Latest news with #GreatBendCityCouncil
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Dr. Corbett will continue as Zoo Veterinarian
Apr. 18—The Great Bend City Council will meet at 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 21, at City Hall. The meeting will be livestreamed on the City Council Facebook page, The Council will be asked to close Main Street from 24th to 12 St. from 10-11:30 a.m. on June 7 for the Big Bend Bash Parade, and to close Lakin Ave. from Main to Williams St. from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. that day for the car show. During the meeting, Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Amanda Gaddis and Economic Development President Sara Arnberger will share more information about the Big Bend Bash. Another festival on the agenda is Cinco de Mayo. Julia Marin has applied for a one-day cereal malt beverage license for the beer garden at the Cinco de Mayo celebration from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on May 3. Dry Lake Brewery is also requesting a temporary premises extension on May 3 for their anniversary party. Veterinary Contract Dr. Jackie Corbett has been one of the zoo veterinarians with Dr. Mike Malone for several decades and has a specialized skill set for the exotic animals housed at the Great Bend Brit Spaugh Zoo. Animal Medical Center is purchasing Dr. Malone's clinic (Animal Care Hospital) and will be keeping Dr. Corbett as the zoo veterinarian with the addition of Dr. Ty Brunswig. According to the agenda for Monday's meeting, Dr. Corbett and the zoo staff have an extremely close working relationship and she has a thorough knowledge of the individual animals and their needs. Dr. Brunswig has assisted with procedures at the zoo. "This is a highly specialized service, and though other veterinarians could likely handle the work, the relationships and trust with staff and animals cannot be easily replaced, nor the wealth of knowledge obtained over the years." Zoo Director Ashley Burdick will report and the administration recommends approving a three-year contract for vet services with Nels N. Lindberg, DVM LLC, doing business at Animal Medical Center. In other business, the council will be asked to approve the equipment purchase for analyzing narcotics for the Police Department and a bid for electrical work at the Wastewater Treatment Facility.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Wald & Co. regains GB Fireworks show
Apr. 9—The Great Bend City Council was divided Monday on who should get the contract for the City's July 3 fireworks shows at the Expo. Instead of following the administration's recommendation of Victory Pyrotechnics from Wichita, which did last year's show, the council voted 4-2 to go with Wald & Co. Inc. and All-American Display Fireworks for $15,000. Councilwoman Jolene Biggs made the motion, noting Wald & Co., based in Ellinwood, is local. Victory Pyro's recommended option was a three-year agreement for $15,262 per year. The motion was seconded by Alan Moeder and "yea" votes were by Biggs, Moeder, Gary Parr and Tina Mingenback. Voting "no" were Cory Urban and Davis Jimenez. Kevyn Soupiset and Rickee Maddox were not at the meeting. In the discussion before the vote, Parr asked who did fireworks at the last Party in the Park, where he said there was poor communication in synchronizing the show with the music. "We were a quarter of a song off." City Administration Logan Burns did not know the answer to that question. Urban, who voted against the motion, said, "I heard there were issues" with Wald & Co. in the past. "There were, yes, a couple years ago," Biggs said. She did not elaborate. Discussion continued about the importance of communication and whether the fireworks go high enough. City Administrator Logan Burns said former Community Coordinator Christina Hayes raised the money for the 2025 show along with securing $11,637 for next year's shows. The City needs to continue to raise funds for future shows. Next year is the U.S. sesquicentennial (250th anniversary) and Great Bend may want a bigger fireworks show, Burns said. He added that the City partners with Eagle Radio for the patriotic music that plays during the shows. Alcohol consumption rules for Vets Park Alcohol consumption is banned on most property deeded to the City of Great Bend but city officials realize that ban isn't always obeyed. City Administrator Logan Burns led discussion at Monday's Great Bend City Council meeting on what the next alcohol ordinance for Veterans Memorial Park should look like. Burns said he plans to bring an ordinance before the council at its next meeting. Although alcohol is banned, the city can always pass a resolution allowing consumption during special events. "We currently treat Vets Park as permission-only for events that happen at the park, such as Party in the Park," Burns said. Any event with alcohol consumption must also be approved at other locations, such as the zoo or the main hangar at the airport. It requires the Council to approve a resolution each time an event comes up. Targeted areas, such as the Great Bend Events Center, can also be exempted from the ban. Another avenue the Council could take is to exempt the park from the ban on alcohol. This is already done at the Events Center and the Expo. Council approval isn't needed for any particular event or time, and alcohol can be consumed there at any time. "One thing that was brought up was, during the summer adult slow pitch softball games, there's alcohol consumed in the parking lots at Burns Field and Vets Park," Burns said. After speaking to Police Chief Steve Haulmark and Public Lands Director Scott Keeler, he determined there have been no issues caused by this. "This thing has been going on for 50 years. I mean, it's nothing new, but we haven't had any trouble with it," he said. "One idea is to make Vets Park permission only, but then come back with a resolution to allow alcohol consumption during adult softball leagues," Burns said. The Council could exempt all or part of the park from the no-alcohol rule. Recently, the topic of consumption has moved to the Municipal Auditorium, where the sponsor might want to hold a corn hole tournament during the Big Bend Bash in June. A blanket exemption from the "no alcohol on city property" rule might work, or "you can put those specific locations that you want to be exempt, and then everything else is permission only." Burns said no decision was expected Monday. "(This will) just be discussion on where we want this to go. ... We'll come back at the next meeting with an ordinance." Mayor Cody Schmidt said crafting ordinances over the course of two or more meetings is a good idea. "I think this is probably what you'll see in the future with ordinances, as we move forward. We'll have more of a discussion before we take any action on it." He said that should relieve City Attorney Allen Glendenning from having to write two or three different ordinances to suit everyone's input and suggestions. Councilmembers were in agreement that there shouldn't be alcohol at, for example, the Sports Complex, where youth ball games are played. But for adult games, the consensus was that the ordinance should reflect what they already know happens. "This is just the consumption side of it," Burns said. "If you're going to sell it, there's still going to have to be licensing and permits." It was also noted that cereal malt beverages are not considered "alcohol" under state law. Originally, that meant 3.2 beer could be sold with a CMB permit. Then, in 2019, the State of Kansas amended its statutes to allow "enhanced beer" with alcohol content up to 6 percent to be sold in businesses holding cereal-malt beverage licenses. At that time, Great Bend amended its ordinance to be in line with state law. Meeting at a glance Here's a quick look at items approved at Monday's Great Bend City Council meeting: —Mayor Cody Schmidt named several board appointments and reappointments: — Cassandra Hernandez and Karry Schmidt to the Library Board — Carol Steiner to the Commission on Aging Board — Ryan Hammeke, Jason Wahlmeier and Alan Crowther to the Board of Construction, Trades, Examiners, and Appeals (BOCTEA) — David Olson to the Zoning Board and the Building Board of Examiners and Appeals —The Council votes 4-2 to approve a proposal from Wald & Co. Inc. for the July 3 fireworks show for $15,000. —The council approved a change to the mini-pitch surfacing at Heizer Park. Merritt Tennis & Track Systems will put an acrylic surface on the court to add aesthetics and long-term preservation of the concrete, for $27,930. —The council approved an agreement with JEO Consulting Group for a 2025 Water System Preliminary Engineering Report for $75,000, and for a Wastewater Treatment Preliminary Engineering Report for $85,000. —The commission approved the purchase of an air burner firebox for the compost site from Air Burners Inc. for $163,107, and Hammeke Electric will install an electric box at the site for $2,259.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
City looks at new system for compost site
Apr. 2—The Great Bend City Council will consider a proposal to add an air burner firebox for the compost site. These and other topics are on the agenda for the next council meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 7, at City Hall. The meeting will be livestreamed on the City Council Facebook page, httsp:// Public Works Director Jason Cauley will report on the proposal for the compost site. The recommendation calls for the purchase of an air burner firebox from Air Burners Inc. for $163,107 and for Hammeke Electric to install an electric box at the compost site for $2,259. Agenda materials explain the recommendation. Since the inception of the compost site, the City has burned tree debris in a berm area. Employees watch and pay attention to wind conditions, wind direction and moisture conditions before burning and get approval from the Fire Department. Depending on the wind, the city can become inundated with the smell of smoke. In addition, the street crew must watch the fire 24 hours while the fire is burning. According to Kansas Department of Health and Environment statutes, if it is smoking it is still burning. By adding the recommended system, staff anticipates the City can burn more frequently, so they won't need to stockpile as much tree debris. The system would burn approximately 3 to 4 tons of material an hour. The system is an enclosed steel box with an air curtain that traps smoke and increases the interior temperature to approximately 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit. Once it is up to temperature, there is no smoke. Employees can burn during the day and within two hours of the end of the day begin the process of snuffing the fire. Under normal conditions, this will eliminate the need for staff to stand by. This system is endorsed by the EPA and U.S. Forest Service, and the City can use funds from its FEMA reimbursement for debris removal for the purchase. Other agenda items In other business Monday, the council will discuss the City's alcohol ordinance for Vets Park and will be asked to approve a three-year agreement for the annual July 3 firework show. It will consider a change to the mini-pitch surfacing at Heizer Park. The Council will also be asked to approve two agreements with JEO Consulting Group; one is for the 2025 Water System Preliminary Engineering Report and the other is for the 2025 Wastewater Treatment Facility Preliminary Engineering Report.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Downtown sidewalk grant, Art & Wine Walk, and GBRC fireworks approved
Mar. 18—Three Great Bend City Council members were absent from Monday's meeting. Councilman Kevyn Soupiset was also not at the meeting initially but Mayor Cody Schmidt called him on the telephone so there would be a quorum. A roll call was taken for each vote, with all items passing 5-0. One vote required at least 2/3s of the council's approval to pass. Mayor Schmidt cast the required sixth vote in favor of adopting Ordinance 4454, establishing the Great Bend Lodging Community Improvement District. Here's a brief look at actions taken at the March 17 meeting: —Payroll ending March 1 was covered in the amount of $454,238.61, and other bills to date were paid. —A door-to-door license was approved for Shelly Burhenn, doing business as Four Soldiers Mowing LLC, Great Bend. —A tree trimmer license was approved for Charles Roberts, doing business as Roberts Tree Service, Larned. —The Mayor signed the concession lease with Jason Ward at the Sports Complex. GBRC Fireworks —The Great Bend Rec Commission received approval for a firework show at the Flashlight Easter Egg Hunt on the evening of April 5. —Two resolutions were approved setting public hearings on May 5 to declare dangerous buildings. The mobile home at 201 Walnut was damaged by fire in June 2024 and the house at 218 Pine was damaged by fire last month. Art & Wine Walk —Amanda Gaddis with the Great Bend Convention and Visitors Bureau talked about the 11th annual Art & Wine Walk, set for May 2. An ordinance was adopted to allow unlicensed businesses to serve complimentary alcohol on their premises for this event. Hotel Development Incentives —A public hearing was held, with no objections voiced, on creating a Community Improvement District (CID) and sales tax within the district. This is part of the incentive package for Great Bend Lodging LLC, which plans to build a hotel and restaurants on 10th Street next to the Great Bend Events Center. The council then adopted Ordinance 4453, establishing the Great Bend Lodging Community Improvement District. —A public hearing was held, with no objections voiced, on adopting a redevelopment project plan. This is another step in formalizing an incentive package for Great Bend Lodging LLC. After the hearing, the council voted 6-0 to adopt Ordinance 4454, adopting the plan. Downtown sidewalk grant —Assistant City Engineer Hitha Kadiyala reported on a Transportation Alternatives (TA) Grant project and the council approved the Transportation Alternative agreement with the Kansas Department of Transportation. The City applied for this program on March 1, 2024, for downtown sidewalk repair and accessibility improvements on Main Street from 10th to 17th. The project grant was awarded last October. "Even though our eligibility should be a 20% match if the program is awarded, KDOT awarded the grant project with 100% funding with $0 city match, which includes construction engineering and preliminary engineering," Kadiyala reported. "As the next steps for the process, KDOT requires the City to enter into a City/State agreement. We are currently in the process of selecting a consultant for this project and once the selection is made, we then have to enter into a separate three-party contract developed by the state as well." The TA grant is a reimbursement project and funding will come from the KDOT grants fund and the quarter-cent city sales tax fund.
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
GB hospital director describes economic impact
Mar. 7—John Worden, administrator of the University of Kansas Health System — Great Bend Campus, joined this week's Great Bend City Council meeting to talk about the hospital's economic impact. Health care can be a business driver and part of a strong economic base for a community, he said. UKHS used a consulting group that looked at: —direct impacts, such as salaries paid and construction spending; —indirect impacts, which include services and goods that the hospital buys locally; and —induced impacts, or all of the dollars spent by employees and construction companies. Together, they create a ripple effect, he said. "Specifically for Barton County, we had a $150 million economic impact ... looking at calendar year 2023." UKHS employs 439 people who work in Barton County and 357 of them live in the county. The hospital spent $26 million for labor and a little over $1.1 million in direct construction spending. Worden said one of the things he is proud of is the hospital's partnership with Barton Community College, which brings the total value to Barton County to almost $180 million. Putting it into perspective, he said, "Great Bend has almost as much value for the state as the NFL Draft was last year, so that's pretty cool." The KC Chiefs' economic impact is about $1 billion a year, he continued, "and then our Health System as a whole is a little over $7 billion with (approximately) 20,000 employees that are specifically for the Health System in Kansas right now." Vehicle purchases approved Meeting at a glance Here's a quick look at action taken Monday by the Great Bend City Council. —Norm Patel was appointed to the Convention & Visitors Bureau Board of Directors by Mayor Cody Schmidt. —The council approved the payroll register covering payroll ending Feb. 15 for $542,261.73. —It also approved closing Main Street from 19th St. to Lakin Ave. from 11 a.m. to noon on May 3 for the Cinco de Mayo Parade. —Property at 3118 18th St., owned by Ramirez Construction LLC, was abated. Junk and refuse will be removed and the cost assessed to the property owner. —Public Lands Director Scott Keeler's recommendation for a new park truck was approved. The council accepted the low bid of $43,795 for a Ford F-250 4x4 from Marmie Ford. The City will be trading in a 2008 F-150 with 122,836 miles and ongoing mechanical issues for $2,500. The larger truck is needed because it can pull a dump trailer, saving the cost of buying a dump truck. —Airport Manager Martin Miller's request to seek alternative funding for the crosswind runway reconstruction at the airport was approved. This project has been on the airport's five-year plan for some time. Federal Aviation Administration funding was previously approved. "What we're lacking is a promise we're going to get funded very soon," Miller said. "What they're giving us is a, 'Hey, hang in there.'" The council approved his recommendation to authorize the mayor to sign an appropriation request through the Kansas Congressional delegation through Fiscal Year 26. —Police Chief Steve Haulmark's request to purchase four patrol vehicles was added to the agenda. Marmie Ford was selected as they had the lower quote of $48,000 per vehicle. Superior Emergency Response Vehicles (SERV) will be used for the updating at a cost of $5,787 per vehicle. "The Police Department intends to either trade or sell the vehicles that are being replaced based on the current mileage," Haulmark said. —The council moved into an executive session for 15 minutes to privately discuss a personnel matter. When the public meeting resumed, City Attorney Allen Glendenning was asked to explain what they had discussed. An employee that the city provided to assist him as city attorney has retired. "Under the city's current contract with Watkins Calcara (Law Firm), you would be required to provide a person to assist me in that." The city's options were to hire another person in-house or to add that service into the Watkins Calcara contract and the firm would provide the legal assistant, which is what he proposed. The current contract is set to expire in November and the council approved then starting a three-year amended contract. The attorney services fee will increase from $14,000 a month to $15,000 a month. Anything "over and above the ordinary services" would be at a rate of $250 per hour. The city can still use its current bond council if desired. The new contract also includes appeals to the District Court on Municipal Court prosecutions as extra work, also for $250 per hour. "That's common for those to be paid for extra because that can be much more involved than the prosecution in Municipal Court," he said. The contract is for another three years and will be reevaluated after one year. Councilman Gary Parr commented, "Just so the taxpayers know, your rates are considerably less than what we could go anywhere else, from what you showed us. Is that correct?" "I would say they're in line with what you could get elsewhere. What I showed you specifically was Hays, and they're at $300 an hour for the additional services, $200 an hour for the appeals, and I've just put $250 for both." The council approved the new contract.
