By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
A piece of longtime vacant land in central Hays has been purchased by the city in anticipation of building a new police station.
City commissioners unanimously approved the acquisition at Thursday's commission meeting.
The property at 0 Main Street is on the southwest corner of 27th and Main Streets and is owned by the Catholic Diocese of Salina.
It's been sold to Grow Hays, which in turn will sell it to the city. Purchase price is $425,000, which will come from the commission reserve fund.
Collin Bielser, deputy city commissioner, said the city works closely with the non-profit economic development group Grow Hays.
"Last year the city did put on the capital improvement plan the possibility of a new police facility and it was talked about during the budget presentation this year to move forward with possible design," Bielser said Friday morning.
"We felt is was a good opportunity for a joint venture where if the city can do a public use on it, we'd work with Grow Hays towards a private and public use component, or just entirely private."
Although Hays Mayor Shaun Musil said "nothing is set in stone," the location is attractive to the city as infill. The infrastructure - water, sewer, and streets - already exists.
"The [city] police and [county] sheriff departments get along really well," Bielser said, "and they've functioned in the same building for decades.
"Hays has obviously gotten bigger. Our police force has gotten bigger. It's just something we need to explore about taking that next step as a community."
The city may also consider allowing chickens to be kept on private property within the city limits.
During the public comment session, one young resident asked about the possibility of allowing chickens to be kept indoors as pets.
Commissioners directed her to return with more information about the public's desire to do so and said they would then further discuss the situation.
By ordinance, chickens and other undomesticated animals normally kept in pens and similar outdoor enclosures are prohibited in Hays.
Commission Alaina Cunningham was absent from the meeting.