By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
Hays City Commissioner Alaina Cunningham summed up the commission's consensus Thursday as they discussed engineering services for extending utilities for the development of city-owned property just northeast of Interstate 70 Exit 161.
"It's a long-term plan. We're not going to build this out tomorrow. ... It's looking for what we need in 10 and 20 years," she said.
"We are designing it to keep it as flexible as we can. ... At some point, we'll have to make some decisions," said Tom Howie, Hays project manager.
The city purchased the 93 acres, known as the Braun property, in 2019 for continued growth and development opportunities. Hays aims for a 1% population increase each year.
A 2023 feasibility study by RDG Planning and Design, Omaha, includes residential mixed housing, commercial business, offices, restaurants, hotels, walking trails, open space and public art.
City commissioners will consider awarding a $118,750 low bid from Kaw Valley Engineering, Salina, at their Dec. 12 meeting.
Hays has already been awarded $4 million in state funding for retail development as part of the proposed project.
"I'm very focused on retail development in this community, as are many," said Mayor Sandy Jacobs.
"I think we need to be looking at everything possible we can do to make ourselves attractive to people out there, and I know Grow Hays is working closely with a broker to find (it)."
City Manager Toby Dougherty said the project can be likened to when the city first extended utilities north from Vine Street under I-70 to the current thriving retail/business corridor.
"This is a long-term potential commercial corridor for us," Dougherty said, "not just the city's property but the other properties around it. The first significant step is getting utilities punched into there."
Commissioner Shaun Musil said many people wondered why the city bought the property.
"This shows that we're serious about development. ... We need retail. It's a priority," he said.
Musil also wants to see a new convention center built at that location "to bring events back to town. That helps everything."
Hays' general fund is primarily funded by the city's local sales tax.
In other business, Jeff Crispin, water resources director, discussed demolishing obsolete structures at the water reclamation and reuse facility, 755 General Custer Road.
Three clarifiers were abandoned when the facility was upgraded between 2017 and 2019 to meet the Kansas Department of Health and Environment's new permit requirements.
One clarifier will be kept, although its metal components will be removed. It will be used if highly contaminated wastewater needs to be temporarily separated.
A single bid of $191,550 was submitted by M&D, Hays, and is below the budget of $200,000.
Crispin said the newly opened area would be planted with grass.
Jeff Boyle, parks director, discussed the east multi-use connector paths. These paths will provide the necessary links between the existing path, which ends at 22nd Street just south of HaysMed, and the new path, which will connect 41st Street and Hall to the Sternberg Museum of Natural History.
The total low bid for both connector paths is $231,616 from T&T Builders, Hays, which will be voted on next week.
Once the new paths are constructed, there will be about five miles of multi-use path connecting the north and east sides of town.
Boyle and Roger Bixenman, superintendent of the Hays Recreation Commission, also presented a review of the 2024 financial reports and attendance for Hays Aquatic Park, Wilson Pool, and the Bickle-Schmidt Sports Complex.
Recreation commission board members and city commissioners agreed to split this year's $50,895 operating loss for the pools. Hays will reimburse the rec center $25,447.
The sports complex operated at a profit of $39,883.
Vice-Mayor Mason Ruder was absent from the work session.