Manual pumping of the sewer lift station at West 27th and U.S. 183 Bypass continued Friday morning following a sewer line break and subsequent shut down late Wednesday afternoon.
By BECKY KISER Hays Post
The city of Hays Water Resources Department continues to manually pump waste today from the sewer lift station at 27th and U.S. 183 Bypass after a leak was discovered late Wednesday afternoon in a forced sewer main line along nearby Big Creek.
Jeff Crispin, director of water resources, said Friday morning his crew decided not to find and temporarily fix the leak.
“This is an old line, and we’re going to abandon it for safety’s sake,” he said. Crispin estimates the 10-inch sewer line is buried 15 to 20 feet below the bank level of Big Creek.
A new line will be installed parallel to the existing line. Crispin said materials have been ordered and he expects the supplies to arrive Monday.
The city immediately shut down the sewer line and nearby lift station that serves that line after the leak was reported by a farmer who saw excess water flowing from the side bank of Big Creek.
There is no contamination of the city water supply, Crispin said. He noted the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s northwest unit in Hays asked for two samples of the Big Creek water late Thursday afternoon, which were sent to Salina for analysis.
There has not been any interruption of water or sewer service to city customers, and installation of the new pipeline will not require service interruption.
Hertel Tank Service has been hired to help with pump removal of the sewer line contents into trucks as needed and transporting it to the city wastewater treatment plant.
Crispin said manual pumping at the lift station began at Thursday morning at 6:30 a.m. and continued until approximately 1 a.m. Friday.
Crews from the city and Hertel Tank Service were back on the scene after sunrise this morning.
Hertel Tank Service is has been hired to help manually pump waste from the sewer lift.
The sewer line contents are being trucked to the Hays wastewater treatment plant.
City of Hays employees check a sewer line leak Thursday morning along Big Creek at 27th and U.S. 183 Bypass.
City officials say no contamination of city water supply
By BECKY KISER Hays Post
Officials from the city of Hays are on the site of a leak in a forced sewer main line near the intersection of West 27th and the U.S. 183 Bypass.
The location is alongside Big Creek. The sewer line is buried underneath the creek.
According to Jeff Crispin, water resources director, he called the Kansas Department of Health and Environment after-hours emergency number Wednesday night as required.
Darrell Shippy, of the Northwest Kansas KDHE Water Supply and Wastewater Unit in Hays, was at the site Thursday morning for a short time, Crispin noted, as work got underway to locate the leak.
Crispin says a farmer contacted the city late Wednesday afternoon when he noticed water coming from the side of the bank of Big Creek.
City staff confirmed the water influx and immediately shut down the sewer line and the nearby lift station that serves that line.
“We notified KDHE last night,” Crispin said late Thursday morning. “We want to ensure public safety first. We’re working with them to see if something moves towards the public stream flow [of Big Creek].”
There is no contamination of the city water supply, he added, nor is there any interruption of water or sewer service to city customers.
“A local contractor is currently digging to find the line. It seems there’s been a break,” Crispin said. “Once we find it, we’ll do a temporary fix and then a permanent replacement of the line.”
City Department of Water Resources employees are now manually pumping the sewer line contents into trucks as needed and transporting it to the city wastewater treatment plant.
Check Hays Post for more as details become available.
Looking for the leak Thursday morning
A farmer reported water running from side of the bank into Big Creek.
Waste from the nearby lift station is being manually pumped out and transported by truck to the wastewater treatment plant.
It was a wet spring in Hays and that’s generally meant less water use by city water customers.
Even though water revenues for the city were down by 22 percent in April, as reported by Hays Finance Director Kim Rupp, city commissioners are “OK” with that.
Vice-Mayor Shaun Musil gave “kudos to the community” for using less water during the commission’s June 27 meeting.
During that meeting, Rupp reported a 17 percent increase in water consumption for May, which translates into an increase of 14.5 percent in water revenues and a 79 percent increase in water conservation revenues.
Still, the year-to-date total water consumption at the end of May was down 4 percent with revenue up 2.5 percent.
The consumption increase in May “kind of surprised” Commissioner Eber Phelps, who noted the cool temperatures and recent rains.
Mayor Henry Schwaller said he thought the information “got a little confused in public.”
“We’re happy when people don’t use water,” Schwaller said with a smile. “So when we heard last month that usage and water revenue were down, none of us were concerned. We’re happy when people conserve.
“We [were] a little shocked when it [went] up, but if people don’t use it, we’re OK with that.”
Musil agreed.
“I had many people saying we were complaining about it [less water consumption],” Musil said. “It’s actually just the opposite. We’re all very excited when it’s down because people aren’t using it.”
Phelps, who has twice previously served as a city commissioner, added that “all our efforts for years now have been directed for decreased water usage or we wouldn’t have given away 10,000 low-flow showerheads.”
City Manager Toby Dougherty said the report was “simply a statement of fact by the finance director and we’re not complaining either.”
Rupp pointed out to commissioners the May receipts may include part of April.
“We bill each week, so we have four cycles. So we might be catching a little of the tail end of April,” explained Rupp.
The water use average for Hays residential and business customers is a minimum of 500 cubic feet (c.f.) per month and is billed at the Base Tier rate.
As water consumption increases, so does the rate.
Usage exceeding the average by up to 1,000 c.f. is billed at the Conservation Tier 1 rate. Exceeding 1,000 c.f. usage in one month moves customers to the higher Conservation Tier 2 rate. If a customer exceeds 1,000 c.f. during official Water Warning or Water Emergency periods, the rate is even higher.
The city of Hays is the only municipality in Kansas with a population greater than 15,000 that is not located near a sustainable source of water. Water conservation programs were started in the early 1990s.
A public hearing will be held at 8:15 a.m. Wed., July 10 by the Hays Area Board of Zoning Appeals for a special use permit to allow a preschool on the property at 1307 Schwaller Avenue.
Applicants Curtis and Brooke Deines have moved from 2609 General Custer to 1307 Schwaller Avenue and want to also relocate their preschool.
According to information submitted to the board, the Schwaller Avenue street frontage is 300 feet in length compared to the 60 feet at the previous property, allowing more on-street parking. The property also has four off-street parking spaces required by code.
Schwaller Avenue is also wider than General Custer and has less traffic.
The subject property is zoned “NC.2” (Neighborhood Conservation Single-Family Detached). The area to the north is a commercial zoning district.
The agenda is available here. The meeting will be held in Hays City Hall commission chambers, 1507 Main.
Commissioner Eber Phelps looks at the 2020 draft budget for the cit of Hays Tuesday night.
By BECKY KISER Hays Post
“Relatively routine without a lot of shiny things” is how Hays City Manager Toby Dougherty described the draft 2020 budget to city commissioners Tuesday night.
Kicking off a 40 minute review with the commission, Dougherty noted “the budget is balanced, the mill levy is maintained at 25, and we are not adding any employees this year.”
This will be the 10th year the number of full-time Hays city employees has remained at 181.
“We have expanded the scope of what we do and our reach, but we’ve kept the employees the same,” said Dougherty.
The 2020 budget contains a programmed step and cost of living increase for all city employees.
Total assessed valuation for the city of Hays is up 1.6%.
Sales tax revenues, which make up most of the city’s general fund, are projected to be up 3% this year. A 1% increase is budgeted for 2020.
The proposed 2020 budget is $41,916,819 compared to the 2019 budget of $39,504,844.
The city commission met Tuesday instead of Thursday which is the July 4 holiday.
Further discussion of the 2020 budget will continue at the July 18 work session. The July 11 meeting has been canceled.
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Brandon Hines, Hays Public Library director, tapes up a list of aspirations for the library generated during a recent stakeholders session.
By BECKY KISER Hays Post
More than 50 plus-sized sheets of information and ideas were taped to the walls of the Hays Public Library (HPL) meeting room following two library stakeholders meetings earlier this month.
Now director Brandon Hines and his library staff of 33 are awaiting compilation and analysis of the two public sessions led by Gail Santy, Central Kansas Library System (CKLS) executive director. CKLS is based in Great Bend.
“The purpose of the sessions is to solicit feedback and ideas about the role of the library in our community and to guide future priorities of the organization,” Hines told the 40 or so attendees at the beginning of each session. “Specifically, we are looking to establish goals and actions that will optimally benefit the community and uphold the mission and values of the Hays Public Library.”
CKLS consultants were at each table as facilitators, consolidating and then writing the answers from their groups to the questions asked by Santy.
Patty Collins, CKLS Youth Services Consultant listens to a stakeholder at her table as Celeste Lasich, First Presbyterian Church pastor, looks on.
Two of the consultants have ties to Hays. Patty Collins, CKLS Youth Services Consultant, and Christie Snyder, CKLS School Library Consultant, are both graduates of Fort Hays State University.
Santy guided them through “SOAR – Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, Results – What can we build on? What are our possible future opportunities? What do we care deeply about? How will be know we are succeeding?” The SOAR design comes from the Aspen Institute, an international nonprofit think tank founded in 1949 as a nonpartisan forum for values-based leadership and the exchange of ideas.
The questions in each category were created by the HPL staff and library board members early in the day prior to the public sessions. HPL staff members were also at each stakeholders table giving their input.
“We’re here to kind of push us through the end of our strategic planning process,” said Hines who was hired as HPL director last summer. He worked previously at HPL in charge of the children’s department, then left to be director at two other Kansas libraries.
“When I came on there was a lot of work that had been done around here but just quite hasn’t been executed on. So we made a one year action plan to finish up some of this work,” explained Hines. “We’ve really progressed well with that.”
The library is looking to the public and its patrons to help guide its future.
“We’re at the point now where we need to sit back and get some ideas, feedback on some of the changes we’ve already made and also on some of the work we want to do,” Hines said.
Part of the action plan is to remodel some areas of the library within the next couple of years. The current building was constructed in 1968; Hays Public Library opened in 1911.
The last major renovation was in 2004. “We know our needs for the space has changed quite a bit since then,” Hines told the group gathered around eight tables. “All this information we gather here today will help guide that.” He said the library intends to soon form a design committee to address space changes in the building.
Earlier this year the library completed its Mission, Vision, Values statement.
The information was at each table which Hines hoped would help “establish the right mindset” during the discussions.
“This is why you’re here,” Hines explained. “We need help with specific goals and outcomes and then specific actions we want to take or some ideas to get us to that point.”
Once the report and compiled data is returned by CKLS, it should give HPL a directional map for the next three years.
Santy urged the attendees to be candid. “We can’t move forward unless we know how you really feel.”
Margie Sheppard, CKLS Library Technology Consultant, listens to input from her group.
The groups spent an hour discussing questions including the greatest value the library provides to the community, key areas of untapped potential, the look of library space in 10 years and what excellence looks like.
Those offering their input in the afternoon session included representatives of USD 489 and TMP-Marian schools, the Hays Arts Council, churches, Northwest Kansas Area Agency on Aging, Downtown Hays Development Corporation, Friends of the Hays Public Library, and local residents.
After 60 minutes, the meeting room walls were covered with sheets listing each table’s ideas of strengths, opportunities, aspirations, and results.
Gail Santy, CKLS executive director, led the HPL stakeholders sessions.
Santy quickly read aloud each answer and suggestion.
Ideas included starting a bookmobile, more charging stations for personal electronic devices, more meeting space and areas redesigned for smaller groups, finding annex locations for programs already offered by the library, providing ESL (English as Second Language) interpreters, and getting more involved with the local governing bodies.
Then the stakeholders were invited to use sticky dots to vote anonymously for their top two priorities.
Pat Hill (left) wants to see smaller meeting places available at HPL.
Pat Hill feels the library should concentrate on books and literacy, and opportunities for children.
“We have a lot of good connections with Hays schools,” Hill noted.
She’s a member of Friends of the Library which operates the used book store in the library.
Hill is new to Hays, moving here from Michigan about 18 months ago.
“There’s a lot of things I didn’t realize the library does, and all the community participation,” she said, “but I can see we need to make a few improvements although we have a lot of strengths.
“We had a wonderful discussion at our table. I’m very proud of our library.”
Residents can now make online reservations for the 14 shelterhouses in Hays parks.
There’s no cost to make a reservation on the city’s website haysusa.com and it’s first come, first served, said Jeff Boyle, director of parks.
“We do require a minimum of eight days notice,” Boyle noted. “The reason for that is we post the reservations in the shelters every Friday.”
Online reservations can be scheduled up to one year in advance.
You’ll need to provide your name, phone number, email address, the requested shelter and park, and the number of people expected.
“That kind of helps us judge the activities that are going on in the park. We may need to make some alterations such as number of trash cans,” Boyle explained. “We do put out extra trash bins if we know there’s going to be a large gathering.”
Most reservations are for Saturday and Sunday. City staff works those two days, removing the trash and cleaning restrooms. Trash is picked up from parks five days a week.
Park reservations can be canceled and new ones created.
You must also agree to obey park rules and city ordinances and to no use of stakes. Park users have pounded stakes into the ground for tents and bouncy houses in the past and that has caused some problems.
“Bouncy houses were set up in one particular park and poked a hole in our water line. In another park, they actually hit an electric line.
“It’s very important folks understand [the rules] and anybody that has questions about that they can call and discuss it. Because of the safety issues with it, it’s just not something we allow,” Boyle stressed.
The ban expected to change.
The Parks Department has a plan that would allow safe erection of tents and bouncy houses in Hays parks.
“We are working on putting certain areas in parks, maybe marking them with corner markers, where these types of things can be placed. We’re trying to find all the infrastructure first at this point and get it into a mapping system so that not only are we accurate but that folks can find those markers and where they can and can’t place those type of devices.”
The online reservation system will send a validation email to the user confirming the date, time and location.
Boyle says the shelter reservation system is simple to use and will save a lot of staff time.
“We have around 380 reservations a year and for each one of those there’s a phone call, sometimes two to three phone calls,” he said. “It will be a relief on staff to have this in place.”
Staff in the Parks Department is still available if needed to answer questions or someone does not have access to the internet.
“Online reservations are kind of the standard in the industry now, and I think it’s expected.” Boyle noted. “I think Hays was a little bit behind the times on that and I’m glad to see this in place.”
The shelters are located in the following parks:
Aubel Bickle Park–30th & Sherman
Dan Rupp Park–33rd & Skyline Drive
Ekey Park–19th & Holmes Road
Frontier East, North and West Parks–Highway 183 Bypass, Main Street (2)
Hickok Park–26th & Donald Drive
Kiwanis Park–17th & Harvest Avenue
Massey Park–17th & Allen Street
Municipal Park (2)–1st & Main Street
Seven Hills Park–33rd & Hillcrest Drive
Sunrise Park–19th & MacArthur Road
Downtown Hays Pavilion–10th & Main Street
The phone number for the Hays Parks Department is 785-628-7375.
The city of Hays’ property valuation has increased and its property/liability insurance will increase significantly in 2020/2021. This year’s premium increase was just 2%.
By BECKY KISER Hays Post
The increase in the renewal of property/liability insurance for the city of Hays was just 2% – $4,475 more than the prior period.
City commissioners Thursday night unanimously approved renewal of the 2019/2020 coverage with Midwest Public Risk (MPR) for $228,228.26 to be funded from the Intergovernmental Insurance and Surety line item in the budget.
The increase was capped at 2% for all MPR members. The city has been with MPR since 2017.
However, a property reappraisal conducted in August 2018, is expected to force a considerable hike in the premium for 2020/2021, according to Kim Rupp, finance director.
“I’ll caution that we’ll likely see a significant increase in our required contributions of the next renewal given [property] values have jumped quite a bit,” Rupp told commissioners. “It could be north of $25,000.”
The most notable valuation change was in buildings with an increase of almost $15.6 million.
MPR is a pool of public entities that includes cities, schools, counties, health departments, fire protection districts, ambulance districts, election boards and housing authorities.
Rupp is pleased with the city’s experience with the group in the past year, both in services offered and claims response.
“We’ve learned our 2% increase is well below the average in the marketplace of 6%,” he reported. “We’ve also learned insurance carriers are becoming more selective due to a huge influx of applications because of rate increases. Carriers are also tremendously cautious particularly due to convective storms that include tornadoes, hail and wind.”
“Given the tornadic activity we’ve seen in the last few years, I think we were very fortunate that we didn’t have some catastrophic weather incident here,” said Commissioner Eber Phelps, “especially when you look at the water treatment plant value at $3.8 million and the new appraised value at $9 million. That would have been quite a blow to the city to have to come up with that for rebuilding purposes.”
Mayor Henry Schwaller also noted the city has been fortunate when it comes to flooding.
“We’ve had a lot of rain last year and this year, and we’ve not had the flooding we’ve had historically.
“Part of it’s nature and city staff has done a really good job making sure the infrastructure is prepared,” said Schwaller.
The anticipated insurance premium increase is figured into the 2020 draft budget.
Commissioners will conduct their first review of the budget at the July 2 work session. Because Thursday falls on the July 4 holiday, the meeting will be held Tuesday.
May 24 drone photo of wastewater treatment plant upgrade (Courtesy city of Hays)
By BECKY KISER Hays Post
The end is in sight, and sooner than expected, of the $28.4 million rebuild of the Hays wastewater treatment plant.
“We kicked off the project May 31, 2017, with the notice to proceed and final completion is set for Sept. 15, 2019,” Eric Farrow, HDR on-site engineer at the facility told city commissioners at the halfway mark last August.
“Final completion will be within the next couple of weeks,” City Manager Toby Dougherty reported during last night’s commission meeting.
“Now they’re working on very small punch-list items. There are some things we’re making sure get tweaked with the vendors.”
Substantial completion was done June 3, more than three months ahead of schedule.
“That means the liquid side’s up, the solids sides are up,” Dougherty explained. “All of the processes are working.”
The entire design/build team will appear before the city commission in July with a final update. Commissioners will later tour the improved facility.
According to Dougherty, the project not only was completed ahead of schedule but also under budget.
The city was fined $18,000 in 2012 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for excessive levels of phosphorous and nitrate. The wastewater treatment facility was built in 1953. The plant had to be upgraded to meet stricter permit requirements of the EPA and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Photos taken at the Hays Wastewater Treatment Plant rebuild June 13. (Courtesy city of Hays)
TOPEKA – In a move to help Kansans find work and stay employed, Governor Laura Kelly today announced a new Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) initiative that will expand access to child care assistance for Kansas families.
“Having access to quality child care is essential for parents to maintain employment,” Kelly said. “Those with lower incomes often struggle to afford quality child care. By expanding access to the program, more Kansas families can sustain employment or participate in meaningful training programs.”
DCF is making several policy changes to the program that will go into effect July 1. They include:
· Reducing the minimum work hours per week to be eligible from 28 to 20, which will expand child-care access to more working parents.
· Expanding the program to participants of the GOALS employment and training program allowing families to access child-care assistance for job search activities. GOALS is specifically for parents who participate in the state’s food assistance program.
· Using Child Care Development Funds (CCDF) to pay child-care costs for foster children. This new program will provide foster parents the added convenience of using an EBT card to pay for child care.
“We know that child-care costs can be an obstacle to employment for many of our low-income families,” DCF Secretary Laura Howard said. “In Topeka for example, affordable child care is 21 percent of a family’s income for those at the top of the eligibility threshold (185% of federal poverty level). Our expectation is that families will actually be able to increase their earnings while having peace of mind knowing their children are being cared for in healthy environments.”
DCF estimates more than 3,000 Kansas children will benefit from these policy changes. The agency estimates spending more than $9 million in FY 2020 and nearly $14 million in FY 2021 based on current caseload data.
“Helping our fellow Kansans find work, stay employed and receive a quality education are universal values,” Kelly said. “This is a first step in repairing the safety net that was pulled from vulnerable Kansans during the previous eight years.”
MPR Risk Management Adviser Jason McMann with Hays Finance Director Kim Rupp
By BECKY KISER Hays Post
A short agenda for Hays city commissioners Thursday as they consider a vote on the renewal of property and liability insurance coverage for 2019/2020 with Midwest Public Risk (MPR).
A review of options was presented during last week’s work session.
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. provides oversight for the city as its insurance broker. Following conversations with several other insurance carriers, Gallagher concluded MPR offered the lowest cost option for the renewal of the city’s package.
The renewal is a two percent increase or $4,475 more than the prior period.
Below is a history of MPR insurance premiums for Hays.
The package this year includes the following categories:
• Buildings
• Contents
• Vehicles
• Equipment
• Other Property
• General Liability
• Sewer Liability
• Auto Liability
• Crime
• Law Enforcement
• Public Officials
According to Kim Rupp, finance manager, the city of Hays has recognized several benefits of pool membership during the past year, including the Loss Control Credits program.
Three percent of the city’s contribution is set aside each year to be used for projects that specifically reduce exposure to future property/liability and worker compensation claims.
This past year the city purchased safety communication devices for several buildings, an AED device for the Convention and Visitors Bureau, desk risers for several employees, and new access control devices for City Hall, for a total of $18,555 in contributions returned to the city.
Hays also has access to a large online training library the police department has used, saving more than $2,000 in training expenditures.
In preparing for the insurance renewal, the city had its property re-appraised for the first time in many years.
“I’ve been here 11 years and we haven’t had a reappraisal and I don’t know when the last one was ever done,” Rupp told the commission.
Commissioners are expected to authorize City Manager Toby Dougherty to renew the 2019/2020 property/liability insurance coverages with MPR for $228,228.26 to be funded from the Intergovernmental Insurance and Surety line item. The renewal date is July 1.
The complete June 27 agenda is available here. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. in Hays City Hall, 1507 Main.
Ryan Rymer filed to run for a seat on the Hays City Commission shortly before the June 3 noon deadline.
A Hays resident since 1997, Rymer became acutely aware of the city’s operations when discussion ramped up about improvements to the the North Vine Street Corridor.
The plan is to install four traffic roundabouts on Vine at 32nd/33rd, 37th, and 41st Streets, and a partial roundabout at the eastbound exit ramp of Interstate 70. In addition, the corridor project calls for W. 37th to be extended west to the new development area and for West 41st – the west frontage road – to be realigned to meet West 37th.
Rymer lives in the 100 block of West 37th and opposes the proposed street extension. He has rallied other residents in the neighborhood to provide safe alternate solutions to the city’s plan to connect 37th to Vine Street.
“My interest in local politics came as I went before the city commission pertaining to the roundabout project,” Rymer told Hays Post. “When Sandy Jacobs stated in the meeting that some in the delegation should consider serving on the commission, an epiphany struck me. With my experience and leadership record, this is certainly a possibility.”
Rymer is employed as the ER coordinator for Russell Regional Hospital, where he has worked as an ER nurse for 11 years.
“My focus has been on providing the best emergent care for citizens of the county, and we’ve made a significant impact for quality improvement on heart, stroke, trauma and sepsis patients,” Rymer said.
In addition, Ryan serves in the U.S. Army Reserves. He attained the rank of major in 2015 and has served a total of 27 years both as enlisted and officer. During his most recent mobilization, he was stationed in Landstuhl, Germany, where he was in charge of the Deployed Warrior Medical Management Center. The DWMMC was responsible for the coordination of care for arriving casualties from multiple theaters of operation as they arrived to Landstuhl, as well as the continuation of care upon return to stateside.
Growing up in Wichita, Rymer moved to Hays shortly after meeting his soon-to-be wife, Alicia. He attended Fort Hays State University and then NCK Technical College where he graduated with his associate’s RN in 2001. Upon graduation from Grantham University, Rymer earned his BSN and graduated magna cum laude.
Rymer and his wife have been married for 21 years. They have two children, Garret and Audrey. Garret will be attending FHSU in the fall of 2019. Audrey will be attending Hays High as a junior in the upcoming year. In their spare time, they enjoy camping at Wilson Lake, taking in the sights of local Hays venues, and assisting family at their farm in Pawnee County.
Rymer says Hays is a “fantastic place to raise a family.”
“My focus, if I’m elected, would transparency of local government, fiscal responsibility, and the growth and development of the city of Hays. With declining population and empty storefronts throughout the city, my efforts will be to reverse these occurrences and to make the city a wonderful place to raise a family for years to come,” he said.
There are three seats open on the Hays city commission. The five candidates are Rymer, Mason Ruder, Michael Berges, and incumbents Ron Mellick and Henry Schwaller IV.
