By ALICIA FEYERHERM
Tiger Media Network
Management Analyst Jarrod Kuckelman presented at Thursday’s Hays City Commission meeting about making changes to the existing ordinance regarding UTVs on public roads.
In 2021, the City moved to allow UTVs on city streets as long as the vehicle was registered, inspected and the owners paid a $100 annual fee.
In 2024, the commission approved an ordinance allowing golf carts to be driven on low-speed city roads without registration or fees required. Therefore, Kuckelman brought forth an amendment to the UTV ordinance that would remove the registration, inspection, and fee requirements.
“So to help kind of bring things in alignment, the commission has requested that the UTV ordinance be amended to help bring the UTV and golf cart ordinances to be very similar,” Kuckelman said.
The amendment does not repeal safety equipment or insurance provisions in the original ordinance.
Currently, the Hays Police Department registers 27 UTVs and collects an average of $2,245 in registration fees. However, the Hays Police Department supports the change.
Kuckelman said Chief of Police Don Scheibler indicated that the amount of time saved from staff no longer having to set up appointments for UTV inspections and tracking registration and licensure outweighs the small loss in revenue.
Mayor Shaun Musil noted that Scheibler has also said there have been little to no issues with UTVs on the streets since the passage of the ordinance in 2021.
“It’s a good thing and hopefully we can keep it that way,” Musil said.
Commissioner Reese Barrick said that people he has talked to have said they rarely even see UTVs on the streets.
Ordinance No. 4052 repealing existing registration, licensing, inspection and fee requirements for UTVs passed unanimously.
Other action items from the meeting included:
- A bid of $227,740.40 was awarded to Lewis Ford of Hays to purchase four new pickups
- Authorization was given to the City Manager to enter into a contract with Mayer Speciality Services to complete the 2024 Manhole Rehabilitation Program
- A bid of $133,462.08 was awarded to CC Steel, LLC for sanitary sewer cleaning and inspection
- Approval of Ordinance No. 4053 establishing the Vernies Trux-N-Equipment, Inc. Community Improvement District, levying the CID sales tax and approving the Development Agreement
The next City Commission meeting will be at 4:00 p.m. on June 27 at City Hall.