By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
Shortly after the Hays City Commission approved a tweak in a city ordinance regarding the downtown common consumption area, the change became effective.
Hays was the first town in Kansas to institute a common consumption area after state law was changed a couple of years ago to make the process a little easier. City officials have worked closely with Kansas Alcoholic Beverage Control to set up the program.
One rule of the common consumption area, which consists of 12 blocks, prohibits the possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages purchased outside the area.
Union Pacific Park, 10th and Main, is part of the district; however, another city ordinance allows outside alcohol consumption in all city parks.
Commissioners unanimously approved a revision to allow alcoholic liquor and cereal malt beverages purchased outside of the district to be possessed and consumed in Union Pacific Park, including the pavilion, and in any other district areas as approved by the commission.
Immediately following Thursday's meeting, the new ordinance was signed by Mayor Shaun Musil and officially published on the city's website.
Six eligible businesses are now participating in the common consumption area.
Those establishments are Paisley Pear, Arcade 11, The Fort, The Fox, Golden Q, and The Strand.
In other business, two annexation requests were approved by the commission.
One was a simple housekeeping item for a 25-foot strip of property for Hays USD 489's new high school location at 2500 E. 13th that was inadvertently left out of the land survey.
The second annexation request, located north of Interstate 70 at 4885 General Hays Road, was for the Norene Unrein Trust for future development.
The lot is south of the former Hays Livestock Commission sale barn, which has been demolished.
The owner plans to relocate its business, Vernies's Trux-N-Equip from its present site on 41st Street.
The commission also approved a general nuisance abatement at 409 E. 13th.
At the end of the meeting, a 20-minute executive session was conducted to discuss the acquisition of real property. No action was taken.