The Great Bend City Council Tuesday night held a public hearing for a dilapidated mobile home 214 Locust Street. After the hearing, the council passed a resolution deeming it unsafe and dangerous, and calling on the owners to repair or raze the trailer by no later than March 25.
If the owners fail to meet this deadline, the city will remove it and bill them. If they don’t pay, the expenses will be forwarded to the Barton County Clerk for inclusion on the tax rolls.
Interim City Administrator Logan Burns, who was the city building official at the time, conducted a visual inspection of a house, said Code Enforcement Supervisor Art Keffer. During his inspection, Burns noted the south side of the structure has all the siding missing leaving only the studs on the exterior.
“It’s just something that needs to be removed,” Keffer said. He noted that it failed to meet the city’s Uniform Housing Code.
On the west side, two windows are out and there is a large hole in the siding that is open to the environment. The north side of the structure shows similar damage to the south side in that the siding is missing in all areas but the northeast corner.
The north side also shows “X” bracing that is damaged along the entire length of the trailer. The windows and doors are missing out of this side.
The roof on the mobile home does not appear to be in place in the middle third of the mobile home and is open to the elements, Keffer said. The interior of the mobile home appears to be completely gutted.
It appears demolition was started by the property owner, but progress seems to have stopped and “is leaving the mobile home in an unsafe condition,” he said.
The interior of the mobile home appears to be completely gutted. The mobile home appears to have started being demolished by the property owner, but progress seems to have stopped and is leaving the mobile home in an unsafe condition.
Great Bend City Council meeting at a glance
Here is a quick look at what the Great Bend City Council did Tuesday night:
• Approved a Holiday Inn Express ownership transfer for the Community Improvement District. In 2015, the city approved the development agreement with GBK Ventures to build the Holiday Inn Express and create the Community Improvement District sale tax. This is an additional 2% sales tax in the district for the purpose of financing the costs of the development.
This CID sales tax is set to expire 22 years from the date its collection began or earlier if the project is no longer operated as a Holiday Inn Express. They are in the process of transferring ownership to BP Great Bend LLC. In the original development agreement, the developer may assign the agreement and the rights, duties, and obligations with prior written consent from the city, said City Clerk/Finance Director Shawna Schafer.
• Held a public hearing for an unsafe structure at 214 Locust Street. After the hearing, the council ?????.
• Tabled designating a 15-minute parking zone in the sixth stall east of Williams Street on the North side of Forest Street for the Great Bend Tribune.
The parking would be for 15-minutes between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. They have elderly customers who are having difficulties utilizing the parallel parking or having to park further from the business to access it. They would like to reserve the parking near the alley to alleviate the need to parallel parking.
• Approved a charter ordinance governing the appointment, term and salary of municipal officers.
The city is currently engaged in recodification for the purpose of updating them and bringing them into line with current practice. One of the ordinances that needs changed to reflect current realities is the governing officers.
However, the current ordinance is a charter ordinance and charter ordinances may not be changed by recodification, City Attorney Allen Glendenning said. It can only be amended or repealed by a charter ordinance.
• Held a 15-minute executive session to discuss matters of “attorney-client privilege.”
After reconvening in open session, no action was taken.
• Heard a report from Interim City Administrator Logan Burns. He focused on the Justice Center construction project and the search for a new city administrator.
• Heard a report from Christina Hayes, community coordinator and Convention and Visitors Bureau director. She focused on the new Be Our Guest front-line employee customer service program.
• Approved abatements for trash and refuse violations at: 2317 31st St., Mark and Christine Simon; 2525 12th St., Eduardo Torres; 207 Plum St., Leesa Maupin; 125 Chestnut St., Jesus and Feljpa Garcia; 301 Locust St., Antonia Fraire Alvarez; and 405 Walnut St., Ernesto Loera.
• Approved an abatement for a motor vehicle nuisance at 324 Hubbard St., Karla Kirkman.
• Approved permissions for the Wall that Heals event in Great Bend.
The council authorized: The use of AI Burns Field at Veterans Memorial Park May 8 through May 14 (the exhibit will be open May 11-14) for 24 hours each day for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF); closing Main Street to allow a parade escort in on May 8 or 9 for no more than one hour (time will be set and determined by the VVMF); and granting assistance from Park Department, Police Department, The Convention and Visitors Bureau and Public Works Department to ensure the VVMF needs are met.
• Approved a request for unlicensed businesses to serve complimentary alcohol on their premises for the Art & Wine Walk event from 4-7:30 p.m. May 5.
• Approved the Bat Cats use agreement to use the Al Burns Field facility.
• Approved the Sports Complex concessions lease agreement with Jason Ward.
• Held a work session to discuss quality of life project priorities.
