Hays city commissioners Thursday approved an ordinance to annex 23.31 acres of property located on the west side of the Highway 183 Bypass at 33rd Street. It was formerly a mobile home court.
The owners, Robert and Sondra Swift, Hays, requested annexation of the land which is approximately 500 feet from the city limits but is not contiguous.
A portion of the property being annexed is known as Creeksite Acres. Several years ago, the buildings and some infrastructure were removed from the property. The remainder of the property includes Big Creek on the west side. The entire property is located within the 100-year floodplain and any development would be required to follow city of Hays floodplain development ordinances.
Hays Public Works Director Jesse Rohr told the commission the developer plans to extend a city water main from Columbine west to the property at no cost to the city. A sewer line is located along the east side of the bypass.
Plans call for an RV park to be opened at the site according to Jacob Wood, assistant city manager.
Public Works Dir. Jesse Rohr with Shirley McDonald, administrative asst.
At the beginning of Thursday’s meeting, three employees were introduced to the commission by their department heads as new hires or newly promoted.
They are Shirley McDonald, promoted to full-time from part-time administrative assistant for the Public Works Dept., Jacob Schnabel, a new Maintenance Worker I in the Water Resources Dept., and Officer Dakota Gully, who was promoted from part-time to full-time with the Police Dept.
McDonald has worked for public works for four years. “It was an easy transition,” Rohr said.
Dir. of Water Resources Jeff Crispin with Jacob Schnabel, Maintenance Worker I.
Schnabel has a bachelors degree in music from Fort State University. “He’ll also in the future be joining the Marines,” said Jeff Crispin, water resources director. “I think that’s awesome.”
Gully is from Golden, Colorado. “Like so many of the young people in our community, Fort Hays State brought him to Hays,” said Don Scheibler, police chief. “He played football for FHSU and wrestled. He has a bachelor’s degree in agriculture and secondary education. I think he was on the fast track to becoming a teacher when we grabbed him up and got him interested in law enforcement.”
Police Chief Don Scheibler with Ofc. Dakota Gulley
Both Gully and Schnabel happened to be celebrating their birthdays Thursday, which was also Valentine’s Day.
The Hays Police Department will conduct training on Feb. 19 and 20 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at 4800 Vine.
“Police officers will be training with police vehicles and equipment. This training is being done with great care and safety,” the HPD said in a news release. “You may see law enforcement officers working in area. There is no need to be alarmed. The officers are merely conducting a realistic training exercise and there is no danger to the community.”
If you have any questions or concerns, contact the on-site supervisor (Lieutenant Tim Greenwood or Detective Sergeant Aaron Larson), or Chief Don Scheibler at 785-625-1030.
TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has issued a do-not-drink order for the Lane Co. Rural Water District 1 located in Lane County.
The order took effect Monday and will remain in effect until the conditions that placed the system at risk of contamination are resolved. KDHE officials issued the advisory because of a line break resulting in the potential of bacteriological contamination. A secondary water source that is high in nitrates was put into service until the primary well can be returned to use.
Until the line break is repaired the following steps should be observed:
DO NOT GIVE THE WATER TO INFANTS. Infants below the age of six months who drink water containing nitrate in excess of the maximum contaminant level (MCL) could become seriously ill and, if untreated, may die.
Water, juice and formula for children under six months of age should not be prepared with tap water. Bottled water or other water low in nitrates should be used for infants until further notice.
DO NOT BOIL THE WATER. Boiling, freezing, filtering, or letting water stand does not reduce the nitrate level. Excessive boiling can make the nitrates more concentrated, because nitrates remain behind when the water evaporates.
Water should not be ingested or used for brushing teeth. Use bottled water.
Dispose of ice cubes and do not use ice from an automatic icemaker.
Do not use water to cook or prepare food.
Supervision of children is necessary while bathing so that water is not ingested.
The water may be used to flush toilets.
Limited bottled water is being supplied by the system at the Healy Elementary School for those in need.
Regardless of whether the public water supplier or KDHE announced a do-not-drink order, only KDHE can issue the rescind order following testing at a certified laboratory.
Restaurants and other food establishments that have questions about the impact of the Do Not Drink Order on their business can contact the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s food safety & lodging program at [email protected] or call 785-564-6767.
SENATE HIGHLIGHTS
Last week marked the fifth week of session with the first half of the legislative session almost behind us. As we approach “turn-around” which is February 28th, one hundred and ninety-nine bills have been introduced into committees with Friday as the last day for non-exempt committees to accept bills. Six Senate bills have been sent over to the House for consideration. This week will be the last week for committees to hear and work bills before the half-way point of 2019 session.
SNAPSHOT OF THE KANSAS LEGISLATURE 2019
The Kansas Senate consists of forty Senators – twenty-eight Republicans, eleven Democrats and one Independent with fourteen women and twenty-six men. Fifteen Senators live in cities of 100,000+ population, nine with 20,000 to 100,000, six with 5,000-20,000 and six with 2,000-5000 and four with 0-2000. The Kansas House of Representatives consists of one-hundred twenty-five members with eighty-four Republicans and 41 Democrats with thirty-one women and ninety-four men.
FLOOR ACTION
ACCESS OF CRIMINAL DEFENDANT’S PRESENTENCE INVESTIGATION REPORT SB 19– changes the statute governing the presentence investigation report prepared in criminal cases. JUDICIAL BRANCH SURCHARGE SB20 – makes the judicial branch surcharge permanent. The Legislature reauthorized the surcharge (HB2041) in 2017 which funds non-judicial personnel. ATTORNEY GENERAL ENTERING INTO DIVERSION AGREEMENTS SB 18 – allows the attorney general to enter into diversion agreements pursuant to statutes; add a provision specifying that any diversion costs or fees collected under a diversion agreement entered into by the attorney general would be deposited in the Fraud and Abuse Criminal Prosecution Fund. VEHICLE DEALERS AND MANUFACTURERS LICENSING ACT SB19 – identifies that the dealer may establish its average percentage markup for parts or its labor rate, by submitting to the manufacturer or distributor copies of sequential retail service orders paid by the dealer’s customers, or all of the dealer’s retail service orders paid by the dealer’s customers in a 90-day period. CONDEMNING THE ENACTMENT OF NEW YORK’S REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH ACT SCR 1606 – Senate Concurrent Resolution 1606 condemns the enactment of New York’s Reproductive Health Act (RHA).
ELECTION COMMITTEE
Constitutional Amendment on Population Adjustments – SCR 1605
On Wednesday, Secretary of State Scott Schwab testified in front of the Senate Ethics, Elections and Local Government Committee in support of a constitutional amendment that would end the revision of population figures to reflect where military members and college students reside for the purpose of redistricting. Secretary of State Schwab told the committee that Kansas would have to spend an estimated $834,000 to adjust the 2020 U.S. Census figures to prepare for redrawing political boundaries for House and Senate districts. “The adjustment requirement is burdensome, antiquated and expensive,” Schwab told the committee. “Kansas is the only state in the nation that continues to adjust census numbers. I think this provision of the constitution is a waste.” Secretary of State Schwab explained that the population report relied on for redistricting would be delayed three to six months while a private consultant contacted college students and military personnel in Kansas to determine where they want to be counted as residents. The district maps are based on population. The adjustment of census figures was originally done to allow rural areas -for redistricting- to retain people who had moved elsewhere to serve in the military or attend college. While the original purpose was to help rural areas, the revisions favored urban centers after the 2010 census. For SCR 1605 to be placed on a statewide ballot, it would require the approval by two-thirds majorities of the House and Senate.
Update from the League of Kansas Municipalities and the Association of Counties
The League of Kansas Municipalities and the Kansas Association of Counties presented in the Elections and Local Government Committee on February 5 and gave an overview of Kansas cities and counties. Did you know cities existed before Kansas was a state? It’s true – Leavenworth became a city in 1854 (Kansas became a state in 1861). Thirty-six counties were also created during Kansas’ territorial days. There are 105 counties and 625 cities in Kansas. Counties act as an administrative arm of the state government for elections, taxation, judicial administration, and land records. Counties also provide local services to their respective counties. Cities provide localized services to their residents in the form of public safety, utilities, parks and recreation, infrastructure, economic development and other locally determined services. Cities were granted “Home Rule” by Kansas voters in 1961 which means that local governments, and their officials, are allowed to make policy decisions locally on many issues that affect their cities. There are many challenges city and county leaders see as concerns for local governments. They cited continued struggles to provide quality services at the best price while dealing with a local “tax lid” which was enacted in 2015. Cities continuously cite concerns over providing quality, affordable housing; a trained workforce; and ensuring technology is available across Kansas to connect residents to the Internet for work and educational purposes.
POST AUDIT JOINT COMMITTEE
Auditing has always been a part of State government in Kansas. The original 1859 Kansas Constitution provided for an elected state auditor. A constitutional amendment in 1971 did away with the auditor as an elected position, and the 1971 Legislature passed a bill that created the Legislative Post Audit Committee and the Legislative Division of Post Audit. (The “post” in “Post Audit” refers to auditing transactions after they occur.) Today, the Legislative Post Audit Committee is a 10-member, bipartisan, joint legislative committee made up of five senators and five representatives. To help guarantee the committee’s independence, the members, once appointed, serve for the duration of their term, and the committee chair is elected by the members themselves. The committee directs and oversees the work of the Legislative Division of Post Audit, a 25-person legislative staff agency that audits government programs for efficiency, effectiveness, and compliance with the law. It issues 20+ audit reports a year, on topics ranging from computer security to foster care to the state’s economic development activities. The division also contracts with accounting firms to do various financial audits, including those relied on by bond rating agencies and investors. All audits are either required by state law, or selected by the Legislative Post Audit Committee. The division’s mission is to provide accurate, timely, and unbiased information to legislators to help them make informed decisions about the myriad issues affecting Kansans.
The staff recently introduced the latest Audit of an Online Sales Tax review to the committee noting Kansas could see an additional $35M-$60M in additional revenue a year if this tax was collected from on-line companies. This audit and others can be viewed at www.kslpa.org.
From the State Library
The public can find reliable and age appropriate information online with Britannica – Public Library https://kslib.info/eor from the State Library of Kansas. Three levels of learning (Children, Young Adult, and Reference Center) offer continually updated entries, multimedia, primary –source material, maps, and links to expert websites. Double–click any word in the article for the definition to pop up with audio pronunciation. Also available at https://kslib.info/eor, Britannica – Academic includes more scholarly content. Another link https://kslib.info/kids takes you to Britannica – School for learning about any subject for all grades and reading abilities. If you have questions for the librarians – visit the website at [email protected] or call 785-296-3296.
Good News for Senate District #36
The Department of Commerce Small Cities Community Development Block Grant Program has awarded 23 projects across the state. Seven cities in Senate District #36 will receive these grants: City of Greenleaf – $300,000 for housing, City of Washington – $600,000 for water, City of Tipton – $102,000 for storm drainage, City of Beloit – $300,000 for housing, City of Downs – $600,000 for water, City of Russell – $600,000 for water and City of Phillipsburg – $462,000 for water. For additional information on the grants from the Department of Commerce call 785 296-3610.
T-WORKS Modernization and Expansion Projects and Schedule
One of six projects proposed in the Governor’s Budget is US-281 in Russell County (15th street in Russell to 3 miles north) which is a three-mile stretch, two-lane reconstruction project with the planned schedule start date in the spring of 2020. Seventeen projects pending funding include US 281 in Russell County of 12 miles of two-lane reconstruction with a possible schedule date of 2023 and K-383 in Phillips County reconstruction and added shoulders also to start in 2023.
VISITORS FROM SENATE DISTRICT #36
The fifth week of session was one of the busiest of the legislative year so far. The Kansas State Fire Fighters Association held their annual reception for legislators at the Historic Fire Station #2 in downtown Topeka. Kansas Board of Emergency Medical Services members attended their annual meeting and visited with their legislators – Kathy Coleman representing the city of Miltonvale and Region IV stopped in between her meetings. Members from home with the North Central-Flint Hills Area on Aging had lunch with us for Older Kansans Day and stayed to watch the Senate session. Kansas Livestock Association members attended their annual event and dinner on Wednesday and Leadership Mitchell County invited Rep. Susan Concannon and myself to join them for lunch and a legislative update from us. Kansas Farm Bureau members met with legislators for lunch. County Treasurers and the members of the Kansas Chiropractic Association met us on February 14th for their annual visit with legislators.
I always encourage you to stay informed of the issues under consideration by the Kansas Legislature. Committee schedules, bills, and other helpful information can be easily accessed through the legislature’s website at www.kslegislature.org. You are also able to ‘listen in live’ at this website. The House meets at 11:00 a.m. and the Senate at 2:30 p.m.. Please do not hesitate to contact me with your thoughts, concerns, and suggestions. An email is the best at this point in the session.
Elaine Bowers, R-Concordia, is the 36th Dist. state senator and serves as the Senate Majority Whip. The 36th Senate District includes Cloud, Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, Osborne, Ottawa, Republic, Rooks, Russell, Smith and Washington counties and portions of Marshall and Phillips counties.
Photos courtesy Norton Co. SheriffNORTON COUNTY —The Norton County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s assistance in locating a stolen vehicle from rural Norton County.
According to the sheriff’s department’s facebook page, the stolen vehicle is a Maroon 2016 Chev Malibu 4 door. It had a KU license plate on the front.
If you have any information please contact the Norton County Sheriff’s Office at 785-877-5780.
This was the last week for non-exempt committees to have bill introductions and there were many bills introduced.
One of the bills introduced was SB 50 and I have had many emails regarding this bill. SB50 amends the fee limitations for certain wildlife parks and tourism licenses. This bill will allow the Secretary of Wildlife and Parks to raise the amount of fees for hunting, fishing and other permits. Some of the proposed fees will double what they are today. At this time I do not believe this bill will get any traction and I am not in favor of raising fees at this time.
This week the House voted on Governor Kelly’s budget reamortization of KPERS. The Governor’s budget was built around the reamortization of KPERS. Her proposal would add an additional $7.4 billion to the unfunded liability of KPERS. The House voted down her proposal 36-87.
Last month, the State of New York passed Reproductive Health Act which expands legal abortion from 24 weeks to full-term; removes abortion in its entirety from the state penal code; allows non-physicians to commit abortions such as nurses, physician assistants, or midwives; jeopardizes a health professional’s right to not participate in abortion. Senate Concurrent Resolution 1606 condemns the enactment of New York’s RHA because it violates the health and well being of a woman and her unborn child.
Secretary of State Scott Schwab testified in front of the Senate Ethics, Elections and Local Government Committee in support of a constitutional amendment that would end the revision of population figures to reflect where military members and college students reside for the purpose of redistricting.
Schwab told the committee that it would cost Kansas approximately $834,000 to adjust the 2020 U.S. Census figures to prepare for redrawing political boundaries for House and Senate districts. The district maps are based on population. The adjustment of census figures was originally done to allow rural areas, for redistricting, to retain people who had moved elsewhere to serve in the military or attend college. While the original purpose was to help rural areas, the revisions favored urban centers after the 2010 census. Schwab commented: “Kansas is the only state in the nation that continues to adjust census numbers. I think this provision of the constitution is a waste.”
I would like to invite everyone to mark their calendars for the upcoming Town Hall Meetings. At this time the locations have not been determined, so please watch your local newspaper for more information. I will also include times and locations in my next newsletter.
Friday-March 1, 2019
8:00-9:00 a.m. Ellis County
9:45-10:45 a.m. Rooks County
11:15-12:15 Phillips County
1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Norton County
3:15 – 4:15 p.m. Graham County
Saturday-March 2, 2019
8:00-9:00 a.m. (MT) Wallace County
9:30 -10:30 a.m. (MT) Sherman County
12:30-1:30 p.m. Cheyenne County
2:00-3:00 p.m. Rawlins County
3:30-4:30 p.m. Decatur County
Tuesday-March 5, 2019
8:00-9:00 a.m. Thomas County
9:30-10:30 a.m. Logan County
11:00-12:00 Sheridan County
1:00-2:00 p.m. Gove County
2:30-3:30 p.m. Trego County
I would like to thank all of the visitors who stopped by my office this week or held receptions in Topeka.
I am honored and grateful to represent the 40th Senate District in Kansas. Please do not hesitate to contact or call me with your questions and concerns, my office number is 785 296-7399 or my cell is 785 899-4700. If you are in Topeka stop by my office at 236-E.
QUINTER — The new Center Pivot Restaurant and Brewery in Quinter celebrated the first pull Saturday, Feb. 9, of its Cracked Pepper Cream Ale.
The restaurant opened Dec. 17, but brewer Steve Nicholson needed more time to perfect the brewery’s signature craft beer.
He said the inspiration for the ale came from something he had tasted years ago at a beer festival. Nicholson has been home brewing for 20 years, but this his first foray into commercial brewing.
He described the ale as smooth, low on the bittering hops with a golden color and cracked pepper added for seasoning.
“I went with a very easy-drinking style of beer and a unique flavor profile,” Nicholson said. “I put together the recipe in my home brewing efforts, and I am getting to be more comfortable with it in my commercial brewing efforts.”
Seven other craft beers from across the state will be on tap, plus more in cans and bottles.
The Cracked Pepper Cream Ale will be available only at the brewery at Quinter, and at this point, the Center Pivot is not offering growlers.
Brewer Steve Nicholson stirring a batch of the Center Pivot’s signature Cracked Pepper Cream Ale.
The launch of the ale proved popular, Nicholson said. The brewery sold out of its first 13-gallon batch. However, more will be available this week.
The restaurant serves comfort food — burger and fries, steaks and a buffet Thursday through Sunday. The restaurant also offers a full salad bar and desserts, such as homemade cinnamon rolls.
The Center Pivot fills a void in the community not only for a restaurant, but for a gathering space. Attendance was dwindling at the Quinter Senior Center, so the center moved to a smaller building, which opened up its former location, 300 Main, for the Pivot.
The investors spent six months remodeling the building, which had been a restaurant in the 1970s. They used barn wood and concrete floors to give the space a rustic feel.
Since the Center Pivot opened, it has hosted meetings and parties.
“It has been a blessing to have this facility in Quinter at this time,” Nicholson said.
The restaurant hopes to pull diners and beer enthusiasts from a variety of areas, including locals, interstate travelers and those who might see the Center Pivot as a northwest Kansas destination.
“We appreciate all of the help and support the community has given us to get open and be open to this point,” Nicholson said. “I hope we can continue to serve the greater portion of northwest Kansas and anyone else who comes through our neighborhood.”
The ceremonial ‘first pull’ of Cracked Pepper Cream Ale was auctioned at the Gove County Community Foundation’s 50/50 Match Gala in November. The winning bid at the silent auction was Dixie Nicholson, who is pictured here.
Other partners in Center Pivot include Nicholson’s wife, Ericka; Rhonda and Lance Coburn; and Roger and Carrie Ringer.
The Center Pivot kitchen is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays through Saturdays; and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays for a buffet. The bar opens at 8 p.m. and closing varies depending on business.
ELLIS – Ellis city council members will continue several discussions of unfinished business during their meeting Mon., Feb. 18.
Those items include an update on the Lakeside Campground expansion project, revisions to small cell tower aesthetic standards and modifications to the Cedar Lane lift station.
New business includes approval of the 2019 Public Water Supply Emergency Operating Plan and update on code violation cases from City Attorney Olavee Raub.
The complete meeting agenda follows.
AGENDA
February 18, 2019
REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF ELLIS
City Hall – Council Meeting Room
BILLS ORDINANCE REVIEW WORK SESSION BEGINS AT 7:00 P.M.
ROLL CALL AND MEETING CALL TO ORDER AT 7:30 P.M.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
AMENDMENTS TO AGENDA (if needed)
CONSENT AGENDA
Minutes from Regular Meeting on February 4, 2018
Bills Ordinance #2063
(Council will review for approval under one motion under the consent agenda. By majority vote of the governing body, any item may be removed from the consent agenda and considered separately)
PUBLIC COMMENTS
(Each speaker will be limited to five minutes. If several people from the group wish to speak on same subject, the group must appoint a spokesperson. ALL comments from public on agenda items must be during Public Comment. Once council begins their business meeting, no more comments from public will be allowed.)
PRESENTATIONS OF AWARDS, PROCLAMATIONS, REQUESTS & PETITIONS (HEARINGS)
SPECIAL ORDER
Fire Department Monthly Report – Chief Dustin Vine
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Update on Campground Expansion Project
Discuss Request from Chrysler Boyhood Home & Museum
Review Revisions to Small Cell Aesthetic Standards
Update on Modifications to Cedar Lane Lift Station
NEW BUSINESS
Consider Approval of Public Property Permit Application and Event Request for Traffic Control – Chrysler Car Show
Consider Notice of Complaint or Claim for Damages
Discuss Catastrophic Sick Leave Provision for Employee Entry
Consider Approval of 2019 Public Water Supply Emergency Operating Plan
Consider Approval to Purchase Chemicals for Wastewater Treatment Plant
Consider Ratification of Crafco Invoice for Asphalt Purchase
Consider Purchase of Skid-Steer
Consider Purchase of Jack Hammer Attachment for Skid-Steer
The staccato chopping sounds of helicopter blades echoed across the gorges, drawing everyone’s eyes skyward as the little chopper appeared as a dot on the horizon.
Anticipation ran high among the K State “deer crew” as the early morning light revealed the day’s first two Scott Co. Kansas deer suspended safely below the craft. Even though it was blasted cold and we were all bundled up like snowmen, the moment the deer were laid gently on the ground, the crew rushed forward with all the enthusiasm of the doctors and nurses on MASH as they ran up the hill to retrieve their patients from the choppers.
The three year western KS deer research project I wrote about last winter has just entered its second year and the task at hand last weekend was capturing and tagging additional deer for the study. As their headquarters for the day, Kansas State Professor of Wildlife and Outdoor Enterprise Management Drew Rickets and his student crew had chosen this high open knoll in a rolling desolate pasture northeast of Scott City surrounded by deep, winding, brushy draws.
A sizeable tent was erected to hold examination tables and equipment. This year the goal was to capture, tag and collar an additional 30 does near Scott City and an additional 30 farther north near Lenora, KS. Only enough bucks will be collared at each site to replace bucks lost last year through harvesting, motor vehicle accidents or natural causes. The deer selected for capture will be divided evenly between whitetails and mule deer.
Three guys make up the helicopter crew, the pilot, a “gunner” and a “mugger.” The pilot cruises the draws and hillsides and when a deer is sighted, he puts the chopper over the deer so the gunner can shoot a large net that encompasses the animal and puts it safely on the ground. The helicopter lands and drops off the mugger to prepare the deer for transport while the pilot and gunner take to the air again in search of another. The deer is given a mild sedative and all four legs are tied together with a leather belt, then it gets a blindfold and is rolled out of the net into a heavy canvass transport bag. After the gunner nets a second deer, he is dropped off to prepare that one while the chopper picks up the mugger and the first deer. Finally, the gunner and second deer are picked up and both deer are flown back to the tent. Captured bucks are given a GPS tracking collar by the helicopter crew and released where they are captured.
Does taken to the tent site are rolled onto wooden stretchers, weighed and laid on a table in the tent. Again, with all the eagerness of Trapper, BJ and Hotlips on MASH, the crew sets to work. While a couple students gently hold the deer on its side, a veterinarian gives her a sonogram to determine if she’s pregnant, she’s given an ear tag and a GPS collar, various measurements of her body are recorded, and if she’s pregnant a vaginal transmitter is implanted that will begin transmitting when she enters labor so the fawn can be found, collared and tracked also. Finally, a paint mark is put on her back so she’s not recaptured by the chopper crew, and she’s released outside.
The study began as a means to help KS Dept of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism biologists understand why mule deer are steadily regressing westward and being replaced by whitetails. Joyce and I spent a couple days at Scott City last May helping the group track and find fawns, and I was honored to be allowed to participate in this part of the project as well, as the exuberance and attention to detail by these college students running the study is infectious to say the least. The only thing lacking from my experience was a chance to ride in the chopper as the pilot threaded his way through the brushy canyons like Luke Skywalker in Star Wars!…Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors.
Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at [email protected].
Information Technology Director Chad Ruder presented an overview of the update to the Hays City Commission at its meeting Thursday night.
Ruder was quick to credit Jessi Jacobs, the city’s website designer in the IT Department.
Home page of the city of Hays’ first website in 2001
Ruder first showed pictures of the website’s evolution. He was assigned to create the first website for Hays when he was hired late in 2000.
“This thing was top-shelf,” Ruder said tongue-in-cheek. “It had flashing lights for the police department. It had trees that waved for the parks department. It had scrolling marquees along the bottom.”
Commissioners could be heard laughing good-naturedly at Ruder’s description.
Jessi Jacobs, city of Hays webmaster
“Everything was great until wiser heads prevailed and they decided I needed to work on computers and they hired someone who had some design ability. That’s when Jessi Jacobs was hired,” Ruder said.
The website has gone through several iterations over the past 18 years, with newest design going live Monday.
Going from the original $300 piece of software to a modern system, Ruder said it’s no longer just the IT Department running the website.
“The departments themselves are going to take over maintenance of the website,” he said.
A committee of department representatives came up with two goals for the new design. The site should be informational and current, with an intuitive layout for contributors to easily navigate.
The IT Department also wanted to be able to track analytics, the site should to be ADA-compliant, and it should be easy to view on different sized screens.
Most important, Ruder said, is content management.
“IT will administer the back end and make sure everything works well, but the departments will take care of posting their information,” he said.
He gave an example of City Finance Director Kim Rupp being able to post audio of the city commission meeting “in his time frame, not ours. We’ve always done our best but when you have all the post requests coming to IT, it doesn’t always match their time frame.”
Departments also wanted the ability for a more specific “granular” information search on the website and to post forms.
The new website has more information about the city, which may mean the public can get their questions answered online and not have to make a phone call to a city office.
“We love to speak to the citizens but if there’s something that they can do — finding information quickly in the evening on their mobile device — that’s where we were looking,” Ruder said. “Citizens want current information, they want forms and calendars, they want city news and they want to pay their bills online.”
The new home page features mega-menus at the top. They’re based on government website design trends and research by the Hays IT Department of what people want.
“The ‘How Do I?’ is, in my opinion, the most important,” Ruder said. “It drops down and gives you options.”
Scrolling down the home page brings up City News, with two sections, News Flash and a carousel of important information. Currently, those topics are water conservation and the North Vine Street Improvement Project.
The new website has more than 200 pages.
Ruder pointed to the “Agenda Center,” as something “we’re very proud of.”
“Not only are agendas posted but later on you’ll be able to click on audio from the city commission meeting and access the minutes,” he said.
He showed a form created by the parks department for submitting a tree rebate request to the city.
“It’s so nice. It doesn’t matter what time of day,” Ruder noted. “Residents can do things at their own pace. The information is accurate because they type it in themselves, and the parks department receives it.”
One module of the website will replace the current Nixle notification system used by the city.
“Rather than a blanket opt-in, ‘Notify Me’ gives citizens the ability to sign up via text and email for unique things that catch their interest, such as public safety, road closures, and bid notifications,” Ruder said. There’s also an Emergency Alert as well as calendar events, any news flash, and any agendas for city boards.
“We feel we’re going to get more subscribers because people will get what they want to hear about,” he said.
Ruder told the commission the city will keep using Nixle for a short time as it transitions to the new “Notify Me” and advises residents of the change.
The Hays website address remains the same – www.haysusa.com.
Whoever coined the phrase “Disneyland on the Potomac” years ago about our government and the politics to go with that must be shocked how this whole thing has escalated like never before in our history.
In the event readers don’t understand my point, our nation’s capital Washington D.C. is located on the Potomac River, and what goes on there can be described as a fantasy world in far too many ways. Much of our government and politics seems to be unreal, more like a Disneyland or playground. It’s beyond belief what takes place.
For starters, the left, with new people in Congress as per our last election, have a Green New Deal that many of them (along with old timers) are proposing. No more fossil fuels they say. That means no airplanes or gas driven vehicles. Current heating and air conditioned buildings all to be replaced by the energy coming from wind farms and solar panels. Also, no more cows since their farts (yup, I said farts) causes carbon emissions into the atmosphere and affects climate change. The whole thing is bizarre.
Parts of our government are off the rails. It isn’t even remotely possible to make this writing sound somewhat academic considering laughable stuff coming from the left. They actually came out publicly proposing the elimination of cows for farting.
No matter that coal, natural gas and oil has given us the greatest economy in the world. No matter that the New Deal would cost trillions upon trillions of dollars that we don’t have. The Green New Deal proponents must literally believe money grows on trees. Green trees, pun intended.
It’s all about fantasy, lack of realism, lack of objectivity, lack of facts. The words “funny farm” comes to mind if you get my point. Funny farms are for the insane and much of what goes on is insanity. You would think Hollywood (the mecca of fiction) would be up in arms for taking a back seat to government and the multitude ways its become a make believe world.
Let’s take one of the biggest issues of the day involving our government, that being immigration. Approximately half of our government (and half of our voters) try to convince the other half that a wall or steel barrier at our borders won’t keep out known criminals, drug pushers, those engaged in human trafficking, etc.
Do we, as a country, want open borders? As things stand now, illegals are costing taxpayers billions in the way of welfare and law enforcement. Cheap labor takes jobs away from citizens. For every illegal that may be of benefit to this country, there are a half dozen or more who do not. But “so what” say the out in left field liberals of the Democrat Party who insanely claim walls don’t work.
And there’s the Trump Russia collusion storybook narrative. To paraphrase what America’s top talk radio host says – it’s the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people in our history. For over two years there have been investigations and speculation with no evidence. Nor one iota of evidence Russia hacked into our 2016 election.
Just think! Day after day, night after night, fake news mainstream media has fooled its viewers that Trump will be destroyed for colluding. There is no evidence period, yet media has it’s viewers waking up every day thinking “this is the day” Trump goes down. CNN, MSNBC, the three networks, the Times and Post are master’s of deception. That’s a euphemism for lies and distortion. Who in the heck needs to pay ten bucks to see a movie filled with suspense and drama when one can simply turn on the TV.
No Hollywood director or producer could find a person capable of writing a better or more fictitious script. How about the fake dossier used to get FISA warrants to spy on Trump and associates claiming that Trump, while in Russia, hired hookers to urinate on a bed that Obama and Michelle slept in? And, come to find out Obama, Hillary, FBI, DOJ, and even Russia are behind this make believe story. Only in the world we live in do the hate Trumpers skate free from Russia collusion while they pin collusion on our president.
One has to laugh at how bizarre the collusion fairy tale saga has become, but no laughs when one looks at the time and money spent on fake news for over two long years to bring down a duly elected president. A con game because they wanted Hillary. By the way, there’s indisputable proof forthcoming that the collusion came from those I just mentioned, and not Trump.
Disneyland and the movies are for fun, and I injected a bit of humor in this writing, but it really comes down to a sad state of affairs in this country where reality is a figment of one’s imagination coming from our politicians, media, and half of the voters in this country.
BARTON COUNTY — One person was injured in an accident just before 9:30p.m. Sunday in Barton County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2002 Chevy Truck driven by Ryan A. Bieberle, 26, Hoisington, was westbound on Kansas 4 just west of Hoisington. The truck left the roadway to the north and crossed the center line. It left the roadway to the south side, rolled and the driver was ejected.
Bieberle was transported to a hospital in Wichita. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.
