By GAYLE WEBER

gweber@dailynews.net

Plans are ready for a fixed-route bus service in Hays, now it's up to local government entities to decide to fund it.

Ron Straight, transportation manager with Access Transportation, requested more than $100,000 in additional funding for 2010 from the Ellis County Commission on Tuesday for the new form of service.

A city- and county-appointed committee made a recommendation in June 2008 to shift to having both a fixed-route service and the existing para-transit service.

"It is the next step if we are going to proceed with having public transportation in the community," Straight said.

The committee recommended a 16-hour service to parallel the para-transit schedule. Straight said the ideal situation would allow him to devote six vans to the fixed-route service, but his request for start-up money will allow three vans to run three regular routes through Hays and to Victoria and Ellis periodically.

The cost of the service would be about $215,000 each year to local entities. Capital costs would be about $19,000 each year. The costs are matches to federal and state funds.

"There are other options that are less," Straight said. "We could run 10-hour days or two versus three routes."

Access Van saw about 67,500 riders in 2008, and Straight expects that number to rise in 2009. However, projections estimate ridership at more than 90,000 in the first year if a fixed-route service was implemented.

"There is no reason we should provide door-to-door service for everybody," Straight said. "I would like to see 75 percent of those 68,000 riders move to (fixed-route service), which means we should be able to reduce the amount needed for para-transit service."

Straight requested $70,000 for the 2010 budget Tuesday to maintain the para-transit service, which he said is expensive because of the personalized service the agency provides.

He also asked for $106,305 to begin the fixed route service and an additional $9,560 for capital expenses. Both amounts are a little less than half the amount needed to start the service.

Straight will make a similar request to the Hays City Commission next week.

Ellis County commissioners will begin reviewing budgets Monday.

In other business:

* The Ellis County Council on Aging requested an additional $18,425 for the Hays Senior Center in 2010.

The extra costs are associated with the center's move to a new location on Old U.S. Highway 40 in December.

"There was no utilities paid (at the Hadley Center), so that's where we have the biggest increase in this budget," Council on Aging President Bill Moriarity said.

The budget also includes increases in salaries for new employees, additional rent expense and double the maintenance costs for the larger facility.

All other budgets within the Ellis County Council on Aging remained the same or decreased for 2010.

* Ellis County Attorney Tom Drees left his 2010 proposed budget relatively the same as 2009, but told commissioners when they have money to work with, he would like to hire an additional attorney and staff member to handle the county's case load.

The additional hires, however, would require additional space in the county attorney's office.

* Rates have been raised for juveniles to stay at the Greater Western Kansas Regional Juvenile Detention Center in WaKeeney. Judi Tiller with Juvenile Intake proposed a budget $7,000 higher than the 2009 budget to make up for the rate increase from $145 per day per person to $170 per day.

Ellis County commissioners heard the following budget requests Tuesday:

* Ellis County Appraiser, $492,652.

* Ellis County Council on Aging, $139,271.

* Ellis County Treasurer, $398,651.

* Ellis County Attorney, $382,314.

* Ellis County Emergency Management, $70,558.

* Juvenile Intake, $52,250.

* Ellis County Sheriff, $1,942,557.

* Ellis Alliance, $5,000.

* Ellis Free Fair, $3,250.

* Ellis County Rural Fire, $339,625.

* Access Van, $185,865.

* High Plains Mental Health, $225,000.

* Ellis County Historical Society, $105,700.

* Ellis County EMS, $1,863,113.