More than half of Monday’s Great Bend City Council meeting was conducted behind closed doors, for discussion of the vacant City Administrator Position.
The council met in executive session for 20 minutes, and then for 15 minutes more, to discuss hiring a city administrator. The meeting adjourned after the second session with no action taken.
Interim City Administrator Logan Burns and City Attorney Allen Glendenning joined six council members in the executive sessions, which were the last items on Monday’s agenda. Councilwoman Lindsey Krom-Craven and councilman Brock McPherson were absent.
Earlier in the meeting, during his report, Logan commented that city administrator interviews were conducted on March 29 and at this time officials are hoping for a new administrator to start in June. None of the candidates’ names have been revealed to the public.
Updating the skate park
In other business, the council approved the replacement of the concrete at the skate park area in Brit Spaugh Park.
The skate park was resurfaced in the late 1990s, replacing tennis courts constructed in the 1970s, said Public Lands Director Scott Keeler. The layers of asphalt and concrete have deteriorated over the years.
The city put this project out for bid and Sharkey Construction was the lowest bid at $99,850. They had budgeted $130,000 through the Quality of Life Sales Tax for the work, and Keeler said the remaining balance could be used for new fencing and repairs to the ramps.
The new concrete pad will be 125 square feet. The scheduled completion date is June 1.
The skate park, located immediately northeast of the Brit Spaugh Zoo, was the first project suggested by the city’s Youth Academy.
A partnership between the City of Great Bend and the city’s Youth Academy, an innovative group of youth in the community, has resulted in several projects designed to enhance the active experiences of young people.
The park is open during regular park hours (6 a.m. to midnight). Users must bring their own skateboards and safety equipment, and visitors to the park can enjoy several ramps and other trick props.
This is one of a host of initiatives made possible through the .15% Quality of Life sales tax approved by Great Bend voters in November 2021. The projects are part of a 10-year quality of life capital improvement plan, with a handful like the skate park, slated for completion within the first year.
Last spring, the 13-member City of Great Bend Quality of Life Committee was formed. They met and conducted a public survey to garner community input.
City officials picked the top suggestions in a wide range of price categories to wrap into the plan.
The end of 15-minute parking
The council also approved a resolution repealing all 15-minute parking zones in the city.
At the last meeting, the council voted to remove all 15-minute parking restrictions on city streets and parking lots. Most of those zones were initially established by a resolution. Therefore, to fully effect the removal of those zones, the council needed to pass a resolution repealing the prior resolutions, said City Attorney Allen Glendenning.
Meeting at a glance
Here is a quick look at what the Great Bend City Council did Monday night:
• Met in executive session to discuss hiring a city administrator.
• Heard from Great Bend resident Gary Mick during the public comment portion of the meeting. He suggested the city look into an ordinance requiring the removal of tree stumps, and he said something needs to be done about speeding motorists on Williams Street from 31st to 24th, calling the area a “drag strip, more or less.”
“I’d invite you all to drive down 29th Street from Williams west,” he said.
• Approved a resolution repealing all 15-minute parking zones in the city.
• Approved the replacement of the concrete at the Brit Spaugh Park skate park facility.
• Heard a report from Interim City Administrator Logan Burns. He focused on construction progress at the new Justice Center, the Chamber of Commerce’s transfer of ownership of Expo I and Expo II buildings as of Friday, March 31, the ongoing installation of automated water meters and the installation of a new walking trail bridge at Veterans Memorial Park, scheduled to start on April 17. Burns also reported that the county commission is interested in a joint meeting with the city council.
• Approved abatements for trash and refuse violations at: 1300 Madison St., Moses Properties LLC; 2310 8th St., Richard Ogle; 1819 Madison St., Moses Properties LLC; and 3108 18th St., Matthew Jones.
• Approved abatements for motor vehicle nuisance violations at: 132 Maple St., Ramon Garcia; 2624 24th St., Orvil L. Stevens Revocable Trust; 2508 Zarah Dr., Exavier and Diezel Carey; 816 Maple St., TM Acquisitions LLC; and 817 Maple St., TM Acquisitions LLC.
• Approved permissions for June Jaunt activities, June 2 and 3, such as closing roads and extending park hours in Jack Kilby Square.
