The Great Bend City Council will consider a final concept and design contract for the future municipal swimming pool when it meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday at City Hall.
As part of the quality of life Community Improvement Project, a bond project to start in 2027 was proposed. At the Dec. 15 meeting, the council will be asked to approve a design contract with JEO for $705,000, with an allowance of $150,000 for resident project representation (RPR). This includes:
• $575,000 for design
• $30,000 for bidding/permitting
• $100,000 for construction administration
• The RPR allowance is for up to 600 hours of work that will consist of reviewing site progress, special inspections, documenting onsite observations and reports, providing record drawings and as-built plans at the end of construction. The City can save money if it does not need the hours allotted.
The contract with JEO will consist of topographic survey, design of pool concrete, pool amenities and features, and site design.
Another agenda item Monday is to start the 30-day notice and protest period required to authorize a general obligation bond. A successful protest petition to bring the issue to a general election would require signatures from at least 5% of electors who voted in the last general election.
The City has a 0.15% quality-of-life sales tax, and a new pool was identified in a quality-of-life survey. Last year, the sales tax generated just under $730,000, and the City conservatively budgets $715,000 annually. The estimated annual bond payment is approximately $566,000 over 20 years, with interest rates that may vary from year to year.
The municipal pool was built in 1936 with waterpark features/upgrades in 2005. The agenda notes that a pool committee was formed by the council and it had four meetings, with concepts provided at each. The current concept shows what the committee felt was the best approach to replace the aging pool that has outlasted its lifespan, giving it a fresh new look along with several amenities they felt the community wanted.
The proposed pool sits at 11,047 square feet, slightly down from the existing 11,992 square feet, and features a 215-foot lazy river, 1-meter and 3-meter diving boards, a 34-foot tall fly-time slide, a 31-foot tall open-body slide, basketball goal, climbing wall, eight swimming lanes, slides that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), spray features and multiple areas of shade positioned around pool.
SRCA loan forgiveness
The dragstrip project is also on the Great Bend City Council agenda for Monday. During the budget work session in July, discussions were had with the City Council to forgive the loan given to the Sunflower Rod and Custom Association during the construction of the previous dragstrip for the concrete crash walls. The loan was for $156,195 and SRCA made annual payments totaling $16,000 at 0% interest. The balance is $124,195. City Administrator Logan Burns will recommend that the council approve forgiving the $124,195 balance.
According to agenda materials, with the reconstruction of the dragstrip and tower currently taking place and the settlements from the lawsuit over the previous dragstrip, this formal step is now in order.
Other items on Monday’s agenda are a report from Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Amanda Gaddis and Public Relations Director Addison Crites; renewal of property and casualty insurance for 2026; and tax levy discussion with a report from councilmember Jolene Biggs.
The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall and will be livestreamed for the public to view on the city council Facebook page, https://www.faceboo.com/gbcitycouncil/.
