By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
Hays city commissioners agreed Thursday to keep moving the process forward for two new developments in the city and are expected to vote on those at their Feb. 22 meeting.
A $152,800 contract with Driggs Design Group, Hays, to engineer the infrastructure for The Grove residential development was presented. The project consists of about 2,600 feet of water line, sanitary sewer and street improvements.
Grow Hays is the developer of the mixed-use housing on about 60 lots north of HaysMed on north Canterbury Drive. A community center will also be built. Construction is anticipated to begin this summer.
Werth Development Group has proposed an agreement with the city to extend water and sanitary sewer mains along Hall Street north of Interstate 70, adjacent to the WDG Addition. The city would pay the cost of upsizing the water and sewer lines from 8 inches to 12 inches, the minimum required to allow for capacity for future development.
The share request for the oversizing costs of city utilities is permitted in Hays' development policy.
Developer Greg Werth also asked the city to extend the reimbursement period from 10 years to 18 years after improvements are made.
The estimated total construction cost is $1,216,781, with the city's share at $359,260.
Commissioners, Werth and Jesse Rohr, public works director, answered questions about the proposed project from adjacent landowner Karen Dreiling.
Rohr also presented a low bid of $124,811 from Reaction Distributing, Ontario, Canada, for a new baler for paper and cardboard recycling material.
The city replaced its 23-year-old baler in December 2021 with a new baler purchased from Taknek, Gainesville, Texas. The machine is defective, Rohr said. The city stopped payments on the baler and has litigation in process to recover its money. The baler built in 2001 has been used in the meantime.
Also under consideration are requests for a general nuisance and inoperable vehicle abatement at 1111 Centennial Blvd. and an inoperable vehicle abatement at 206 E. 14th St.
Commissioner Mason Ruder was absent from the work session.