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Settlement coming on dragstrip
dragstrip
Pictured is the starting line at Great Bend’s Sunflower Rod and Custom Association dragstrip. Since 2023, racing events have been canceled at the facility due to problems with the track.

After a 10-minute executive session to seek legal advice from the City Attorney, the Great Bend City Council voted 8-0 on Monday to proceed with a general agreement with EBH in the lawsuit over the dragstrip.

Like the agreement with Suchy Construction in November, the City has not disclosed any details.

Evans, Bierly, Hutchinson and Associates Consulting Engineers of Great Bend (EBH), handled the engineering for a full-depth replacement of the entire track at the Great Bend Expo Complex west of town. Suchy Construction won the bid for $1,601,206.54.

Upon completion of the project in 2021, Sunflower Rod and Custom Association, which manages the dragstrip, found several “high spots” existed in the racing surface that caused dragsters to shake and their wheels to leave the track. Eventually, the SRCA and its volunteer board canceled the 2023 race season because the racing surface was unsafe and needed substantial remedial work. It remains closed. 


What happened Monday

“We have reached a general agreement with EBH,” Glendenning said in the open meeting after the executive session. “To get to the exact (settlement) number, there’s an audit that needs to take place and some other factors that need to take place, but essentially it will be along the lines that we discussed in executive session. If the council so desires, I would recommend that you move to authorize the mayor and the attorneys to finalize that agreement along those lines and to sign the actual settlement agreement once it is prepared.”

After that item of business, the city council called for a 20-minute executive session for discussion of a personnel matter, announcing there would be no action after that.


Appointments and more

Here is a summary of other actions taken by the board on Monday.

• Mayor Cody Schmidt appointed Ladonna Moore and Steve Dobratz to the Planning Commission.

• An ordinance on solar regulations within the 3-mile zoning jurisdiction of Barton County failed 3-4, with one abstention.

• There were reports from City Administrator Logan Burns and Community Coordinator Christina Hayes.

• A lease agreement with Global Green Energy Group was added to the agenda and approved.

• A one-year contract for cleaning services at the Justice Center was approved. This is a renewal of the agreement with Mayra Kurtz, doing business as Kleen Smart, for $36,000, the same price as last year.

• The contract with Dr. Mike Malone, DVM, as the zoo veterinarian was extended for another year. Also approved was an upgrade to the veterinary X-ray for $25,845.

• A contract for a Pavement Management Plan from JEO Consulting Group was approved for $65,100.