Hays Daily News
Opponents of Hays and Russell developing their 7,000-acre R9 Ranch as a municipal water source are guilty of a double standard, according to Hays city manager Toby Dougherty.
Speaking to the Hays City Commission at its regular work session last Thursday evening, Dougherty said attacks by Big Bend Groundwater Management District No. 5 and WaterPACK, a nonprofit agriculture irrigation lobby, show the state’s water rights rules aren’t being applied fairly.
The $80-million R9 project has been in the works for more than 25 years, with Hays and Russell navigating the state’s complicated legal and regulatory process to develop the groundwater source. The project will pipe water 67 miles from the R9 Ranch in Edwards County to Ellis and Russell counties.
Hays Daily News
Regional carrier SkyWest will likely continue as the commercial airline serving Hays Regional Airport for the next few years.
SkyWest Airlines multi-year contract started Aug. 1, 2018, and runs through July. City of Hays staff are recommending the city commission support the Utah-based carrier’s bid to renew its contract for three more years, through Aug. 1, 2024.
SkyWest, doing business as United Express, was the only airline that bid to provide the service.
The contract is administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation through its Essential Air Service Program providing commercial airline service to small communities. Currently the annual subsidy SkyWest receives is $3.1 million. It bid $3.6 million for the new three-year contract.