<a href="https://cowboystatedaily.com/2024/11/21/man-who-scammed-ranchers-desperate-for-hay-during-drought-to-pay-back-100k/">Republished with permission from Cowboy State Daily.</a>

A Logan, Kansas, man who scammed ranchers in Wyoming and Montana desperate for hay during a drought was sentenced to probation Wednesday. He also must pay back more than $100,000 to his victims.

By&nbsp;<a href="https://cowboystatedaily.com/author/david-madison-for-cowboy-state-daily/">David Madison</a> <a href="https://cowboystatedaily.com/">Cowboy State Daily</a>

When severe drought in 2021 made ranchers in Crook County, Wyoming, desperate to secure hay for their cattle before winter, a Kansas man spotted an opportunity and designed a scheme that preyed on stockgrowers worried they wouldn’t have enough cattle feed.&nbsp;

The scam involved hay bought in Nebraska, shipped by a company from Kansas and caused ranchers in Wyoming and Montana to lose more than $100,000.

The man behind it all was Jory Parks, who was sentenced to five years ofprobation Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Billings, Montana. Judge Susan Watters spared Parks a prison sentence of up to 20 years so he could pay restitution to his victims.&nbsp;

Instead, Parks was given 20 years to make his victims whole through $500 monthly payments against his $103,721 debt.&nbsp;

“He took advantage of their need for hay, told lies and stole their money over and over again,” wrote Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin D. Hargrove in a pre-sentencing memo. In a presentence investigation report, the prosecution cited a guideline sentence of eight to 14 months of imprisonment.&nbsp;

“The victims’ desperation in this case was central to the success of Parks’ fraud scheme,” Hargrove wrote. “Experiencing a significant drought in the summer of 2021, ranchers in Montana and across the region suffered significant hardships.

“He knew livestock was going to die and peoples’ livelihoods hung in the balance. It was against this backdrop that Parks contracted with ranchers ... to sell them hay, demanded down payments to secure their shipments, and then never delivered or only delivered a fraction of what they purchased.”

That’s what happened to Katalina Pfeil, who raises cattle on her family ranch in Sundance, Wyoming.

By the end of the summer in 2021, Pfeil knew the dryland ranch would not put up enough hay to get their cattle through the winter. So,she started searching on Facebook for anyone selling hay at an affordable price.&nbsp;

“By this point, any hay that was in the region was incredibly expensive. I mean, we're talking towards $300 a ton just to feed your animals when the year before it had been $90 a ton,” Pfeil told Cowboy State Daily on Thursday after Parks was sentenced. “We were desperate, just like everybody else in our region, and I had discovered that down in Nebraska was a bunch of very reasonable hay, and it was worth the effort to get it trucked in.”

Parks responded to Pfeil’s posts on Facebook in October 2021, just a couple months after Parks set up Heart Cross Ranch Trucking, according to documents filed with the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office. Three businesses with the Heart Cross Ranch name are now listed as “forfeited.”

But in October 2021, Heart Cross Ranch Trucking was just getting revved up.

“He offered me the lowest rate by far, and he had claimed he had several employees and trucks and that they were going to get it to me right away, that I should expect it within the week,” remembered Pfeil, who said Parks only delivered half what she ordered. “Three loads delivered, three loads disappeared.”

Any early misgivings were smoothed over by Parks who talked a good game.

“I met him, and every victim that you will ever talk to will tell you about his silver tongue,” said Pfeil, accusing Parks of trying to manipulate his way out of their deal. “He knew I was pregnant, and he used it against me. He was claiming that his daughter was sick and in the hospital.”

Pfeil and others victimized by Parks started to communicate online, and Parks responded by filing for a restraining order against Pfeil in Crook County Court.&nbsp;

“One day, I pull up to the ranch entrance and there’s two sheriffs sitting at the entrance and I knew they were looking for me,” remembered Pfeil. “He’s trying to get a restraining order against me? Let me remind you, I'm the young pregnant woman that he stole from, and he was trying to claim that he was the victim.”

A judge denied the restraining order, said Pfeil, who teamed up with another Sundance rancher who also was scammed.

Bryce Conzelman lost $16,000 on a deal with Parks, he said, adding that when you’re a rancher and vulnerable to drought and other market pressures, scams are a real threat.&nbsp;

“Boy, that stuff can happen in a hurry,” said Conzelman, adding that to feed his cows in 2021, “We just had to buck down and buy more hay.”

When Pfeil and Conzelman complained to the Crook County prosecutor, “We were shrugged off and told it was a civil matter,” said Pfeil. “But we had started a Facebook group and began finding all of the victims of the same man, three of which, they were all in Montana. So ultimately that's why the Montana FBI picked up this case.”

Parks also continued to make the most of Facebook, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Montana.&nbsp;

“A ranching business owned by a couple in Ingomar responded to one of Parks’ Facebook ads in which he claimed to be selling hay cheaper than they had been able to find,” the release says. “The couple signed a contract with Parks to buy 190 tons of hay from Parks for $43,300 and mailed half of the amount, $21,650, as a down payment to Heart Cross Ranch.

“Parks deposited the check into his business account in a bank in Colorado. Three weeks later, Parks delivered the couple’s first shipment of 23 tons of the 190 tons they had purchased, but never delivered the additional hay or repaid the remainder of the down payment.”

Investigators also discovered Parks told one victim that he had sold all his hay the previous year to a respected horse racing facility in Nebraska. After interviewing the CEO of the facility and analyzing Parks’ financials, the FBI determined that claim was false.

Cowboy State Daily reached out to Parks, who did not return a voicemail.

Shandor Badaruddin, a Missoula attorney who represented Parks, said that he believes justice was served in this case and a prison sentence spelled out in federal guidelines wasn’t necessary.&nbsp;

“They're guidelines, and they establish benchmarks. I think it was eight to 14 months, but that's not necessarily eight to 14 months in prison. That can be eight to 14 months in prison,” he said. “It could be eight to 14 months on probation. It could be 8 to 14 months on home detention.”

Badaruddin said that in his experience, federal judges strive for “the appropriate sentence, meaning sufficient but not greater than necessary.”

Badaruddin said Parks is “pursuing employment” in Logan, Kansas, trying to find “whatever job pays the most so he can repay the restitution order by the judge. He wants to get that paid as soon as possible and guess what? They want it paid as soon as possible too.

“He wants to live in Logan, Kansas. Well, there ain't a whole lot going on there outside the agricultural industry, so I don't know. I don't know what he's going to do.”

Back in Sundance, Pfeil continues to raise cattle on the 2,000-acre ranch her family first homesteaded in 1880.

Her son, Banks Crane, is the seventh generation to come along, but Pfeil acknowledges ranching as a financially viable way of life is far from guaranteed.&nbsp;

Parks owes her $38,966.70, she said, and as the payments come in, “I've still got a small share of cows on the family ranch. And I'm just going to keep fighting this fight and letting everyone know what this man did to me and hopefully helping others prevent the same thing from happening to them.”

When Pfeil saw Parks in court Wednesday, “He was very downcast. I mean, the best way I could describe it is he looked like a kicked dog.”

With a sigh, Pfeil said this whole mess with Parks could have been avoided, if she’d followed her newly adopted motto: “Cash on delivery.”

<a href="https://cowboystatedaily.com/2024/11/21/man-who-scammed-ranchers-desperate-for-hay-during-drought-to-pay-back-100k/">Republished with permission from Cowboy State Daily.</a>A Logan, Kansas, man who scammed ranchers in Wyoming and Montana desperate for hay during a drought was sentenced to probation Wednesday. He also must pay back more than $100,000 to his victims.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732315266837.png" alt="Heart Cross Ranch Trucking delivering hay to Katalina Pfeil at her family ranch in Sundance, Wyoming. The owner of the company, Jory Parks, inset, was sentenced Nov. 20, 2024, for scamming Pfeil and other ranchers desperate for hay during a drought. (Courtesy Katalina Pfeil)" />
 <figcaption>Heart Cross Ranch Trucking delivering hay to Katalina Pfeil at her family ranch in Sundance, Wyoming. The owner of the company, Jory Parks, inset, was sentenced Nov. 20, 2024, for scamming Pfeil and other ranchers desperate for hay during a drought. (Courtesy Katalina Pfeil)</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;<a href="https://cowboystatedaily.com/author/david-madison-for-cowboy-state-daily/">David Madison</a> <a href="https://cowboystatedaily.com/">Cowboy State Daily</a>When severe drought in 2021 made ranchers in Crook County, Wyoming, desperate to secure hay for their cattle before winter, a Kansas man spotted an opportunity and designed a scheme that preyed on stockgrowers worried they wouldn’t have enough cattle feed.&nbsp;The scam involved hay bought in Nebraska, shipped by a company from Kansas and caused ranchers in Wyoming and Montana to lose more than $100,000.The man behind it all was Jory Parks, who was sentenced to five years ofprobation Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Billings, Montana. Judge Susan Watters spared Parks a prison sentence of up to 20 years so he could pay restitution to his victims.&nbsp;Instead, Parks was given 20 years to make his victims whole through $500 monthly payments against his $103,721 debt.&nbsp;“He took advantage of their need for hay, told lies and stole their money over and over again,” wrote Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin D. Hargrove in a pre-sentencing memo. In a presentence investigation report, the prosecution cited a guideline sentence of eight to 14 months of imprisonment.&nbsp;“The victims’ desperation in this case was central to the success of Parks’ fraud scheme,” Hargrove wrote. “Experiencing a significant drought in the summer of 2021, ranchers in Montana and across the region suffered significant hardships.“He knew livestock was going to die and peoples’ livelihoods hung in the balance. It was against this backdrop that Parks contracted with ranchers ... to sell them hay, demanded down payments to secure their shipments, and then never delivered or only delivered a fraction of what they purchased.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732315480376.png" alt="Katalina Pfeil and her son, Banks Crane. (Courtesy Katalina Pfeil)" />
 <figcaption>Katalina Pfeil and her son, Banks Crane. (Courtesy Katalina Pfeil)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Family Ranch</h2>That’s what happened to Katalina Pfeil, who raises cattle on her family ranch in Sundance, Wyoming.By the end of the summer in 2021, Pfeil knew the dryland ranch would not put up enough hay to get their cattle through the winter. So,she started searching on Facebook for anyone selling hay at an affordable price.&nbsp;“By this point, any hay that was in the region was incredibly expensive. I mean, we're talking towards $300 a ton just to feed your animals when the year before it had been $90 a ton,” Pfeil told Cowboy State Daily on Thursday after Parks was sentenced. “We were desperate, just like everybody else in our region, and I had discovered that down in Nebraska was a bunch of very reasonable hay, and it was worth the effort to get it trucked in.”Parks responded to Pfeil’s posts on Facebook in October 2021, just a couple months after Parks set up Heart Cross Ranch Trucking, according to documents filed with the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office. Three businesses with the Heart Cross Ranch name are now listed as “forfeited.”But in October 2021, Heart Cross Ranch Trucking was just getting revved up.<h2>Too Good To Be True</h2>“He offered me the lowest rate by far, and he had claimed he had several employees and trucks and that they were going to get it to me right away, that I should expect it within the week,” remembered Pfeil, who said Parks only delivered half what she ordered. “Three loads delivered, three loads disappeared.”Any early misgivings were smoothed over by Parks who talked a good game.“I met him, and every victim that you will ever talk to will tell you about his silver tongue,” said Pfeil, accusing Parks of trying to manipulate his way out of their deal. “He knew I was pregnant, and he used it against me. He was claiming that his daughter was sick and in the hospital.”Pfeil and others victimized by Parks started to communicate online, and Parks responded by filing for a restraining order against Pfeil in Crook County Court.&nbsp;“One day, I pull up to the ranch entrance and there’s two sheriffs sitting at the entrance and I knew they were looking for me,” remembered Pfeil. “He’s trying to get a restraining order against me? Let me remind you, I'm the young pregnant woman that he stole from, and he was trying to claim that he was the victim.”A judge denied the restraining order, said Pfeil, who teamed up with another Sundance rancher who also was scammed.Bryce Conzelman lost $16,000 on a deal with Parks, he said, adding that when you’re a rancher and vulnerable to drought and other market pressures, scams are a real threat.&nbsp;“Boy, that stuff can happen in a hurry,” said Conzelman, adding that to feed his cows in 2021, “We just had to buck down and buy more hay.”When Pfeil and Conzelman complained to the Crook County prosecutor, “We were shrugged off and told it was a civil matter,” said Pfeil. “But we had started a Facebook group and began finding all of the victims of the same man, three of which, they were all in Montana. So ultimately that's why the Montana FBI picked up this case.”<h2>Scamming Continued</h2>Parks also continued to make the most of Facebook, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Montana.&nbsp;“A ranching business owned by a couple in Ingomar responded to one of Parks’ Facebook ads in which he claimed to be selling hay cheaper than they had been able to find,” the release says. “The couple signed a contract with Parks to buy 190 tons of hay from Parks for $43,300 and mailed half of the amount, $21,650, as a down payment to Heart Cross Ranch.“Parks deposited the check into his business account in a bank in Colorado. Three weeks later, Parks delivered the couple’s first shipment of 23 tons of the 190 tons they had purchased, but never delivered the additional hay or repaid the remainder of the down payment.”Investigators also discovered Parks told one victim that he had sold all his hay the previous year to a respected horse racing facility in Nebraska. After interviewing the CEO of the facility and analyzing Parks’ financials, the FBI determined that claim was false.<h2>The Sentencing</h2>Cowboy State Daily reached out to Parks, who did not return a voicemail.Shandor Badaruddin, a Missoula attorney who represented Parks, said that he believes justice was served in this case and a prison sentence spelled out in federal guidelines wasn’t necessary.&nbsp;“They're guidelines, and they establish benchmarks. I think it was eight to 14 months, but that's not necessarily eight to 14 months in prison. That can be eight to 14 months in prison,” he said. “It could be eight to 14 months on probation. It could be 8 to 14 months on home detention.”Badaruddin said that in his experience, federal judges strive for “the appropriate sentence, meaning sufficient but not greater than necessary.”Badaruddin said Parks is “pursuing employment” in Logan, Kansas, trying to find “whatever job pays the most so he can repay the restitution order by the judge. He wants to get that paid as soon as possible and guess what? They want it paid as soon as possible too.“He wants to live in Logan, Kansas. Well, there ain't a whole lot going on there outside the agricultural industry, so I don't know. I don't know what he's going to do.”<h2>Words to Live By</h2>Back in Sundance, Pfeil continues to raise cattle on the 2,000-acre ranch her family first homesteaded in 1880.Her son, Banks Crane, is the seventh generation to come along, but Pfeil acknowledges ranching as a financially viable way of life is far from guaranteed.&nbsp;Parks owes her $38,966.70, she said, and as the payments come in, “I've still got a small share of cows on the family ranch. And I'm just going to keep fighting this fight and letting everyone know what this man did to me and hopefully helping others prevent the same thing from happening to them.”When Pfeil saw Parks in court Wednesday, “He was very downcast. I mean, the best way I could describe it is he looked like a kicked dog.”With a sigh, Pfeil said this whole mess with Parks could have been avoided, if she’d followed her newly adopted motto: “Cash on delivery.”

Logan man who scammed ranchers needing hay during drought to pay $100K

TOPEKA — Emergency loans are available to help Kansans who had losses from storms last spring.

Last week, the Federal Emergency Management Agency designated 13 counties as natural disaster areas due to severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding on May 19.

The counties are Barton, Ellsworth, Harvey, Hodgeman, Lincoln, Morris, Ottawa, Pawnee, Reno, Russell, Stafford, Wabaunsee, and Wyandotte.

In additionn, neighboring counties Butler, Chase, Clay, Cloud, Dickinson, Edwards, Ellis, Finney, Ford, Geary, Johnson, Kingman, Leavenworth, Lyon, McPherson, Marion, Mitchell, Ness, Osage, Osborne, Pottawatomie, Pratt, Riley, Saline, Sedgwick, and Shawnee.

Contiguous counties of Platte, Clay and Jackson in Missouri are also eligible.&nbsp; &nbsp;

The loans can be used to meet various recovery needs, like replacing essential items, including equipment or livestock, reorganizing a farming operation, or refinancing certain debts. FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available, and repayment ability.

This Presidential disaster declaration allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/farm-loan-programs/emergency-farm-loans/index">emergency loans</a>. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation, or to refinance certain debts. FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available, and repayment ability.&nbsp;

On farmers.gov, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.farmers.gov/node/28989">Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.farmers.gov/sites/default/files/2021-09/fsa-disasterassistance-at-a-glance-sept.-2021.pdf">Disaster Assistance-at-a-Glance fact sheet</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://lat.fpac.usda.gov/">Loan Assistance Tool</a>&nbsp;can help you determine program or loan options. To file a Notice of Loss or to ask questions about available programs, contact your local&nbsp;<a href="https://www.farmers.gov/service-center-locator">&nbsp;USDA Service Center</a>.FEMA offers different assistance programs for individual citizens, public groups including government agencies and private nonprofit organizations.&nbsp; To find the FEMA help you need following a disaster event, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fema.gov/assistance">fema.gov/assistance</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732376315753.png" alt="Photo National Weather Service" />
 <figcaption>Photo National Weather Service</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA — Emergency loans are available to help Kansans who had losses from storms last spring.Last week, the Federal Emergency Management Agency designated 13 counties as natural disaster areas due to severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding on May 19.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732376290270.png" alt="Photo city of Russell" />
 <figcaption>Photo city of Russell</figcaption>
 </figure>The counties are Barton, Ellsworth, Harvey, Hodgeman, Lincoln, Morris, Ottawa, Pawnee, Reno, Russell, Stafford, Wabaunsee, and Wyandotte.In additionn, neighboring counties Butler, Chase, Clay, Cloud, Dickinson, Edwards, Ellis, Finney, Ford, Geary, Johnson, Kingman, Leavenworth, Lyon, McPherson, Marion, Mitchell, Ness, Osage, Osborne, Pottawatomie, Pratt, Riley, Saline, Sedgwick, and Shawnee.Contiguous counties of Platte, Clay and Jackson in Missouri are also eligible.&nbsp; &nbsp;The loans can be used to meet various recovery needs, like replacing essential items, including equipment or livestock, reorganizing a farming operation, or refinancing certain debts. FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available, and repayment ability.This Presidential disaster declaration allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/farm-loan-programs/emergency-farm-loans/index">emergency loans</a>. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation, or to refinance certain debts. FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available, and repayment ability.&nbsp;The deadline to apply is April 21, 2025.On farmers.gov, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.farmers.gov/node/28989">Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.farmers.gov/sites/default/files/2021-09/fsa-disasterassistance-at-a-glance-sept.-2021.pdf">Disaster Assistance-at-a-Glance fact sheet</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://lat.fpac.usda.gov/">Loan Assistance Tool</a>&nbsp;can help you determine program or loan options. To file a Notice of Loss or to ask questions about available programs, contact your local&nbsp;<a href="https://www.farmers.gov/service-center-locator">&nbsp;USDA Service Center</a>.FEMA offers different assistance programs for individual citizens, public groups including government agencies and private nonprofit organizations.&nbsp; To find the FEMA help you need following a disaster event, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fema.gov/assistance">fema.gov/assistance</a>.

FEMA designates 13 counties in Kansas as disaster areas

<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/11/21/rural-kansas-needs-thousands-of-homes-per-year-to-address-shortage-lawmakers-hear/?emci=4131d139-84a8-ef11-88d0-6045bdd62db6&amp;emdi=6ca5279b-b8a8-ef11-88d0-6045bdd62db6&amp;ceid=115039">By ANNA KAMINSKI</a> Kansas Reflector

TOPEKA — Rural Kansas needs around 4,000 new homes per year to meet a growing population’s housing needs and address the state’s housing crisis.&nbsp;

From legislation enabling zoning reform at the local level to boosted tax credits for developers, Kansas legislators heard about a myriad of options this week to increase the state’s housing supply.&nbsp;

A major focus for state lawmakers is finding ways to increase the availability of affordable housing because a majority of low-income Kansans and about 27% of all Kansas residents are spending more than 30% of their income on housing costs such as rent payments, mortgages and utilities.

Erin Beckerman with Kansas Housing Resources Corporation, which administers housing-related programs for the state, told legislators Tuesday that an estimated 3,800-4,800 homes need to be built each year in rural Kansas to meet demand. That’s based on a 2021 statewide housing needs analysis, but it doesn’t include metro areas.

Topeka conducted its own analysis, which found it needed about 720 new homes annually, which includes affordable and workforce housing along with market-rate and special housing types. About 8,200 new housing units were&nbsp;<a href="https://ksdata.ku.edu/sdc/region.php?area=Kansas&amp;tab=2#HOUSE" target="_blank">created</a>&nbsp;in Kansas in 2023, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.&nbsp;

Federal funding sources, which are administered through the corporation, only stretch so far in Kansas. At the same time, relatively new state programs are filling gaps. They include housing investor tax credits, affordable housing tax credits and Reinvestment Housing Incentive Districts, which helps fund public infrastructure improvements through developers.

Rep. Sean Tarwater, a Stilwell Republican and chair of the 2024 special committee on available and affordable housing, said legislators have taken significant steps to address housing affordability and availability.&nbsp;

“We’ve got to be cognizant of the programs that we currently have before we start piling on new programs, and we got to make sure the ones we have work also,” he said Tuesday.

Analysts nationwide point to a lack of affordable and available homes as cause for the housing crisis across the country, and, according to Stan Longhofer, professor and founding director of Wichita State University’s Center for Real Estate, that lack is largely the result of a steady and prolonged decline in home construction after the 2008 financial crisis. Developers, too, have been plagued by rising construction costs, permitting delays and shifting markets.

Longhofer predicted a worsening of the housing crisis because of what wasn’t built in the 2010s, he told legislators Tuesday. Less housing is available to Kansans now than before the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

Jamie Sauder, the 2025 president of the Kansas Association of Realtors and an Emporia city commissioner, on Tuesday proposed that legislators reexamine a state statute that he said prevented an earlier effort from Emporia and Lyon County to change their zoning laws.

To Sauder, modifying&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksrevisor.org/statutes/chapters/ch12/012_007_0053.html#:~:text=12%2D753.,manner%20provided%20by%20this%20act." target="_blank">a piece of a state law</a>&nbsp;that ties property use to zoning could have great effect.

Emporia needs about 250 new homes to be built annually to address the area’s housing needs, but the reality has turned out to be about 13 new units annually.&nbsp;

“What we’ve seen in rural areas is an erosion of profitability, and when you don’t have profitability, you’re not going to have development,” he said.

Emporia’s initial goal was to shift from a Euclidean zoning model, a customary type of zoning in the United States and one that typically ties one land use, such as single family residential development, to a single zone. It wanted to adopt form-based zoning codes, which regulate land development based on appearance instead of property use. Such a move could free up local governments to streamline and simplify land use, Sauder said.&nbsp; In turn, building housing, particularly in rural areas, can be approached differently.&nbsp;

Legislators ultimately agreed to take a look at state laws on the books that may restrict local governments’ ability to change their own zoning laws.

“What I would suggest is if there are things that we have in statute at the state level that make it difficult for local municipalities to have the flexibility regarding their zoning laws that we take a look at those,” said Sen. Renee Erickson, a Wichita Republican, on Wednesday.

Sen. Tim Shallenburger, a Republican from Baxter Springs near the borders of Oklahoma and Missouri, voiced concerns over builders who aren’t attracted to build in small towns like his own. Small-town workers are forced to live outside of their communities because developers favor building in more profitable and populated areas, he said.&nbsp;

On Wednesday, Shallenburger proposed to recommend to the 2025 legislature an idea from the city of Pittsburgh to allow homebuilders in cities smaller than 60,000 people to recoup certain costs from a single project through the increase in value that development spurs. It was met with unanimous agreement.

Legislators also recommended reviewing state law to examine barriers to local solutions to affordable housing, examining permit processes and exploring an appraisal process for community land trusts, which are nonprofits that can hold land and facilitate affordable housing development. Some attempted to recommend eviction law reforms and a review of the state’s Landlord Tenant Act, but they were met with pushback, particularly from Tarwater, who said he is a landlord. He warned that any addition of mandatory inspections wouldn’t be likely to reduce rental costs.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732288789413.jpeg" alt="Rep. Sean Tarwater, R-Stilwell, is the chairman of the 2024 special committee on available and affordable housing, which met Nov. 20, 2024.&nbsp; Photo by Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Sean Tarwater, R-Stilwell, is the chairman of the 2024 special committee on available and affordable housing, which met Nov. 20, 2024.&nbsp; Photo by Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/11/21/rural-kansas-needs-thousands-of-homes-per-year-to-address-shortage-lawmakers-hear/?emci=4131d139-84a8-ef11-88d0-6045bdd62db6&amp;emdi=6ca5279b-b8a8-ef11-88d0-6045bdd62db6&amp;ceid=115039">By ANNA KAMINSKI</a> Kansas ReflectorTOPEKA — Rural Kansas needs around 4,000 new homes per year to meet a growing population’s housing needs and address the state’s housing crisis.&nbsp;From legislation enabling zoning reform at the local level to boosted tax credits for developers, Kansas legislators heard about a myriad of options this week to increase the state’s housing supply.&nbsp;A major focus for state lawmakers is finding ways to increase the availability of affordable housing because a majority of low-income Kansans and about 27% of all Kansas residents are spending more than 30% of their income on housing costs such as rent payments, mortgages and utilities.Erin Beckerman with Kansas Housing Resources Corporation, which administers housing-related programs for the state, told legislators Tuesday that an estimated 3,800-4,800 homes need to be built each year in rural Kansas to meet demand. That’s based on a 2021 statewide housing needs analysis, but it doesn’t include metro areas.Topeka conducted its own analysis, which found it needed about 720 new homes annually, which includes affordable and workforce housing along with market-rate and special housing types. About 8,200 new housing units were&nbsp;<a href="https://ksdata.ku.edu/sdc/region.php?area=Kansas&amp;tab=2#HOUSE" target="_blank">created</a>&nbsp;in Kansas in 2023, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.&nbsp;Federal funding sources, which are administered through the corporation, only stretch so far in Kansas. At the same time, relatively new state programs are filling gaps. They include housing investor tax credits, affordable housing tax credits and Reinvestment Housing Incentive Districts, which helps fund public infrastructure improvements through developers.Rep. Sean Tarwater, a Stilwell Republican and chair of the 2024 special committee on available and affordable housing, said legislators have taken significant steps to address housing affordability and availability.&nbsp;“We’ve got to be cognizant of the programs that we currently have before we start piling on new programs, and we got to make sure the ones we have work also,” he said Tuesday.Analysts nationwide point to a lack of affordable and available homes as cause for the housing crisis across the country, and, according to Stan Longhofer, professor and founding director of Wichita State University’s Center for Real Estate, that lack is largely the result of a steady and prolonged decline in home construction after the 2008 financial crisis. Developers, too, have been plagued by rising construction costs, permitting delays and shifting markets.Longhofer predicted a worsening of the housing crisis because of what wasn’t built in the 2010s, he told legislators Tuesday. Less housing is available to Kansans now than before the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.<h2>Rethinking paths to housing development</h2>Jamie Sauder, the 2025 president of the Kansas Association of Realtors and an Emporia city commissioner, on Tuesday proposed that legislators reexamine a state statute that he said prevented an earlier effort from Emporia and Lyon County to change their zoning laws.To Sauder, modifying&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksrevisor.org/statutes/chapters/ch12/012_007_0053.html#:~:text=12%2D753.,manner%20provided%20by%20this%20act." target="_blank">a piece of a state law</a>&nbsp;that ties property use to zoning could have great effect.Emporia needs about 250 new homes to be built annually to address the area’s housing needs, but the reality has turned out to be about 13 new units annually.&nbsp;“What we’ve seen in rural areas is an erosion of profitability, and when you don’t have profitability, you’re not going to have development,” he said.Emporia’s initial goal was to shift from a Euclidean zoning model, a customary type of zoning in the United States and one that typically ties one land use, such as single family residential development, to a single zone. It wanted to adopt form-based zoning codes, which regulate land development based on appearance instead of property use. Such a move could free up local governments to streamline and simplify land use, Sauder said.&nbsp; In turn, building housing, particularly in rural areas, can be approached differently.&nbsp;Legislators ultimately agreed to take a look at state laws on the books that may restrict local governments’ ability to change their own zoning laws.“What I would suggest is if there are things that we have in statute at the state level that make it difficult for local municipalities to have the flexibility regarding their zoning laws that we take a look at those,” said Sen. Renee Erickson, a Wichita Republican, on Wednesday.Sen. Tim Shallenburger, a Republican from Baxter Springs near the borders of Oklahoma and Missouri, voiced concerns over builders who aren’t attracted to build in small towns like his own. Small-town workers are forced to live outside of their communities because developers favor building in more profitable and populated areas, he said.&nbsp;On Wednesday, Shallenburger proposed to recommend to the 2025 legislature an idea from the city of Pittsburgh to allow homebuilders in cities smaller than 60,000 people to recoup certain costs from a single project through the increase in value that development spurs. It was met with unanimous agreement.Legislators also recommended reviewing state law to examine barriers to local solutions to affordable housing, examining permit processes and exploring an appraisal process for community land trusts, which are nonprofits that can hold land and facilitate affordable housing development. Some attempted to recommend eviction law reforms and a review of the state’s Landlord Tenant Act, but they were met with pushback, particularly from Tarwater, who said he is a landlord. He warned that any addition of mandatory inspections wouldn’t be likely to reduce rental costs.

Rural Kansas needs thousands of homes per year to address shortage, lawmakers hear

Fort Hays State University will recognize approximately 1,014 graduates during its sixth annual fall commencement on Friday (in person) and Saturday, Dec. 13-14, for the virtual ceremonies.&nbsp;

Graduates who have chosen to participate in person will be honored in two ceremonies on Friday at Gross Memorial Coliseum (GMC). All graduates will be recognized in two virtual ceremonies on Saturday.&nbsp;

The ceremonies will begin at 8:30 a.m. (Central time) on Friday for undergraduate and master’s candidates in the Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship, the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, and the Werth College of Science, Technology, and Mathematics.&nbsp;

The 11 a.m. ceremony will be the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences and the College of Education for undergraduate, master’s, and Ed.S. candidates.&nbsp;

Saturday’s virtual ceremonies will begin at 2 p.m. (CT) for the Ed.S. and master’s students. The undergraduate virtual ceremony will follow at 4 p.m. (CT).

All ceremonies – in-person and virtual – will be broadcast on the Tiger Media Network (<a target="_blank" href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.EWtdXdo3nx3t8ZlvSfKX0aUTrZUkCBF5-2Bwz-2F2-2FlggJ2tC25tLyyU758yaYV0K7ynpi6-2FB-2F0T0nosQeX9aa5b8Q-3D-3DxLdj_1ix3pnygukYWZfKiCJpm8BsHsayWXlw0ucteiDEo46fRc0p9DVWJmv2prlqkbHR6S2dsrJiXPEopagJAn55fgrGOya21Ubchf288oY8AFP4iYaBJwhylwdd5l9F7UOfOVtoW0KIiMGYz1gb5auOI2pc8PdETssSQoqdXD5OM-2BsmCOZEkKauSbL-2Fsy57DK-2BdVexbmHD542qkCVaA6Y0fnzgnzpi6aPZ2Je7OhL0n6kh4eeE2gPIf-2FD-2Bfkv532PuDhia9-2B56o0n0GMyc2AF3Qijv4s-2Fm0ZHCJOiAq0W2auBbHbCRrkRPcMccDSFcMmQR4Rp8x7JQhLJWlD645t9wT6V9j99DiVYT5biVBSBdQOBMvM0AWwzd-2BAG-2B7L5Pof0sDS">https://www.youtube.com/@TigerMediaNetwork</a>)&nbsp;

Doors to GMC will open at 7:45 a.m. Graduates and guests will be asked to enter through Gates 2 and 3. The graduates will enter the area that says, “Graduate Entrance Only,” and guests will be asked to enter through the door labeled guest entrance (located at both gates).&nbsp;

Students are asked to wear their regalia to GMC. Graduates may arrange to pick up their regalia before Dec. 13 at the Victor E. Apparel &amp; Gift Co. in the Memorial Union by emailing <a href="mailto:victore_co@fhsu.edu">victore_co@fhsu.edu</a>.

Graduates and faculty will be seated on the main floor of the Gross Coliseum. Guests will be seated in the balcony. The elevator is accessible by Gate 3. Seating for guests with mobility impairment and patrons in wheelchairs is available on the main floor; a commencement staff member will escort the individual(s) and one guest to the disability seating area on the GMC floor. There are no reservations for this area, and seating is limited. Drivers will find Gates 2 and 3, at the northwest and northeast corners, most convenient for dropping off passengers with disabilities.&nbsp;

Traffic in the GMC area is anticipated to be high during the transition periods between the commencement ceremonies. Parking lots adjacent to the coliseum typically fill up quickly, but parking is available on the main campus. In the event of inclement weather, unpaved lots near GMC will be closed, making it necessary to park on the main campus.

Graduates, families, and friends are encouraged to share photos and messages on Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook using the hashtag #tigergrad.&nbsp;

Photo backdrops&nbsp;and flower sales will be available between Gates 2 and 3 on the upper level of the Coliseum.

The in-person commencement ceremonies will be broadcast live at  <a target="_blank" href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.EWtdXdo3nx3t8ZlvSfKX0aUTrZUkCBF5-2Bwz-2F2-2FlggJ2tC25tLyyU758yaYV0K7ynpi6-2FB-2F0T0nosQeX9aa5b8Q-3D-3DJFmp_1ix3pnygukYWZfKiCJpm8BsHsayWXlw0ucteiDEo46fRc0p9DVWJmv2prlqkbHR6S2dsrJiXPEopagJAn55fgrGOya21Ubchf288oY8AFP4iYaBJwhylwdd5l9F7UOfOVtoW0KIiMGYz1gb5auOI2pc8PdETssSQoqdXD5OM-2BsmCOZEkKauSbL-2Fsy57DK-2BdVexbmHD542qkCVaA6Y0fnzu0BoATpekndxJ-2FM-2BmLozB1cAVw2v32VBDVJruKMNkbASPTsQddGtCN-2FeCnjaIB8-2BsEdm-2FxYZipUsWprL1ITqOcjhsRxB-2BWEj-2F-2FoaSOA5LsEGQY3-2BSe0ZBCGsrlKpeT3ZLhtqEh2Vuv9KD7VgQVPx3vV0HpX18-2FB86pFBlZmU5V-2B">https://www.youtube.com/@TigerMediaNetwork</a>.&nbsp;

The commencement schedule, maps, directions, links to accommodations in Hays, and general information can be found at <a target="_blank" href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.EWtdXdo3nx3t8ZlvSfKX0cdeTry58ih-2F0ByFBW-2FXzaO2dfEgAhUEeT4iu401VQSayEFU_1ix3pnygukYWZfKiCJpm8BsHsayWXlw0ucteiDEo46fRc0p9DVWJmv2prlqkbHR6S2dsrJiXPEopagJAn55fgrGOya21Ubchf288oY8AFP4iYaBJwhylwdd5l9F7UOfOVtoW0KIiMGYz1gb5auOI2pc8PdETssSQoqdXD5OM-2BsmCOZEkKauSbL-2Fsy57DK-2BdVexbmHD542qkCVaA6Y0fnzny9HSwIyl-2BFI6yl51AqF5W3tOJqrMuQVWlxd8gL5cue1J162SqmwNFcwgj9DrO-2BlSnF4qYOgFzZtd7JT5-2F5Faw9toWTmXZvYAkLOUfP-2Fdhv1XJtv-2F79xqCrg9ffH8-2BawQORPQw4ezo5N2nbTRmK9zEEIA8MFD5bj17m5D-2BbXDAR">www.fhsu.edu/commencement/</a>.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716302004753.jpg" alt="Photo by Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU University RelationsFort Hays State University will recognize approximately 1,014 graduates during its sixth annual fall commencement on Friday (in person) and Saturday, Dec. 13-14, for the virtual ceremonies.&nbsp;Graduates who have chosen to participate in person will be honored in two ceremonies on Friday at Gross Memorial Coliseum (GMC). All graduates will be recognized in two virtual ceremonies on Saturday.&nbsp;The ceremonies will begin at 8:30 a.m. (Central time) on Friday for undergraduate and master’s candidates in the Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship, the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, and the Werth College of Science, Technology, and Mathematics.&nbsp;The 11 a.m. ceremony will be the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences and the College of Education for undergraduate, master’s, and Ed.S. candidates.&nbsp;Saturday’s virtual ceremonies will begin at 2 p.m. (CT) for the Ed.S. and master’s students. The undergraduate virtual ceremony will follow at 4 p.m. (CT).All ceremonies – in-person and virtual – will be broadcast on the Tiger Media Network (<a target="_blank" href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.EWtdXdo3nx3t8ZlvSfKX0aUTrZUkCBF5-2Bwz-2F2-2FlggJ2tC25tLyyU758yaYV0K7ynpi6-2FB-2F0T0nosQeX9aa5b8Q-3D-3DxLdj_1ix3pnygukYWZfKiCJpm8BsHsayWXlw0ucteiDEo46fRc0p9DVWJmv2prlqkbHR6S2dsrJiXPEopagJAn55fgrGOya21Ubchf288oY8AFP4iYaBJwhylwdd5l9F7UOfOVtoW0KIiMGYz1gb5auOI2pc8PdETssSQoqdXD5OM-2BsmCOZEkKauSbL-2Fsy57DK-2BdVexbmHD542qkCVaA6Y0fnzgnzpi6aPZ2Je7OhL0n6kh4eeE2gPIf-2FD-2Bfkv532PuDhia9-2B56o0n0GMyc2AF3Qijv4s-2Fm0ZHCJOiAq0W2auBbHbCRrkRPcMccDSFcMmQR4Rp8x7JQhLJWlD645t9wT6V9j99DiVYT5biVBSBdQOBMvM0AWwzd-2BAG-2B7L5Pof0sDS">https://www.youtube.com/@TigerMediaNetwork</a>)&nbsp;Doors to GMC will open at 7:45 a.m. Graduates and guests will be asked to enter through Gates 2 and 3. The graduates will enter the area that says, “Graduate Entrance Only,” and guests will be asked to enter through the door labeled guest entrance (located at both gates).&nbsp;Students are asked to wear their regalia to GMC. Graduates may arrange to pick up their regalia before Dec. 13 at the Victor E. Apparel &amp; Gift Co. in the Memorial Union by emailing <a href="mailto:victore_co@fhsu.edu">victore_co@fhsu.edu</a>.Graduates and faculty will be seated on the main floor of the Gross Coliseum. Guests will be seated in the balcony. The elevator is accessible by Gate 3. Seating for guests with mobility impairment and patrons in wheelchairs is available on the main floor; a commencement staff member will escort the individual(s) and one guest to the disability seating area on the GMC floor. There are no reservations for this area, and seating is limited. Drivers will find Gates 2 and 3, at the northwest and northeast corners, most convenient for dropping off passengers with disabilities.&nbsp;Traffic in the GMC area is anticipated to be high during the transition periods between the commencement ceremonies. Parking lots adjacent to the coliseum typically fill up quickly, but parking is available on the main campus. In the event of inclement weather, unpaved lots near GMC will be closed, making it necessary to park on the main campus.Graduates, families, and friends are encouraged to share photos and messages on Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook using the hashtag #tigergrad.&nbsp;Photo backdrops&nbsp;and flower sales will be available between Gates 2 and 3 on the upper level of the Coliseum.The in-person commencement ceremonies will be broadcast live at  <a target="_blank" href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.EWtdXdo3nx3t8ZlvSfKX0aUTrZUkCBF5-2Bwz-2F2-2FlggJ2tC25tLyyU758yaYV0K7ynpi6-2FB-2F0T0nosQeX9aa5b8Q-3D-3DJFmp_1ix3pnygukYWZfKiCJpm8BsHsayWXlw0ucteiDEo46fRc0p9DVWJmv2prlqkbHR6S2dsrJiXPEopagJAn55fgrGOya21Ubchf288oY8AFP4iYaBJwhylwdd5l9F7UOfOVtoW0KIiMGYz1gb5auOI2pc8PdETssSQoqdXD5OM-2BsmCOZEkKauSbL-2Fsy57DK-2BdVexbmHD542qkCVaA6Y0fnzu0BoATpekndxJ-2FM-2BmLozB1cAVw2v32VBDVJruKMNkbASPTsQddGtCN-2FeCnjaIB8-2BsEdm-2FxYZipUsWprL1ITqOcjhsRxB-2BWEj-2F-2FoaSOA5LsEGQY3-2BSe0ZBCGsrlKpeT3ZLhtqEh2Vuv9KD7VgQVPx3vV0HpX18-2FB86pFBlZmU5V-2B">https://www.youtube.com/@TigerMediaNetwork</a>.&nbsp;The commencement schedule, maps, directions, links to accommodations in Hays, and general information can be found at <a target="_blank" href="https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.EWtdXdo3nx3t8ZlvSfKX0cdeTry58ih-2F0ByFBW-2FXzaO2dfEgAhUEeT4iu401VQSayEFU_1ix3pnygukYWZfKiCJpm8BsHsayWXlw0ucteiDEo46fRc0p9DVWJmv2prlqkbHR6S2dsrJiXPEopagJAn55fgrGOya21Ubchf288oY8AFP4iYaBJwhylwdd5l9F7UOfOVtoW0KIiMGYz1gb5auOI2pc8PdETssSQoqdXD5OM-2BsmCOZEkKauSbL-2Fsy57DK-2BdVexbmHD542qkCVaA6Y0fnzny9HSwIyl-2BFI6yl51AqF5W3tOJqrMuQVWlxd8gL5cue1J162SqmwNFcwgj9DrO-2BlSnF4qYOgFzZtd7JT5-2F5Faw9toWTmXZvYAkLOUfP-2Fdhv1XJtv-2F79xqCrg9ffH8-2BawQORPQw4ezo5N2nbTRmK9zEEIA8MFD5bj17m5D-2BbXDAR">www.fhsu.edu/commencement/</a>.&nbsp;

Fall FHSU commencement set for Dec. 13 and 14

<a href="https://hayspost.com/pages/state-farm-weather-window">For a full look at the weather forecast, click here.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732481670633.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://hayspost.com/pages/state-farm-weather-window">For a full look at the weather forecast, click here.</a>

Three-day weather outlook

The 2024 Kansas Rural Preservation grant committee&nbsp;reviewed 24 grant requests totaling over $2.2 million. On August 9, 2024, the committee recommended and the Historic Sites Board of Review approved funding for 8 projects totalling $750,000.The historic Safeway Building located at 121 E 11th Street in Downtown Hays was awarded a grant for the historic preservation and the expansion of Gella's Diner &amp; Lb. Brewing Co. culinary classroom and event space. To comply with the grant requirements, we are publicly posting this notice to contractors to submit bids.

Property Owner: Gella’s Diner &amp; Lb. Brewing Co., LLC

Property Address: 121 East 11th&nbsp;Street, Hays Kansas

Detailed building condition and scope of work detailed below.

1)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Install new storefront windows and doors.

2)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sheetrock and finish interior partition walls and repair perimeter plaster walls and paint walls. Trim and molding per specifications.

3)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Repair and refinish original hardwood floors. Install flooring in kitchen, bathrooms and storerooms.

Bids will be received by Adam Pray, 116 E 11th&nbsp;Street, Hays, Kansas 67601 until 12:00 PM on November 30, 2024, for the work noted above according to plans approved by the Kansas State Historic Preservation Office. This structure is determined eligible for listing as a contributing property in the Historic Chestnut Street District on the National Register of Historic Places. All work must comply with the Secretary of the Interior’s&nbsp;Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

Sealed bids will be publicly opened at 12:00 PM on Monday, December 2, 2024 at Platinum Group Office, 116 E 11th&nbsp;Street, Hays KS 67601. Two copies of the bid should be provided.

All inquiries about this Invitation to Bid and requests for copies of the full scope of work / plans may be directed to Adam Pray, phone (785) 650-4029. Bids will be received on a total bid price basis and will include a sum to cover the cost of all items of the contract, including insurance, materials, and performance bonds. Proposals received after the date and time indicated above for opening will be considered late, and therefore will not be considered for award.

The Bid will be awarded on the basis of cost and performance; to the Bidder who, in the Owner’s judgment, is the lowest, most qualified, responsible and responsive Bidder. Owner reserves the right to reject any and all Bids and to reject the Bid of any Bidder if the Owner believes it would not be in the best interest of the Owner to make an award to that Bidder. The successful Bidder must deliver to the Owner certificates of insurance, performance and materials payment bonds as security for faithful performance and the payment of all bills and obligations arising from the contract. The successful firm will be required to comply with all applicable laws and statutory regulations. No Bidder will in any way, directly or indirectly, discriminate against any person because of age, race, color, handicap, sex, national origin or religious creed.

This project has been financed in part with federal funds from the National Park Service, a division of the United States Department of the Interior and administered by the Kansas Historical Society. The contents and opinions, however, do not necessarily reflect the view or policies of the United States Department of the Interior or the Kansas Historical Society. Regulations of the US&nbsp;Department of the Interior strictly prohibits unlawful discrimination in departmental Federally Assisted Programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, age or handicap. Any person who believes he or she has been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility operated by a recipient of Federal assistance should write to: Director, Equal Opportunity Program, U. S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1849 C Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20240.

Historic Safeway Building/Gella’s Expansion

Building Description: The one-story red brick building at 121 E Eleventh was built ca. 1937 as home to the Safeway Grocery Store. The building is the easternmost structure in a string of one-and two-story buildings with a consistent setback on the north side of E. Eleventh Street, one block off Main Street. The building will be occupied as an expansion of Gella’s Diner &amp; Lb. Brewing Co. in the one-story buildings at 111-119 East Eleventh Street. An alley runs along the north/rear façade and the storefront fronts Eleventh Street on the south with a public sidewalk along the south façade and brick street with parallel parking along E. Eleventh Street.

The storefront is currently boarded with the glass windows missing (wood is visible on the interior). An area above the storefront is also boarded corresponding to the large steel I-beam that spans the storefront opening, supported by one central column). An alternating band of concrete and glass black panels is located on the upper façade framed by buff brick. The recessed entry, extant at the east end, is framed by the brick wall on the west and an angled section of the boarded storefront on the east. A pair of single-light wood doors (one replaced with slab door) serve as the original entrance with a narrow sidelight on the west and a transom panel composed of two horizontal lights about each door. On the interior, no glass is present in the display windows but a short plastered bulkhead is extant. Temporary removal of the wood covering revealed damaged brick tile on the narrow bulkhead.

There are four openings on the rear façade – three windows and a single door. All are punched openings with hidden lintels and windows have header-course brick sills. The original windows were multi-light steel windows, two of which are in place. One window has formerly been removed and a ventilation fan installed in the window opening. From the interior, the rear door is a five-horizontal panel wood door, with a metal covering on the exterior that is visible on the rear façade.

The interior of the building is currently an open space with framed partition walls. The metal barrel trusses and interim wood framing is extant and exposed throughout the interior of the building. The perimeter walls have a plaster finish and remnants of wood baseboards are in place in isolated locations. At existing openings, plaster has a curved return. There is significant deterioration of plaster in some of the areas and peeling paint throughout. The front two-thirds of the space has a hardwood floor exposed. There are some areas of damaged or missing wood flooring but generally the floor appears to be in sound condition. The rear of the space has a concrete slab that is in fair to poor condition.

Project Description for KSHS Rural Preservation Grant: &nbsp;

Detailed floor plans and drawings available upon request for bidding purposes.

● Install new storefront system on the existing concrete curb with new black tile installed at the bulkhead. The configuration will be retained with a recessed entrance on the west end. The existing wood doors will be removed and a pair of two-light aluminum doors, with sidelight, will be installed to meet accessibility requirements. The storefront system will be aluminum with a factory silver aluminum finish with 2-1/2” mullions and clear, low e glass. Display windows will be full height in the original opening; the existing glass block band will be retained above the storefront. Aluminum sheet metal to match the storefront will be used as sheathing at center column and horizontal I-beam/lintel above storefront opening. The lintel band will be used for business signage.

● The new floor plan will have limited walls with bathrooms along the west wall and a kitchen at the rear, maintaining a large open dining room at the storefront. The existing front and rear door openings will be maintained with a vestibule at the front entrance and a corridor against the west wall at the rear. Men’s and women’s accessible restrooms will be partitions on the west wall and a storage room between the restroom and entry vestibule. The kitchen will span the north wall west of the west corridor with a bar/service area in the northeast corner of the open dining room. A mezzanine will be created over the rear kitchen and west restrooms to be used for mechanical equipment and supply storage.

● Plaster will be retained and repaired at perimeter walls, maintaining curved return at the storefront. Wall at the rear opening will be furred for kitchen equipment. Sheetrock may be used at large areas of deteriorated plaster and skim-coated to match adjacent plaster surfaces – this is primarily at areas of former water infiltration on the rear wall where plaster is severely damaged and missing. Plaster walls will have exposed conduit for outlets and switches (painted to match adjacent surface). New partition walls will primarily be sheetrocked on wood studs. Kitchen walls will have stainless/FRP paneled walls for ease of cleaning. Bathrooms will receive porcelain wall and floor tile. New 6” wood baseboards with simple squared profile with eased edge, will be installed at perimeter walls in the dining room. Kitchen will have a rubber/tile base and bathrooms will have tile base/transition at wall/floor tile.

● Any remaining tile or adhesive on the wood floor in the dining room will be removed and the original wood floor will be retained, repaired and refinished with satin finish. Damaged wood will be replaced with wood salvaged from bathrooms and store room on the west wall. Kitchen area will receive an epoxy finish on the concrete floor, as will the west storeroom.

Detailed floor plans available upon request by emailing&nbsp;<a href="mailto:chris@tumbleweedks.com">chris@tumbleweedks.com</a>

● Repair work to be in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. Viewable at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/tps/standards/rehabilitation.htm">http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/tps/standards/rehabilitation.htm</a>

● Certificates of insurance, performance and material payment bonds required as security for faithful performance and the payment of all bills and obligations arising from the contract.

● Storage and handling of all materials must be in a manner which prevents additional loss, deterioration, and damage; storage area to be designated by project administrator.

● Construction schedule to be itemized with headings related to the breakdown in payment requests.

● All work subject to review by the Kansas State Historical Society throughout the duration of the project.

● Compliance with all applicable laws and statutory regulations required.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705521337334.jpg" alt="Courtesy Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>SubmittedThe 2024 Kansas Rural Preservation grant committee&nbsp;reviewed 24 grant requests totaling over $2.2 million. On August 9, 2024, the committee recommended and the Historic Sites Board of Review approved funding for 8 projects totalling $750,000.The historic Safeway Building located at 121 E 11th Street in Downtown Hays was awarded a grant for the historic preservation and the expansion of Gella's Diner &amp; Lb. Brewing Co. culinary classroom and event space. To comply with the grant requirements, we are publicly posting this notice to contractors to submit bids.NOTICE TO CONTRACTORSINVITATION TO BIDProperty Owner: Gella’s Diner &amp; Lb. Brewing Co., LLCProperty Address: 121 East 11th&nbsp;Street, Hays KansasDetailed building condition and scope of work detailed below.In general, work to be performed:1)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Install new storefront windows and doors.2)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sheetrock and finish interior partition walls and repair perimeter plaster walls and paint walls. Trim and molding per specifications.3)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Repair and refinish original hardwood floors. Install flooring in kitchen, bathrooms and storerooms.Bids will be received by Adam Pray, 116 E 11th&nbsp;Street, Hays, Kansas 67601 until 12:00 PM on November 30, 2024, for the work noted above according to plans approved by the Kansas State Historic Preservation Office. This structure is determined eligible for listing as a contributing property in the Historic Chestnut Street District on the National Register of Historic Places. All work must comply with the Secretary of the Interior’s&nbsp;Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.Sealed bids will be publicly opened at 12:00 PM on Monday, December 2, 2024 at Platinum Group Office, 116 E 11th&nbsp;Street, Hays KS 67601. Two copies of the bid should be provided.All inquiries about this Invitation to Bid and requests for copies of the full scope of work / plans may be directed to Adam Pray, phone (785) 650-4029. Bids will be received on a total bid price basis and will include a sum to cover the cost of all items of the contract, including insurance, materials, and performance bonds. Proposals received after the date and time indicated above for opening will be considered late, and therefore will not be considered for award.The Bid will be awarded on the basis of cost and performance; to the Bidder who, in the Owner’s judgment, is the lowest, most qualified, responsible and responsive Bidder. Owner reserves the right to reject any and all Bids and to reject the Bid of any Bidder if the Owner believes it would not be in the best interest of the Owner to make an award to that Bidder. The successful Bidder must deliver to the Owner certificates of insurance, performance and materials payment bonds as security for faithful performance and the payment of all bills and obligations arising from the contract. The successful firm will be required to comply with all applicable laws and statutory regulations. No Bidder will in any way, directly or indirectly, discriminate against any person because of age, race, color, handicap, sex, national origin or religious creed.This project has been financed in part with federal funds from the National Park Service, a division of the United States Department of the Interior and administered by the Kansas Historical Society. The contents and opinions, however, do not necessarily reflect the view or policies of the United States Department of the Interior or the Kansas Historical Society. Regulations of the US&nbsp;Department of the Interior strictly prohibits unlawful discrimination in departmental Federally Assisted Programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, age or handicap. Any person who believes he or she has been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility operated by a recipient of Federal assistance should write to: Director, Equal Opportunity Program, U. S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1849 C Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20240.Historic Safeway Building/Gella’s ExpansionBuilding Description: The one-story red brick building at 121 E Eleventh was built ca. 1937 as home to the Safeway Grocery Store. The building is the easternmost structure in a string of one-and two-story buildings with a consistent setback on the north side of E. Eleventh Street, one block off Main Street. The building will be occupied as an expansion of Gella’s Diner &amp; Lb. Brewing Co. in the one-story buildings at 111-119 East Eleventh Street. An alley runs along the north/rear façade and the storefront fronts Eleventh Street on the south with a public sidewalk along the south façade and brick street with parallel parking along E. Eleventh Street.The storefront is currently boarded with the glass windows missing (wood is visible on the interior). An area above the storefront is also boarded corresponding to the large steel I-beam that spans the storefront opening, supported by one central column). An alternating band of concrete and glass black panels is located on the upper façade framed by buff brick. The recessed entry, extant at the east end, is framed by the brick wall on the west and an angled section of the boarded storefront on the east. A pair of single-light wood doors (one replaced with slab door) serve as the original entrance with a narrow sidelight on the west and a transom panel composed of two horizontal lights about each door. On the interior, no glass is present in the display windows but a short plastered bulkhead is extant. Temporary removal of the wood covering revealed damaged brick tile on the narrow bulkhead.There are four openings on the rear façade – three windows and a single door. All are punched openings with hidden lintels and windows have header-course brick sills. The original windows were multi-light steel windows, two of which are in place. One window has formerly been removed and a ventilation fan installed in the window opening. From the interior, the rear door is a five-horizontal panel wood door, with a metal covering on the exterior that is visible on the rear façade.The interior of the building is currently an open space with framed partition walls. The metal barrel trusses and interim wood framing is extant and exposed throughout the interior of the building. The perimeter walls have a plaster finish and remnants of wood baseboards are in place in isolated locations. At existing openings, plaster has a curved return. There is significant deterioration of plaster in some of the areas and peeling paint throughout. The front two-thirds of the space has a hardwood floor exposed. There are some areas of damaged or missing wood flooring but generally the floor appears to be in sound condition. The rear of the space has a concrete slab that is in fair to poor condition.SCOPE OF WORKProject Description for KSHS Rural Preservation Grant: &nbsp;Detailed floor plans and drawings available upon request for bidding purposes.Detail of Work to include in bid:● Install new storefront system on the existing concrete curb with new black tile installed at the bulkhead. The configuration will be retained with a recessed entrance on the west end. The existing wood doors will be removed and a pair of two-light aluminum doors, with sidelight, will be installed to meet accessibility requirements. The storefront system will be aluminum with a factory silver aluminum finish with 2-1/2” mullions and clear, low e glass. Display windows will be full height in the original opening; the existing glass block band will be retained above the storefront. Aluminum sheet metal to match the storefront will be used as sheathing at center column and horizontal I-beam/lintel above storefront opening. The lintel band will be used for business signage.● The new floor plan will have limited walls with bathrooms along the west wall and a kitchen at the rear, maintaining a large open dining room at the storefront. The existing front and rear door openings will be maintained with a vestibule at the front entrance and a corridor against the west wall at the rear. Men’s and women’s accessible restrooms will be partitions on the west wall and a storage room between the restroom and entry vestibule. The kitchen will span the north wall west of the west corridor with a bar/service area in the northeast corner of the open dining room. A mezzanine will be created over the rear kitchen and west restrooms to be used for mechanical equipment and supply storage.● Plaster will be retained and repaired at perimeter walls, maintaining curved return at the storefront. Wall at the rear opening will be furred for kitchen equipment. Sheetrock may be used at large areas of deteriorated plaster and skim-coated to match adjacent plaster surfaces – this is primarily at areas of former water infiltration on the rear wall where plaster is severely damaged and missing. Plaster walls will have exposed conduit for outlets and switches (painted to match adjacent surface). New partition walls will primarily be sheetrocked on wood studs. Kitchen walls will have stainless/FRP paneled walls for ease of cleaning. Bathrooms will receive porcelain wall and floor tile. New 6” wood baseboards with simple squared profile with eased edge, will be installed at perimeter walls in the dining room. Kitchen will have a rubber/tile base and bathrooms will have tile base/transition at wall/floor tile.● Any remaining tile or adhesive on the wood floor in the dining room will be removed and the original wood floor will be retained, repaired and refinished with satin finish. Damaged wood will be replaced with wood salvaged from bathrooms and store room on the west wall. Kitchen area will receive an epoxy finish on the concrete floor, as will the west storeroom.Detailed floor plans available upon request by emailing&nbsp;<a href="mailto:chris@tumbleweedks.com">chris@tumbleweedks.com</a>General Conditions:● Repair work to be in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. Viewable at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/tps/standards/rehabilitation.htm">http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/tps/standards/rehabilitation.htm</a>● Certificates of insurance, performance and material payment bonds required as security for faithful performance and the payment of all bills and obligations arising from the contract.● Storage and handling of all materials must be in a manner which prevents additional loss, deterioration, and damage; storage area to be designated by project administrator.● Construction schedule to be itemized with headings related to the breakdown in payment requests.● All work subject to review by the Kansas State Historical Society throughout the duration of the project.● Compliance with all applicable laws and statutory regulations required.

Reindeer Radio week 2 winners announced

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

The Hays USD 489 school board will discuss the sale of Lincoln Elementary School at its meeting at 6:30 tonight at Rockwell Administration Center.

The school board voted in September to accept sealed bids for the sale of the building.

The 100-year-old school will close at the end of the school year as part of a bond improvement plan.

Roosevelt Elementary School has been expanded. Its new addition will open in December. Work will begin soon on an addition at O'Loughlin Elementary School.

A new high school is under construction. The middle school will move into the existing high school, and the existing middle school will be converted into an elementary school.

Wilson Elementary School is also slated to be closed as an elementary school but may be retained by the school district for administrative offices.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/551a9176-6517-460f-83bf-7bd35b8f51ac">SEE RELATED STORY: Hays USD 489 school board votes to sell Lincoln school</a>

The school board is also set to discuss • O'Loughlin Elementary School access control locks • Roosevelt Elementary School furniture • Recording work sessions

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostThe Hays USD 489 school board will discuss the sale of Lincoln Elementary School at its meeting at 6:30 tonight at Rockwell Administration Center.The school board voted in September to accept sealed bids for the sale of the building.The 100-year-old school will close at the end of the school year as part of a bond improvement plan.Roosevelt Elementary School has been expanded. Its new addition will open in December. Work will begin soon on an addition at O'Loughlin Elementary School.A new high school is under construction. The middle school will move into the existing high school, and the existing middle school will be converted into an elementary school.Wilson Elementary School is also slated to be closed as an elementary school but may be retained by the school district for administrative offices.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/551a9176-6517-460f-83bf-7bd35b8f51ac">SEE RELATED STORY: Hays USD 489 school board votes to sell Lincoln school</a>The school board is also set to discuss • O'Loughlin Elementary School access control locks • Roosevelt Elementary School furniture • Recording work sessions

Hays USD 489 BOE to discuss sale of Lincoln school

By STEVE GILLILAND Exploring Kansas Outdoors

With trapping season and many Kansas hunting seasons already in full-swing, and with deer rifle season waiting in the wings, an important subject becomes gaining landowner permission wherever you hunt or trap. One particular landowner who allowed me to trap for several years always asked me where on his land I would be trapping, and my answer was always “Wherever your crops and cattle will allow it; I will always work around you.” Very few farmers deny trapping on their land unless they do hunt or trap themselves, or unless they’ve had a bad experience with another trapper, but it is their land and they do have the right to control access to it. The point I want this column to drive home is how important it is to us hunters and trappers and to the future of our sports to create and to maintain a good relationship with the farmers and ranchers on whose land we hunt and trap. Hunting and trapping should be seen by us as a privilege, and with privileges come certain responsibilities. Here are a few suggestions that will help create and maintain good relationships with the farmers and ranchers who own the land where you hunt and trap.

Landowners should be contacted each year no matter how long you have been granted access to their land. Stop and see them in person when possible. There are landowners that are just fine with a phone call and you will learn who they are with time, but if in doubt, see them in person. I traded pickups a couple years ago, so I have tried to stop and see all landowners just to show them what truck I would now be driving.

Pay special attention to any specific requests by the landowner. I accidentally left an electric fence hotwire unhooked one time and a few of the owners cows got out. He was none-too-happy, but we are friends and I apologized profusely and all was well. Make certain to close all gates, stay off the property if it’s wet enough to make ruts where you drive, and always leave the property as you found it.

Offering to help a landowner with a project like building fence or clearing trees goes a long way toward assuring permission to hunt or trap his land. You can also give them a pheasant or some fresh venison now and then. Some hunters even send thank you cards to landowners each year. I recently read how one

professional trapper out west once stopped to help a farmer get freshly baled hay into the barn just before a rain and because of his kindness was eventually granted sole permission to trap on over 15,000 acres of New Mexico land owned by the farmer’s cousin.

God is not making any more land these days, and good recreational land is often leased or purchased by wealthy groups or individuals for their own use. That leaves most of us outdoorsmen dependant on gaining permission to hunt and trap on privately owned land. So, obey the game laws, obey the landowner’s rules and by-all-means close the gates unless you’d rather chase cattle than hunt. Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!

Steve can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574696211722.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>By STEVE GILLILAND Exploring Kansas OutdoorsWith trapping season and many Kansas hunting seasons already in full-swing, and with deer rifle season waiting in the wings, an important subject becomes gaining landowner permission wherever you hunt or trap. One particular landowner who allowed me to trap for several years always asked me where on his land I would be trapping, and my answer was always “Wherever your crops and cattle will allow it; I will always work around you.” Very few farmers deny trapping on their land unless they do hunt or trap themselves, or unless they’ve had a bad experience with another trapper, but it is their land and they do have the right to control access to it. The point I want this column to drive home is how important it is to us hunters and trappers and to the future of our sports to create and to maintain a good relationship with the farmers and ranchers on whose land we hunt and trap. Hunting and trapping should be seen by us as a privilege, and with privileges come certain responsibilities. Here are a few suggestions that will help create and maintain good relationships with the farmers and ranchers who own the land where you hunt and trap.Landowners should be contacted each year no matter how long you have been granted access to their land. Stop and see them in person when possible. There are landowners that are just fine with a phone call and you will learn who they are with time, but if in doubt, see them in person. I traded pickups a couple years ago, so I have tried to stop and see all landowners just to show them what truck I would now be driving.Pay special attention to any specific requests by the landowner. I accidentally left an electric fence hotwire unhooked one time and a few of the owners cows got out. He was none-too-happy, but we are friends and I apologized profusely and all was well. Make certain to close all gates, stay off the property if it’s wet enough to make ruts where you drive, and always leave the property as you found it.Offering to help a landowner with a project like building fence or clearing trees goes a long way toward assuring permission to hunt or trap his land. You can also give them a pheasant or some fresh venison now and then. Some hunters even send thank you cards to landowners each year. I recently read how oneprofessional trapper out west once stopped to help a farmer get freshly baled hay into the barn just before a rain and because of his kindness was eventually granted sole permission to trap on over 15,000 acres of New Mexico land owned by the farmer’s cousin.God is not making any more land these days, and good recreational land is often leased or purchased by wealthy groups or individuals for their own use. That leaves most of us outdoorsmen dependant on gaining permission to hunt and trap on privately owned land. So, obey the game laws, obey the landowner’s rules and by-all-means close the gates unless you’d rather chase cattle than hunt. Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!Steve can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

Exploring Kansas Outdoors: Getting permission should be your mission

A recent poverty analysis showed Hays has the highest poverty rate in the multi-county region at 18%

Although some have suggested increasing wages would help those who struggle financially, Doug William, director of the the local economic development agency, recently explained the solution to such a problem is not so easy.

"It is a complex issue," Williams said during a recent interview on the Morning Blend on KAYS. "One of my favorite quotes is that for every complex problem, there's a solution that is clear, simple and wrong. I think that applies to this situation very much."

Hays City Commissioner Reese Barrick urged local businesses to increase wages at a recent city commission meeting in response to the poverty data.

“The reality is it would take to get all of Hays outside of poverty and not always struggling week to week and month to month, would people with jobs making $25 an hour,” he said.

He added, “We wouldn’t have to have all of these [nonprofit] organizations if we were able to pay people enough so they were outside of the risk zone every month. …

“If we want a community where everyone can participate and put money back into the community by shopping everywhere, then we have to pay people enough so they can participate. We can take care of the poverty level. It’s really a wage thing.”

In addition to the 18% poverty rate, another 23% of Ellis County residents are classified as Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, or ALICE. These households are above the federal poverty level but cannot afford their county's basic cost of living. They do not qualify for public assistance.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/17290ca2-a64d-4482-aecd-213534370fcd">SEE RELATED STORY: Ellis County reports highest poverty rate in region</a>

Williams said lower-wage earners would benefit from an increase in wages to $20 per hour.&nbsp;

"That presents challenges for businesses to keep their doors open, to operate at a profitable level, so they can continue to employ people and offer what they offer to a community," he said.

The current minimum wage in Kansas for nontipped employees is $7.25.&nbsp;

The federal government sets the federal minimum wage. States can set higher minimum wages if they choose. Cities in Kansas cannot set minimum wage standards.

 However, Williams noted most workers in Ellis County earn more than the minimum wage because of the demand for labor and the shortage of workers in the area.

The Ellis County unemployment rate in October was 2.7%. Anything less than 4% is considered low.

In response to Barrick's comments, some city workers addressed the Hays City Commission at its Nov. 14 meeting, noting that some city workers did not earn $20 per hour.

Williams said the consequences of raising those workers' hourly wages would potentially be increased taxes.

"Again, there is always this cause and effect, and it's never a simple process," Williams said.

"A $20 across-the-board hourly rate, I'm sure, would be problematic for a lot of businesses," he said.

Mark Hess of Hess Services recently shared a response to Barrick's comments in a letter to the Hays Post, saying increasing wages would drive up costs for products and services in Hays and make it difficult for local businesses to compete in the region.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/7e6275e6-d3b6-4d59-bb6c-f2505d0a65ca">SEE RELATED STORY: Response to City Commissioner Barrick's statement on business wages</a>

"Labor is one of the largest, if not the largest, components of the production of a product," Williams said. "If that cost goes up, they have to pass that on. Does that change their competitive stature within their market?"

Williams said the United States has lost thousands of jobs to other countries where the labor market is much different.

"They can hire people for much less than they can hire people here, and consequently, they can offer their products at a lower price," he said. "That's capitalism.

"That has caused some problems in this country with the loss of manufacturing, but again, it's a very complex situation, and each business is a little bit different."

Williams said the key factor is employees are important to businesses.

"Businesses need to pay what they can to employees to keep them and to offer a fair wage to allow them to have a reasonable lifestyle and provide good value to the business owner," he said.

"There are no simple answers, but an across-the-board blank say everybody's going to go to $20 an hour would probably not be the answer to a problem like this," Williams said.

In the gap are charitable programs and subsidies for people whose income qualifies, Williams said. These can be food banks or rental assistance programs.

"There are many programs like that. Are there enough of them? Probably not," Williams said. "We need to try to help people if we can."

Williams said the poverty data was alarming.

"But I think, by and large, our community does a great job employing people and having good jobs," he said. "Our city and county and school district do a great job of what they do.&nbsp;

"While everybody would like our property taxes to be less, relative to other places in this state, [our property taxes] are actually low."

Although property taxes have increased, those increases are not unique to Hays, Williams said.

Williams said Hays compares favorably to other communities in many ways. Although many think housing costs are high in Hays, they are competitive with peer communities. He said rates tend to be higher, but that is true in most college communities.

"I think we have a lot to be thankful for," Williams said. "Yes, we have work to do. Yes, we have people in the community who struggle. We need to consistently think about how we help those people and allow people to pay those people better, but it has to be a balance."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732229270792.jpg" alt="Photo courtesy of Pixabay." />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy of Pixabay.</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostA recent poverty analysis showed Hays has the highest poverty rate in the multi-county region at 18%Although some have suggested increasing wages would help those who struggle financially, Doug William, director of the the local economic development agency, recently explained the solution to such a problem is not so easy."It is a complex issue," Williams said during a recent interview on the Morning Blend on KAYS. "One of my favorite quotes is that for every complex problem, there's a solution that is clear, simple and wrong. I think that applies to this situation very much."<div><iframe title="Poverty issue solution more complex than just minimum wage" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=qwmap-174cb3d-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&logo_link=podcast_page&btn-skin=60a0c8&size=315" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>Hays City Commissioner Reese Barrick urged local businesses to increase wages at a recent city commission meeting in response to the poverty data.“The reality is it would take to get all of Hays outside of poverty and not always struggling week to week and month to month, would people with jobs making $25 an hour,” he said.He added, “We wouldn’t have to have all of these [nonprofit] organizations if we were able to pay people enough so they were outside of the risk zone every month. …“If we want a community where everyone can participate and put money back into the community by shopping everywhere, then we have to pay people enough so they can participate. We can take care of the poverty level. It’s really a wage thing.”In addition to the 18% poverty rate, another 23% of Ellis County residents are classified as Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, or ALICE. These households are above the federal poverty level but cannot afford their county's basic cost of living. They do not qualify for public assistance.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/17290ca2-a64d-4482-aecd-213534370fcd">SEE RELATED STORY: Ellis County reports highest poverty rate in region</a>Williams said lower-wage earners would benefit from an increase in wages to $20 per hour.&nbsp;"That presents challenges for businesses to keep their doors open, to operate at a profitable level, so they can continue to employ people and offer what they offer to a community," he said.The current minimum wage in Kansas for nontipped employees is $7.25.&nbsp;The federal government sets the federal minimum wage. States can set higher minimum wages if they choose. Cities in Kansas cannot set minimum wage standards. However, Williams noted most workers in Ellis County earn more than the minimum wage because of the demand for labor and the shortage of workers in the area.The Ellis County unemployment rate in October was 2.7%. Anything less than 4% is considered low.In response to Barrick's comments, some city workers addressed the Hays City Commission at its Nov. 14 meeting, noting that some city workers did not earn $20 per hour.Williams said the consequences of raising those workers' hourly wages would potentially be increased taxes."Again, there is always this cause and effect, and it's never a simple process," Williams said."A $20 across-the-board hourly rate, I'm sure, would be problematic for a lot of businesses," he said.Mark Hess of Hess Services recently shared a response to Barrick's comments in a letter to the Hays Post, saying increasing wages would drive up costs for products and services in Hays and make it difficult for local businesses to compete in the region.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/7e6275e6-d3b6-4d59-bb6c-f2505d0a65ca">SEE RELATED STORY: Response to City Commissioner Barrick's statement on business wages</a>"Labor is one of the largest, if not the largest, components of the production of a product," Williams said. "If that cost goes up, they have to pass that on. Does that change their competitive stature within their market?"Williams said the United States has lost thousands of jobs to other countries where the labor market is much different."They can hire people for much less than they can hire people here, and consequently, they can offer their products at a lower price," he said. "That's capitalism."That has caused some problems in this country with the loss of manufacturing, but again, it's a very complex situation, and each business is a little bit different."Williams said the key factor is employees are important to businesses."Businesses need to pay what they can to employees to keep them and to offer a fair wage to allow them to have a reasonable lifestyle and provide good value to the business owner," he said."There are no simple answers, but an across-the-board blank say everybody's going to go to $20 an hour would probably not be the answer to a problem like this," Williams said.In the gap are charitable programs and subsidies for people whose income qualifies, Williams said. These can be food banks or rental assistance programs."There are many programs like that. Are there enough of them? Probably not," Williams said. "We need to try to help people if we can."Williams said the poverty data was alarming."But I think, by and large, our community does a great job employing people and having good jobs," he said. "Our city and county and school district do a great job of what they do.&nbsp;"While everybody would like our property taxes to be less, relative to other places in this state, [our property taxes] are actually low."Although property taxes have increased, those increases are not unique to Hays, Williams said.Williams said Hays compares favorably to other communities in many ways. Although many think housing costs are high in Hays, they are competitive with peer communities. He said rates tend to be higher, but that is true in most college communities."I think we have a lot to be thankful for," Williams said. "Yes, we have work to do. Yes, we have people in the community who struggle. We need to consistently think about how we help those people and allow people to pay those people better, but it has to be a balance."

Podcast: Poverty issue solution more complex than just minimum wage

Skeptics more keen to improve Tier 3 benefits available to newer public employees

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> Kansas Reflector

TOPEKA — Republican Sen. Michael Fagg wants to persuade the 2025 Kansas Legislature to allocate $1 billion of the state’s revenue surplus to shrinking the $9.7 billion long-term unfunded liability in the state’s pension system.

The Kansas Public Employees Retirement System, which serves more than 300,000 Kansans and possesses $27 billion in assets, years ago received legislative authorization to issue bonds so proceeds could be invested in the market to bolster the system’s bottom line.

KPERS made use of $500 million bond issues in 2004 and 2021, and a $1 billion offering in 2015.

On Wednesday, Fagg couldn’t convince the Legislature’s joint committee on pensions to get behind his idea of dedicating another $1 billion to address the system’s 30-year liability. Losses in 2022 — the return on investment was a negative 9.7% compared to a positive 15.7% in 2021 — deepened the challenge at KPERS in terms of meeting obligations on the pension-benefit horizon.

“I’m really focused on unfunded liabilities,” Fagg said. “Folks, very seldom have we had this kind of money sitting around. I’m letting you know I know the spot it ought to go.”

Sen. Pat Pettey, a Democrat from Kansas City, Kansas, said she was more interested in making use of available state revenue to enhance benefits under the modest KPERS 3 retirement plan offered to public employees since 2015.

“I cannot support this recommendation because I think we have to look at the whole picture,” she said. “We can’t underestimate the senior tsunami that is facing us.”

House and Senate members on the joint pension committee voted to encourage the 2025 Legislature to study the potential of a fourth infusion of cash to lower the unfunded liability. They decided to ask the Legislature to give thought to altering KPERS 3.

The committee agreed to recommend the Legislature once again think about giving KPERS’ retirees a cost-of-living adjustment. The panel said the Legislature ought to research expansion to other KPERS members the deferred retirement program incentivizing fire and law enforcement personnel to stay on the job rather than retire. It might be helpful, for example, in diverting the wave of teacher retirements in Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732289150085.jpeg" alt="Kansas Sen. Michale Fagg, R-El Dorado, urged peers on the joint House and Senate pensions committee to endorse a proposal to invest $1 billion in surplus state revenue in lowering the $9.7 billion unfunded liability of the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System. The committee agreed to ask the 2025 Legislature to consider the concept, but didn't back his call for a $1 billion investment. Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Sen. Michale Fagg, R-El Dorado, urged peers on the joint House and Senate pensions committee to endorse a proposal to invest $1 billion in surplus state revenue in lowering the $9.7 billion unfunded liability of the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System. The committee agreed to ask the 2025 Legislature to consider the concept, but didn't back his call for a $1 billion investment. Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Skeptics more keen to improve Tier 3 benefits available to newer public employees</h2>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> Kansas ReflectorTOPEKA — Republican Sen. Michael Fagg wants to persuade the 2025 Kansas Legislature to allocate $1 billion of the state’s revenue surplus to shrinking the $9.7 billion long-term unfunded liability in the state’s pension system.The Kansas Public Employees Retirement System, which serves more than 300,000 Kansans and possesses $27 billion in assets, years ago received legislative authorization to issue bonds so proceeds could be invested in the market to bolster the system’s bottom line.KPERS made use of $500 million bond issues in 2004 and 2021, and a $1 billion offering in 2015.On Wednesday, Fagg couldn’t convince the Legislature’s joint committee on pensions to get behind his idea of dedicating another $1 billion to address the system’s 30-year liability. Losses in 2022 — the return on investment was a negative 9.7% compared to a positive 15.7% in 2021 — deepened the challenge at KPERS in terms of meeting obligations on the pension-benefit horizon.“I’m really focused on unfunded liabilities,” Fagg said. “Folks, very seldom have we had this kind of money sitting around. I’m letting you know I know the spot it ought to go.”Sen. Pat Pettey, a Democrat from Kansas City, Kansas, said she was more interested in making use of available state revenue to enhance benefits under the modest KPERS 3 retirement plan offered to public employees since 2015.“I cannot support this recommendation because I think we have to look at the whole picture,” she said. “We can’t underestimate the senior tsunami that is facing us.”House and Senate members on the joint pension committee voted to encourage the 2025 Legislature to study the potential of a fourth infusion of cash to lower the unfunded liability. They decided to ask the Legislature to give thought to altering KPERS 3.The committee agreed to recommend the Legislature once again think about giving KPERS’ retirees a cost-of-living adjustment. The panel said the Legislature ought to research expansion to other KPERS members the deferred retirement program incentivizing fire and law enforcement personnel to stay on the job rather than retire. It might be helpful, for example, in diverting the wave of teacher retirements in Kansas.“I strongly encourage you to keep in mind … any increase in benefits that is not paid for upfront hurts the fund,” said Sen. Jeff Longbine, an Emporia Republican who didn’t seek reelection in 2024.<h2>Tier 3, well, ‘sucks’</h2>There is growing concern among public employees and legislators about the KPERS 3 retirement plan signed into law by GOP Gov. Sam Brownback nearly a decade ago. In an attempt to lower the burden on Kansas taxpayers, the Brownback administration settled on KPERS 3 to substantially lower financial benefits compared to KPERS 1 and KPERS 2.A report produced this year by the Legislature’s auditing unit said KPERS 3 had higher worker contribution requirements, a longer vesting period and lower financial rewards than public retirement plans offered in comparable states. Auditors said a survey of current and former Kansas public employees showed people in KPERS 3 were more likely to leave their job than participants in KPERS 1 or KPERS 2.In 2023, Rep. Sean Tarwater, R-Stilwell, put it this way: “I don’t think you need to do an audit to find out Tier 3 sucks.”Public employees in KPERS 3 were guaranteed 4% annual earnings on their personal account balances, but additional benefits to these city, county or state employees was dependent on performance of the pension system’s investment portfolio. Neither KPERS 1 nor KPERS 2 deposited the investment-return risk directly on the back of public employees in Kansas.Dissatisfaction has prompted proposals to move all KPERS 3 members to KPERS 2, which would transfer financial risk of retirement investments to the state.<h2>$75 million IT overhaul</h2>Meanwhile, the executive director of KPERS said the pension system was undergoing a five-year transition to a new information technology system estimated to cost $75 million.“It’s a massive undertaking,” said Alan Conroy, executive director at KPERS. “We’ve tried to do the prep work — cleaning data, backfilling staff — so we aren’t having staff trying to work full time on the project and doing their full-time, day-to-day jobs.”Rep. Cindy Neighbor, a Shawnee Democrat on the joint committee, said she hoped KPERS secures a modern IT platform without the spider web of problems encountered by the Kansas Department of Labor while reforming the state’s unemployment insurance system.“So far, I think we’ve done the right steps mechanically to have a successful project,” Conroy said. “The ultimate goal, as I tell the staff, is to keep us out of the ditch. We would not want 116,000 retired KPERS members marching on the statehouse because they didn’t get a retirement benefit check because of a failure in the IT system.”<h2>Divestment mandate</h2>Bruce Fink, chief investment officer at KPERS, said the retirement system was in compliance with a new state law mandating divestiture from countries that posed unusual investment risks. The countries targeted by the Legislature were Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Venezuela and China, including Hong Kong. The law compelled state agencies to complete divestiture transactions by Jan. 1, 2026.“We’ve not identified any trade violations since the act became effective,” Fink said. “We’ve augmented our due-diligence process for new and future investments to confirm that the countries in which potential future managers may invest in will not … be organized in countries of concern.”In response to enactment of the law on July 1, he said KPERS terminated investments in China and Hong Kong. That involved divesting 12 securities in 10 companies valued at $294 million, he said.Fink said KPERS retained 300,000 shares of Norilsk Nickel, Russia’s leading metals mining company. He said trading of the stock was halted in conjunction with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.“There were sanctions put in place,” he told legislators. “We continue to hold those shares in our accounts, but they are currently valued at zero market value.”

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