By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
In early February last year, following the daily safety inspections of the Hays Regional Airport runways and taxiway, a three-inch deep crack in the crosswind runway was found the next morning.
It was due to aging and extreme winter weather conditions. The runway had to be closed until April, said Jamie Salter, airport director.
There've also been problems in longitudinal cracking, panel heaving and creation of foreign object debris on the runway, constructed in 2003.
"The FAA standards, when this was put in, are way different now," Salter told Hays city commissioners during their work session Thursday afternoon.
"It was constructed with low weight-bearing capacity — 12,500 pounds. ... I think when it was put in 20 years ago, they didn't anticipate the type of operations we would have," she said.
Salter is recommending reconstruction of the crosswind runway along with a portion of Taxiway M.
It will also better serve the airport’s current and future anticipated aircraft fleet mix with the pavement weight-bearing capacity increasing from 12,500 pounds to 30,000 pounds.
Commissioners heard Salter's recommendation of a contract with design engineer Lochner, Lenexa, at a cost of $485,300 to be funded from the airport improvement fund. The FAA will pay 90 percent of the cost with the city picking up the remaining 10 percent.
Construction of the crosswind runway is planned for spring and summer 2025 — with no disruption to the main runway — at a total cost of $7.2 million, of which the FAA would pay 90 percent.
Commissioners also agreed to set Feb. 22 as the date of a public hearing for the Neighborhood Revitalization Plan expansion, adding Hays properties built before 1980.
The Neighborhood Revitalization Plan works as a 10-year property tax rebate, not an exemption, to property owners who make improvements that raise the appraised value of residential or commercial properties.
"Property owners receive a rebate on the incremental increase property value," said Jarrod Kuckelman, management analyst. "The city doesn't give up any current tax revenues, nor does the county or school district."
The Ellis County Commission and Hays USD 489 school board have endorsed the expansion, he said.
The plan is growing in popularity. There were 45 utilizations between 2002 and 2017. Since 2017, 72 properties have utilized the Neighborhood Revitalization Plan.
The commission will vote on both items at their regular meeting Feb. 8
A 15-minute executive session was called toward the end of the work session for discussion that involved attorney/client privilege. No action was taken.
Commissioner Alaina Cunningham was absent from the meeting.