By GAYLE WEBER

gweber@dailynews.net

Further cooperation between the city of Hays and Ellis County could be on the horizon.

Ellis County Administrator Greg Sund said he is looking into the possibility of contracting with the city to administer stormwater management and building inspections and permits within the 3-mile radius of the city.

"It is the authority of the county commission to handle both of those issues right now, but we don't have any staff to do so," Sund said.

Under such a contract, Sund said the county would grant the city the authority to oversee stormwater management and building inspections and permits and to collect fees associated with the work.

He said the reasonable expectation that the 3-mile buffer zone around the city eventually would be annexed as part of the city is one reason for the cooperation.

"If it's going to be controlled by the city, they might as well inspect it," Commissioner Dean Haselhorst said.

Sund said he will continue to research the issue.

Commissioners also learned Monday they no longer have jurisdiction over rezoning issues in the 3-mile zone around Hays. The city's zoning regulations changed in 2007, but the city had continued to follow prior procedures of sending rezoning requests to the county for approval.

The issue came up as a result of a request to change the L. Kuhn Fourth Addition from agricultural to light industrial. The city commission will rule on that request at a later date.

The county commission could provide input on rezoning issues inside the 3-mile radius at public hearings conducted by the Hays Area Planning Commission, Sund said.

Also Monday, commissioners agreed to set up a joint meeting with the Hays City Commission to discuss issues concerning both boards. The meeting is expected to take place in October.

In other business, commissioners approved:

* Providing flu shots to county employees for free.

* An easement for Nex-Tech to lay fiber optic cable at 240th Avenue and Antonino Road.

* New traffic signs at two sections of roadway in Ellis County. Stop signs, along with advanced warning signs, will be placed on 260th Avenue at the intersection of Hopewell Road. The east half-mile of the 1500 block of Smoky Hill River Road will receive 45 mph speed limit signs, as well as child-at-play signs because of excessive speed recorded on that stretch of roadway.

* Placement of a United Way of Ellis County thermometer on the Ellis County Courthouse lawn.

* A Motorola service agreement for radio units in county dispatch.

* A drinking establishment license for Alfred B. Linenberger for the Fanchon Ballroom and Supper Club.