By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
Individuals interested in commenting during Thursday's public hearings regarding economic incentive requests for the planned new travel plaza in northwest Hays will be able to do so in person, despite the continued closure of city hall because of the coronavirus.
During the May 14, 2020, Hays City Commission meeting, two public hearings for the D&J Land and Development project will be held.
Due to social distancing and mass gathering requirements, the city will provide special accommodations, according to Collin Bielser, assistant city manager.
"Essentially, they just need to show up at 6:30 p.m. Someone will be at the door to let people in," Bielser said.
The number of chairs in the city commission chambers has been reduced so that each is placed at least six feet apart.
If there are enough empty chairs in the chambers, people may sit there. "If not, people will remain in the hallway - spaced six feet apart- until it's their turn to speak. They should be able to hear the meeting in the hallway."
Mass gatherings may now be more than 10 people as long as they remain six feet apart.
People are welcome but not required to wear face coverings or masks.
Individuals planning to comment who want to learn more about the process are encouraged to contact Bielser at [email protected], or by calling 785-628-7320 by noon on Thursday.
Individuals may also send public comments to [email protected].
Presentations about the requested Tax Increment Financing (TIF, development agreement, and proposed Community Improvement District (CID) will have the same information as given during the May 7 work session.
The work session video is available at https://www.youtube.com/user/NexTechChannel/videos. An audio recording of the work session and the agenda packet is available at https://www.haysusa.com/AgendaCenter.
The developer wishes to establish a 2.00% CID sales tax on a portion of the project site to fund certain project expenditures on a pay-as-you-go basis. The CID sales tax will generate approximately $2.92 million over the maximum 22-year term.
The TIF is estimated to generate about $14.95 million over the maximum 20-year term. It would be made available to reimburse the developer for TIF-eligible project costs on a pay-as-you-go basis. TIF revenues are derived from incremental property tax revenues collected.
The May 14 complete agenda is available here.