Several Great Bend residents stopped by Perks Coffee Shop Friday morning for the first “Kendal’s Koffee” and a chance to meet and chat with Kendal Francis, the new city administrator, while enjoying free coffee and scones. Francis said this is something he plans to do quarterly at different locations.
With a goal of sharing information, answering questions and keeping city government transparent, Francis said he may also try other venues, such a live chat streaming on social media. Meanwhile, he took the opportunity to promote the city’s revamped, official website, www.greatbendks.net, and its new “tracker feature.” Users can go to the website and click on “report a concern.”
“If you use it, it’s set up to go directly to the people that would take care of the concern,” Francis said. The categories for more than 30 concerns that can be reported include “street light out,” “animal at large” or “dogs barking.”
This is a more timely way to address issues, Francis said, using the example of reporting potholes on city streets. “Even if you think we probably know about it, please tell us anyway.”
The system does require first-time users to sign in, but Francis said he hopes that won’t keep people away.
Key positions filled
Two months into his job as city administrator, Francis said there’s a lot going on. He mentioned new employees in key positions, including Simon Wiley, the new assistant public works director, and James Cell, the city’s first networking administrator, and he’s just hired an assistant engineer, Sreehitha “Hita” (pronounced HEE-ta) Kadiyala.
“I think she’s going to have a lot of good ideas for the department,” he said. One thing they’ve already discussed is a geographic information system (GIS) for data gathering and management.
The city once again has an opening for a police officer, and there is a new position for a staff accountant, Francis said.
Collaborative efforts
“A goal of mine is to be more collaborative — do more things with the county and the surrounding cities,” Francis said. “These are conversations we're having.”
For example, the city may take over road maintenance from a township for Kiowa Road between Second and Tenth Street, which is at least partially outside the city limits but provides access to the wastewater plant.
“It’s in pretty bad shape,” he said. “It has a lot of drainage issues.”
Meanwhile, works to repair the city’s tennis courts was set to start next week after Monday’s approval by the Great Bend Recreation Commission’s Board of Directors, although the weather may cause a delay. Francis noted this project is jointly funded by the City, GBRC and Great Bend USD 428, with additional funding from Barton Community College. “It’s a great example of how we’re continuing to work well together.”
Other needs
“There’s been discussion about AstroTurf at the Sports Complex,” Francis said. Mayor Joe Andrasek appointed a study committee, so, “I hope the process can move forward rather quickly and we can make a recommendation.”
The SRCA Dragstrip also needs repairs, perhaps to the tune of $750,000 to $1 million. “We’re assessing what we can do in a timely fashion,” he said. Francis said the city will look for funding sources. The dragstrip is on the historical register so there may be some grant money available.
Community Vision
Another project that Francis is excited about is Community Vision, which is in its early stages. The Great Bend Chamber of Commerce describes its goal as “generating conversation and big ideas.” A professional facilitator from Shockey Consulting will guide a large steering committee through challenges and opportunities facing the community. The Barton County Young Professionals will play a major role in creating an action plan with the theme “Great Bend: Better Than Great.”
The steering committee will involve more than 50 people, Francis said. “I’m excited to see how it plays out.”
Community concerns
Audience members also had issues they wanted to talk about at the coffee. Janel Rose from the Barton County Health Department said she’d like to see Great Bend have tobacco-free parks — especially playgrounds.
“I just really want to see Great Bend look fresh and bright and vital,” Rose said, also citing health concerns.
Francis said he’s not against tobacco-free parks, but he would have questions about enforcement. One option would be “no tobacco” signs, but allowing the parks to be self-policed by people who use them. Several areas already do that, including the dog park and the BMX park.
Rose is also interested in the “complete streets” concept, designed for safe access for motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists and transit riders.
She and others in the audience voiced concerns about sidewalks, but were told those are the property owners’ responsibility. However, Francis said the city is interested in applying for a Safe Routes to School grant through the Kansas Department of Transportation. “It is highly competitive and it’s a timely process but there are things that we will be looking at,” he said.
Other concerns were after-school traffic at Great Bend Middle School and the condition of the parking lot at the Great Bend Senior Center, which is owned by the city.
