By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
The Hays City Commission will vote Thursday on a request for issuance of industrial revenue bonds (IRBs) by the developer of a new Chick-fil-A quick service restaurant in Hays.
The $6.2 million project is planned to be built this year at 3404 Vine, the site of the former Rodeway Inn.
An IRB issuance does not count against the city’s debt limit, nor affect the city’s debt rating, and does not require taxpayer commitment.
Instead, the city acts as a conduit issuer, and payment obligations are those of the developer.
The developer is requesting a sales tax exemption for all purchases related to the project's construction.
Once construction is complete, the exemption would expire, and all sales and purchases at the location would be subject to regular sales tax collections.
Jerrod Kuckelman, assistant city manager, said the developer estimates the restaurant's initial annual retail sales at about $5.5 million. At the city's current sales tax rate of 2.25%, that would generate about $123,750 in average annual sales tax revenue for Hays.
Sewer cleaning and inspection
Jeff Crispin, director of water resources, has presented a bid for the 2026 sanitary sewer cleaning and inspection.
The city maintains about 115 miles of sanitary sewer lines and cleans and inspects about 22 miles of them each year.
This year's project covers northeast Hays, which was last treated in 2021.
The low bid was from Dakota Municipal Solutions, Moorhead, Minnesota, for $133,028. The budgeted amount was $150,000. The remaining $17,000 will be used for heavier cleaning, tap intrusion removal, root removal and patching.
Centrifuge maintenance
Crispin also presented a low bid for a 10,000-hour maintenance service of the centrifuge at the Water Reclamation and Reuse Facility, Highway 40 and General Custer.
The bid of $48,600 from the authorized manufacturer representative in Wichita is below the $50,000 budget.
Setbacks for carports
Current Unified Development Code regulations require a 5-foot side yard setback for all accessory structures, including carports. Following recent variance requests, Jesse Rohr, public works director, said the Hays Area Planning Commission is recommending reducing the side yard setback for carports from 5 feet to 3 feet.
Fire, property maintenance, electrical code updates
The city periodically updates its building codes to account for advancements in structural integrity, fire and life safety, property maintenance, and electrical safety. They were last updated in 2017.
The complete March 26 agenda is available here.
The meeting starts at 4 p.m. in Hays City Hall, 1507 Vine.