By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
A request for the city of Hays to contribute more money to the Ellis County Northwest Business Corridor project will be discussed in detail at a later date.
The request was introduced in a May 4 letter from Butch Schlyer, county commission chairman, during Thursday night's city commission work session.
In February, the commission voted to allow Ellis County to keep the remaining $284,668 city monies from a county sales tax several years ago used for construction of a new county Emergency Services building and remodel of the courthouse and law enforcement center.
The county commission is now asking the city to consider contributing another $750,000 from its share of the proceeds in 2021 of a new one-half cent countywide retail sales tax that will go into effect Oct. 1.
One quarter-cent of the sales tax will be dedicated for Ellis County Emergency Medical Services and the Health Department operations. The other quarter-cent will be split proportionately among Hays, Ellis, Victoria, Schoenchen and Ellis County, based on population as required by state law.
Sandy Jacobs, vice-mayor, said she wasn't prepared to discuss the request Thursday and suggested it be moved to June during a commission retreat when the city's 2021 draft budget will be reviewed.
Mayor Shaun Musil agreed.
"We owe it to the taxpayers to work together, and I think we do work together as a county and a city.
"I'm very glad the county got their sales tax passed. I think it will be good for them and our community. ... If we can help them we should. I think we should be smart how we do that.
"But this is not our project," Musil emphasized. "We've all got our own issues we have to deal with financially now."
In late March, Toby Dougherty, Hays city manager, said the city is planning for "long-lasting ramifications" of the economic downturn due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Ron Mellick, commissioner, noted Hays relies on the city sales tax for most of the monies in its general fund.
"What is our budget going to look like next year?"
The Northwest Business Corridor would be a 55 mph bypass around northwest Hays, diverting heavy truck traffic and superloads away from Highway 183/Vine Street.
"The business corridor I think is really, really important to our community in a lot of ways," Jacobs added.
Ellis County Commissioner Dustin Roths was in the audience but did not speak.
Mason Ruder, city commissioner, noted he is employed by Ellis County and therefore would not be participating in the discussion or a vote.
In other business the commission heard and agreed to move forward the following agenda items:
- Set a public hearing date of June 25 and ordinance consideration for establishment of an RHID (Rural Housing Incentive District financing) by the Ellis County Heart of American Corporation for 75 "affordable housing" residential lots located at the northeast corner of 22nd Street and Wheatland. The developer estimates the RHID would generate about $3.2 million over the maximum 25-year term, reimbursing the developer on a pay-as-you go basis.
- Designation of main trafficways- (West) Frontage Road, Skyline, and 37th Street - in the North Vine Street Corridor Project for general obligation (GO) bond financing. The city plans to issue GO bonds in late 2020 or early 2021 to reimburse itself for the majority of the city’s share of the project costs, which is $7.1 million. The debt service of the GO bonds will be paid by a 2% increase in the Transient Guest Tax implemented in 2018.
- Conducting a May 14 public hearing for the requested D & J Land and Development TIF (Tax Increment Financing district) and subsequent ordinance adopting the TIF project plan and development agreement for a proposed travel plaza to be built at the northwest corner of 230th Ave. and 55th Street, near Interstate 70, Exit 157. The TIF would generate approximately $14.95 million over the maximum 20-year term.
- Conducting a May 14 public hearing and consideration of an ordinance establishing a CID (Community Improvement District) and levying a 2% CID sales tax for the travel plaza. It's estimated to generate about $2.9 million over the 22-year maximum term.
Dougherty told commissioners his office has worked with John Bird, city attorney, and the state of Kansas, to ensure the public will be able to appear in person in city commission chambers to make comments during the May 14 live public hearings without violating the current state order limiting gatherings to 10 or fewer people until at least May 17.
Dougherty also noted the May 4 reopening of playgrounds in Hays parks as Phase 1 of Gov. Laura Kelley's plan to begin reopening Kansas after her stay-at-home order in March to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
Public swimming pools, which attract crowds of people, would be allowed to open in Phase 2, scheduled to begin May 18. However, the mass-gathering restriction jumps from no more than 10, to a maximum of 30 people.
"It's highly unlikely the Wilson Pool will open this summer," Dougherty told commissioners, and he's not sure about the status of the larger Hays Aquatic Park m(HAP).
"We've been talking to Roger Bixenman, (Hays Recreation Commission superintendent, and the information we have from the state is still kind of murky." Dougherty said it's possible HAP could open in early June.