November 6, 2011
Kansas

County to consider hazard mitigation plan

By DAWNE LEIKER, Hays Daily news, www.hdnews.net Published on -11/6/2011, 7:42 PM [sic]

Ellis County Commissioners at Monday evening’s regular meeting will consider final adoption of its hazard mitigation plan.

Preparing updates to the county’s existing hazard mitigation plan, developed in 2004, has progressed over the last several months.

Finalization of an updated plan is necessary prior to possible receipt of Federal Emergency Management Agency funds by Hays USD 489. Those funds would be used to construct eight new classrooms at Felten Middle School.

FEMA has approved the county’s update. Adoption of the resolution is required, not only by the county, but also each local government referenced in the plan.

In other business, commissioners will discuss the conditional use permit for Hays Wind, LLC.

County Administrator Greg Sund, through a discussion with attorney Dennis Davidson, who represented Ellis County during a 2008 civil lawsuit which sought to overturn the commission’s decision to permit a wind farm southwest of Hays, found the settlement document did not establish an end date for the conditional-use permit.

Because of this, Sund’s meeting memo said, Iberdrola currently is under no pressure to move forward with or abandon the Hays Wind Project.

“It appears the only way to verify if there is a deadline for the CUP and if not to establish one, is to write a motion to the judge in the case requesting action,” Sund’s memo said. “I am wondering if the county commission would like to pursue resolution to this apparently open-ended question.”

Other agenda items include:

* Construction engineering proposal for a bridge project located southwest of Ellis.

* Personnel vacancies in public works department.

* Purchase of public works vehicles and equipment from the capital improvement list.

* Replacement of County Health Department vehicle.

* Reimbursement resolution for fire truck purchase.

* Final adoption of conditional-use permit for construction of a storage garage a half-mile east of U.S. Highway 183 on Emmeram Road.

* Final approval of employee union contracts.

* Comprehensive plan map.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/11/06/county-to-consider-hazard-mitigation-plan/