provides valuable information about potential vulnerabilities to drinking water resources, but was not designed to be a list of documented impacts.

Data gaps and uncertainties limited EPA’s ability to fully assess the potential impacts on drinking water resources both locally and nationally. Generally, comprehensive information on the location of activities in the hydraulic fracturing water cycle is lacking, either because it is not collected, not publicly available, or prohibitively difficult to aggregate. In places where we know activities in the hydraulic fracturing water cycle have occurred, data that could be used to characterize hydraulic fracturing-related chemicals in the environment before, during, and after hydraulic fracturing were scarce. Because of these data gaps and uncertainties, as well as others described in the assessment, it was not possible to fully characterize the severity of impacts, nor was it possible to calculate or estimate the national frequency of impacts on drinking water resources from activities in the hydraulic fracturing water cycle.

EPA’s final assessment benefited from extensive stakeholder engagement with states, tribes, industry, non-governmental organizations, the scientific community, and the public. This broad engagement helped to ensure that the final assessment report reflects current practices in hydraulic fracturing and uses all data and information available to the agency. This report advances the science. The understanding of the potential impacts from hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources will continue to improve over time as new information becomes available.

For a copy of the study, visit www.epa.gov/hfstudy.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Representatives of the Hays Recreation Commission will be at Thursday’s Hays City Commission work session. Roger Bixenman, HRC Superintendent, along with Jeff Boyle, Director of Parks, will present a year-end performance and revenue review of the city’s swimming pools–the Hays Aquatic Park and the neighborhood Wilson Pool. A similar assessment of the Bickle-Schmidt Sports Complex will also be provided.

The city owns the pools and park, which are all managed by HRC. The city’s contract with the Hays Recreation Commission for operations at the sports complex is up for renewal in 2018.

According to Assistant City Manager Jacob Wood, most of the Dec. 15 work session involves “year-end cleanup items that we do on an annual basis.”

Other items on the Dec. 15 agenda include information about a proposed new internet fiber network build for the wastewater treatment plant. According to IT Director Chad Ruder, it will be necessary to run fiber to the wastewater facility in order to fully handle the data provided by the new SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition)system which is part of the plant’s rebuild.

An update of the airport capital improvement plan will also be reviewed as part of the city’s five-year-plan with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Click here for the complete Dec. 15 agenda.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The top managers for the city of Hays, City Manager Toby Dougherty, and Ellis County, County Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes, meet regularly. The elected governing bodies, not so much, and City Commissioner Henry Schwaller is unhappy about that.

“How often do we work with the county? Not enough and never,” according to Hays City Commissioner Henry Schwaller, although he concedes “there are things we do work and share on.”

Schwaller recently talked on the KAYS Eagle Radio Morning Show about the ongoing need for more and better cooperation between the county’s governing bodies.

“When I visited before the election with both county commission incumbent candidates, they were so excited about cooperating with the city,” Schwaller said. “They (Barb Wasinger and Dean Haselhorst) both said ‘We’ve got to meet with the city. We’ve got to share resources and equipment.’ And now we’re reaching out to them and they’re busy. Sometimes we get so involved in the day-to-day operations of the city and the county that we forget that we actually do have to coordinate.

“There is at least some communication happening now that wasn’t happening in the past” with regular meetings between Dougherty and Smith-Hanes, and Schwaller is glad of that.

“A year ago, I asked that we have a joint meeting and include the school board, if they could get together. Never happened. We’re all busy, but none of us is doing something so monumental we can’t take one extra night out of every four months and meet.

“The city commission is ready to go. It’s an open invitation,” Schwaller reiterated.

County Commissioner Barb Wasinger told Hays Post Monday evening she has talked with Schwaller and discussion of scheduling a city/county joint meeting is on the Dec. 19 county commission meeting agenda.

OFFICE OF THE GOV.

Topeka – Kansas Governor Sam Brownback today announced new appointments to boards and commissions, including a Hays woman.

“I want to thank these hard-working men and women for their willingness to serve our state with their time and talents. Their unwavering dedication is helping to make Kansas the best state in America to raise a family and grow a business,” said Governor Brownback.

The Governor’s Office is always looking for qualified, interested Kansans to serve the state on commissions and boards in their areas of expertise. If you are interested in serving on a commission or board, please visit https://governor.ks.gov/serving-kansans/office-of-appointments.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Advisory Committee on the Language Assessment Program
Angela Walker, Overland Park
Robin Olson, Lenexa
Joan Macy, Lenexa
Janet Goodenow, Westmoreland
Katie Wise, Sedgwick
Nancy Defazio, Wichita
Dr. Robert Maile, Spring Hill
Petra Horn-Marsh, Olathe
Kristin Pedersen, Lawrence
Nancy Jo DeFazio, Wichita

Kansas Selective Service Systems Board
Rita Hartman, Atchison
Al Joe Wallace, Barnard

Fire Service Training Council
Jack Taylor, Emporia

Kansas Firefighters Memorial Advisory Committee
Michael Martin, Topeka

Midwest Stem Cell Therapy Center Advisory Board
Dr. Dana Winegarner, Overland Park (reappointment)

Real Estate Commission
Connie O’Brien, Tonganoxie

Selective Service Systems
Craig Duke, Kansas City

Statewide Independent Living Council
Tami Allen, Garden City (reappointment)
Angela Zimmerman, Hays (reappointment)

Volunteer Commission
Dr. Joe Marlow, Olathe

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Assistant City Manager Jacob Woods regularly provides updates to Hays city commissioners about projects and other work city employees have been doing.

In November, Woods talked about many things including the new solar pedestrian crossing sign on Hall Street, a school bus rescue training conducted by the Hays Fire Department, the cleaning of about 21 miles of sewer lines, fall planting of trees on various city properties and upgrades to the Aubel-Bickle skate park, the Hays dog park and the putting green at the Fort Hays Municipal Golf Course.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The couple of dustings of snow in Hays the past few days weren’t enough to trigger a snow emergency.

The next time city officials do issue that alert, the emergency snow routes in town will have changed slightly.

City commissioners unanimously approved an amendment to the city ordinance Thursday night.

“The reason we’re coming to you is because of the relocation of Ellis County Emergency Medical Services,” said Greg Sund, director of public works.

EMS and the county’s ambulances are now housed in the new Ellis County Rural Fire/EMS Building at 1105 E. 22nd, a short move from 1009 Cody.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ordinance will amend the municipal code to remove the following street segments from the Emergency Snow Routes map: General Hays Road from Cody Avenue to Downing Avenue and Downing Avenue from General Hays Road to Vine Street.

The street segment to be added is General Hays Road from Cody Avenue to 22nd Street.

“This will make it easier for us to make sure the snow routes are open for the ambulances to go in and out any given time of day,” Sund explained. “Without any snow, it doesn’t make any difference, but surely we will get some.”

Several street signs designating emergency snow routes will also be moved to reflect the update, according to Sund.

During a Winter Storm Traffic Emergency as declared by the city manager, it is unlawful to park a vehicle on any street designated as an emergency snow route.

Vice-Mayor James Meier presided over the meeting in the absence of Mayor Shaun Musil.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The new manager of the Hays Regional Airport officially introduced himself to Hays city commissioners during their meeting Thursday night.

Ovid Seifers grew up in nearby Wilson in Russell County, and said “it’s like coming home. I love Hays and the area.”

After serving four years in the Air Force, Seifers worked 38 years for the Kansas City, Missouri, aviation department at Kansas City International Airport, Kansas City Downtown Airport, and Richards Gebaur Air Force Base. His duties included maintenance manager, airport manager, and systems operation manager.

Seifers spent the past 13 years working at Eagle County Regional Airport near Vail, Colorado.

“I love the airport management field,” he told commissioners. “Always have, always will.

“Hays is a small airport but there are greater challenges than in the bigger ones,” Seifers said.

He has already faced one of those challenges, according to Public Works Director Greg Sund.

“Ovid helped us almost immediately. We had a problem with our automatic weather observer went down. He worked with SkyWest and we didn’t have to go looking all over the region for a weather observer. They were willing to take the weather observations Ovid took and it saved us a lot of time and effort,” Sund told the commissioners.

“That was a great way to start. The last couple days he’s got us through our Part 139 inspection with the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) which is an annual process,” Sund added.

Seifers replaces Nathan Marcucci, who resigned his position with the city in September.

Click here to see an in-depth interview with Seifers on the ECTV  Forum and Gary Shorman.

ELLIS–Employees of the city of Ellis will be paid more next year.

City council members Monday evening unanimously approved the two percent wage increase which was included in the city’s 2017 budget.

The council also agreed to write-off $10,129 in utilities bad debts. City Clerk Amy Burton said the write-off is an annual accounting procedure and does not affect the city’s ability to ability to collect the debts. The amount to be written off represents less than one percent of the city’s 2016 total receivables, according to Burton.

The complete Dec. 5, 2016, meeting minutes follow.

ELLIS CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING Minutes December 5, 2016

CALL TO ORDER
Mayor David McDaniel called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. Present were Council members Bret Andries, Holly Aschenbrenner, Gary Luea, Jolene Niernberger, Bob Redger, and John Walz. Also present were Public Works Director Alan Scheuerman, City Clerk Amy Burton, Police Chief Taft Yates, and City Attorney Olavee Raub.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
AMENDMENTS TO AGENDA (if needed)
None
PUBLIC PRESENT
Sharon Disney, Chris Cline, Cheryl Kinderknecht, Susan Eaton, Charlene Weber, Steve Homburg (arrived at 7:45 p.m.), and Jeri Homburg (arrived at 7:45 p.m.)
CONSENT AGENDA
Council member John Walz moved to approve the consent agenda containing the Minutes from the Regular Meeting on November 21, 2016 and Bills Ordinance #2010, with the exception of the invoice from Ground Water Associates, which will be considered later on the agenda. Council member Holly Aschenbrenner seconded the motion. The Council approved the consent agenda 6-0.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
None
PRESENTATIONS OF AWARDS, PROCLAMATIONS, REQUESTS & PETITIONS (HEARINGS)
None
SPECIAL ORDER
Fire: Acquisition
Ellis Volunteer Fireman Chris Cline presented two bids for two sets of bunker gear. In 2015 Council approved the purchase of twenty sets of bunker gear, but the Department only ordered eighteen at that time. The Department would like approval to purchase the remaining two sets of bunker gear. Council member Bob Redger moved and Council member John Walz seconded a motion to approve the quote from Municipal Emergency Services for two sets of coats and pants in the amount of $3,070.00, with funds to come from the Fire Department budget. The motion carried 6-0.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Water: Special Project
Public Works Director Alan Scheuerman updated Council on the Waterline Improvement Project. Buck Driggs, Driggs Design Group, will attend the Council meeting on the 19th to present final results of the project. Mr. Driggs and Mr. Scheuerman will partake in a walk-through of the project with APAC prior to the meeting.
General Government: License/Permit
Council performed a first reading of an ordinance modifying contractor licensing requirements. Council member Holly Aschenbrenner requested clarification on the contractor definitions versus the wording on the actual licenses issued. Council will revisit the ordinance at the next meeting.
General Government: License/Permit
Council performed a first reading of ordinances establishing time limitations on building, electrical and plumbing permits. Council suggested adding wording acknowledging that the permits are subject to a renewal fee. Council will revisit the ordinances at the next meeting.
NEW BUSINESS
Tourism: Committee
Mayor David McDaniel recommended the appointment of Josh Eaton, General Manager of Love’s Country Stores, to fill the vacancy on the Tourism Committee. Council member John Walz moved and Council member Holly Aschenbrenner seconded a motion to appoint Josh Eaton to the unexpired term on the Tourism Committee. The motion carried 6-0.
Sewer: Acquisition
Public Works Director Alan Scheuerman presented three bids for aluminum chlorohydrate for the wastewater treatment plant. A 3,000 lb. tote will last approximately two and one-half months. The add-in chemical is necessary to reduce the phosphorus and nitrates at the plant. Council member Bob Redger moved and Council member John Walz seconded a motion to approve the bid from Brenntag for one tote of aluminum chlorohydrate at a cost of $1,140.00, with funds to come from the Sewer Utility Fund. The motion carried 6-0.
Water Exploration: Special Project
Council reviewed the latest invoice from Ground Water Associates for professional services performed from July 2015 to November 2016. Council member Gary Luea has worked closely with Ground Water Associates and believes the bill looks accurate for the work completed to date on securing an additional water source for the City. Council member John Walz moved and Council member Jolene Niernberger seconded a motion to approve the invoice from Ground Water Associates in the amount of $18,699.85, with funds to come from the Capital Improvement – Water Exploration Fund. The motion carried 6-0.
General Government: License/Permit
Council member John Walz moved and Council member Bob Redger seconded a motion to approve the Application for License to Sell Cereal Malt Beverages for Arthur’s Pizza and Mexican Foods. The motion carried 6-0. Background checks have been successfully completed.
General Government: Financial
City Clerk Amy Burton presented the list of bad debts to be written off. Writing off the bad debts is an annual accounting procedure and in no way affects the City’s ability to collect these debts. The amount to be written off represents less than 1% of the City’s 2016 total receivables. Most of the debts listed have already been submitted to the State Setoff program and another collection agency. Prior to the Council meeting, Council member Holly Aschenbrenner reviewed the individual names of the accounts to be written off, per auditor recommendation. Council member John Walz moved and Council member Gary Luea seconded a motion to approve the write-off of the utility bad debts in the amount of $10,129.46. The motion carried 6-0.
Personnel: Salary
Ms. Burton presented the proposed pay rates for employees for 2017. The rates reflect a 2% wage increase as approved in the 2017 budget. Council member John Walz moved and Council member Jolene Niernberger seconded a motion to approve the 2017 pay rates as presented. The motion carried 6-0.
General Government: Special Project
Ms. Burton inquired if Council was interested in holding a City Christmas Party for staff, elected officials and their guests. Council discussed putting a cap on the expense and soliciting bids for venue and food. Council member Bret Andries moved to approve holding a City Christmas Party at a cost not to exceed $500, and for the Clerk to solicit bids for the party. Council member John Walz seconded the motion. The motion carried 6-0.
Personnel: Benefits
Ms. Burton continued by asking if Council wanted to continue the practice of giving City employees a Christmas bonus. Council member Jolene Niernberger moved to approve a Christmas bonus for each full-time and part-time employee in the net amount of $200.00. Council member John Walz seconded the motion. The motion carried 5-1, with Council member Holly Aschenbrenner opposed.
Personnel: Policy
Ms. Burton presented the proposed 2017 Personnel Policies and Guidelines manual. Several sections had language added for clarification purposes. The only major revision was adding a policy for weapons in the workplace. No further revisions were proposed by Council. Council will consider approval of the policy at the next meeting.
REPORTS FROM CITY OFFICIALS
Public Works
Public Works Director Alan Scheuerman presented the Comparative Water Report for the period October 10th – November 10th. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment will not allow residents to dump leaves at the burn pile due to the possibility of other debris being raked up and dumped with the leaves. Mr. Scheuerman reported the inoperable portable welder did not sell on the PurpleWave auction site.
Police
Police Chief Taft Yates presented the Monthly Activity Report for November and the December staff calendar. Officer Chris Krom and Chief Yates will present at Rotary on December 14th on the Department’s new Tasers.
City Clerk: Training
City Clerk Amy Burton requested Council approval to attend the IIMC Annual Conference in Montreal, Canada in May 2017. Ms. Burton’s registration, travel and lodging expenses will be paid by the City Clerk’s and Municipal Finance Officers Association since she will become the Vice-President of the Association in March. Council member John Walz moved and Council member Jolene Niernberger seconded a motion to allow Ms. Burton to attend the IIMC Annual Conference from May 21st – 24th in Montreal, Canada. The motion carried 6-0.
General Government: Committees
Ms. Burton presented the draft minutes from the recent Campground Committee meeting. The Board of Zoning Appeals will hold a public hearing on December 27th regarding an application for a variance on fence height regulations.
General Government: Building Code
Ms. Burton offered information about the Institute of Building Technology and Safety (IBTS), a non-profit organization which recently signed a Master Service Agreement with the League of Kansas Municipalities to provide contracted services to member cities on a variety of topics. Council has expressed interest in contracting with IBTS for building inspection services. The League is hosting a free webinar to introduce municipalities to IBTS on December 13th.
The Kansas Department of Labor recently performed a safety compliance audit. No major safety deficiencies were noted. The City should receive KDOL’s official report in 2-3 weeks.
Attorney
City Attorney Olavee Raub updated Council on outstanding code violation cases. Council member Gary Luea inquired of a property in violation on Fauteux St. Ms. Raub has completed an initial draft of the Attorney General’s opinion on the question of incompatibility of office of Council member-elect Dena Patee. Ms. Raub will set up a meeting with the property owner and developer regarding the drainage issues at 21st Street and Walnut.
Mayor Update and Announcements
Council member Bob Redger inquired if the school district would be able to designate the area north of the tennis courts as an outdoor classroom.
ADJOURNMENT
Council member Gary Luea moved and Council member Bob Redger seconded a motion to adjourn the meeting. The motion carried 6-0. The meeting adjourned at 8:55 p.m.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

It was cold overnight in Hays.

According to official statistics from the K-State Agricultural Research Center, the temperature Wednesday night fell to 3°.

That’s more than chilly, but not a record chill.

The official low temperature for Dec. 7 in Hays is -8°, which was recorded three times, in 1902, 1909 and 1927.

A trace of snow fell overnight as well, yielding just a trace of precipitation.

The overnight cold may have been felt even more by some Hays residents due to a Midwest Energy power failure very early Thursday morning. By 10:30 a.m., all Hays customers were back in service according to the MWE outage viewer.

Today’s forecast calls for continued cold.