Public hearings set for hotel incentives
Once the Great Bend Hotel and Convention Center were a combined entity. Later, the City acquired the convention center at 3111 10th St., which is now the Great Bend Events Center. The former Highland Hotel property at 3017 10th St. sat empty until Great Bend Economic Development purchased it in 2022 and launched Project Change (see https://www.gbedinc.com/projectchange). The hotel was razed and work began to find a developer for a new hotel and restaurant.
Public hearing 1
On Jan. 27, the Great Bend Planning Commission reviewed the proposed project plan and adopted a resolution finding it is consistent with the comprehensive plan for the development of the City. After the public hearing, the intention is for the City Council to adopt the redevelopment project plan within the boundaries of the 10th Street Redevelopment Project. The boundaries are where the vacant land is now. This is part of the incentive package for Great Bend Lodging LLC.
Public hearing 2
As part of the incentive package of Great Bend Lodging LLC, the city proposes creating a Community Improvement District (CID) and levying a CID 2% sales tax inside that district, where the hotel and restaurant would be built, to help pay for the costs of the nearly $23 million project. The portion of the project proposed to be financed with tax would generate $3.4 million over the maximum term of 22 years of the CID.
"The sales tax would only be for the property ... east of the Events Center, currently vacant land," City Administrator Logan Burns said.
The city council will be asked to adopt these measures on March 17 after the conclusion of the public hearing.
New Finance Software purchased for City
The City's finance software, which includes the general ledger, payroll, accounts payable and utility billing, is through Tyler Technologies, and Great Bend uses its product FundBalance, City Clerk/Finance Director Shawna Schafer said.
"We were notified by Tyler Technologies in early November that the solution FundBalance will reach its end of life and will be retired effective Dec. 31, 2026," she said. Staff sat through three software demos with three different companies and recommended Edmunds GovTech software, based in New Jersey, as the most user-friendly.
"They have a lot of features I thought would be beneficial for the City," Schafer said, adding these are features the current software does not have. "Some features will really speed up our processes."
GovTech was also the most economical, at $98,778 ($59,715 one-time conversion fee and an annual fee of $39,063). The other demos were from Tyler Technologies ERP Pro Solution for $147,520 ($96,700 conversion fee and annual $50,820 fee) and Computer Information Concepts (CIC).
However, CIC "never gave me a quote," Schafer said, adding she attempted to follow up with them three times. "They did say during the demo that the software is being rewritten currently and that if we switched to them, we would be doing the conversion twice, but the second time would be at no additional fee."
Bryce Edmunds from GovTech attended the council meeting via Zoom to answer questions.
The council approved the purchase from GovTech. The funds will come from a year-end transfer to the capital equipment fund. There was an overage in the police station sales tax money and the council has the consensus to transfer it back to the general fund to replenish a portion of the $250,000 year-end transfer to the police station fund in 2023.
Highway improvements
Assistant City Engineer Sreehitha Kadiyala spoke and received the council's approval of a bid from Venture Corporation for a 2024 CCLIP project for $477,328.
This consists of a resurfacing project on Main Street from the bridge to 2nd Street and on Patton Road from 10th to 9th St.
The City put out bids for the construction of CCLIP (City Connecting Link Improvement Program) Pavement Surfacing Improvements and Venture submitted the only bid. This is a reimbursement project; the State's participation is 90% and the City's is 10% of the cost. CCLIP is run by the Kansas Department of Transportation.
SRO/DARE vehicle
Last month, the council approved the purchase of a replacement vehicle for the Great Bend Police Department's School Resource Officer/Drug Abuse Resistance Education from Marmie Chevrolet for $55,000 and authorized upfitting from Superior Emergency Response Vehicle (SERV) in Andover for up to $12,000. Police Chief Steve Haulmark said he learned the approval came too late and the city had "missed the window" for that price from Marmies.
"SERV said that they would sell us one for the original quoted price," Haulmark said. "I'm back here this evening asking for authorization to purchase that vehicle from SERV for the amount of $56,750 (and the upfitting for a total of $69,238)." It was approved.
City Administrator Report
City Administration Logan Burns gave the following report on city business at Monday's City Council meeting:
—Fire Station 2 roof repair continues. Great Bend Fire Department's new pumper tanker is expected on Feb. 21 and a new ladder truck should arrive on Feb. 18.
—Roofmasters is expected to have the roof at the Sports Complex done by March 1 before ball games start.
—Council members were reminded to let Burns know if they want to attend the annual Chamber of Commerce Banquet or the Western Kansas Delegate trip to Washington, D.C.
—The next council meeting will be Tuesday, Feb. 18, due to the 17th falling on Presidents' Day.
"As part of that meeting, we'll be bringing back the decision for mud volleyball and fireworks at Party in the Park," Burns said.
—The committee that makes recommendations for the Quality of Life Sales Tax has sent the updated capital improvement plan, which the council needs to look at during an upcoming work session.
—John Worden, administrator of The University of Kansas Health System — Great Bend Campus, will give an economic impact study presentation at the March 3 council meeting.
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