In other business Monday night, the Great Bend City Council:
• Set 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday, March 10, for a team-building session at the request of Police Chief Cliff Couch. The session will likely take place at the city’s Front Door facility. Couch asked for the session to discuss the police building assessment report and subsequent study, and the options for the futures of the facility.
• Authorized Mayor Mike Allison to sign needed paperwork with Martin K. Eby Construction Company to preform construction manager with a pre-selected architect services for the grizzly bear expansion and reintroduction of the bison zoo improvement project at Brit Spaugh Zoo. The fee will $86,750 plus 8 percent of the cost of the work
At the Feb. 6 council meeting the construction manager at risk method of construction was discussed in detail and it was agreed that this was the appropriate way to move forward on the grizzly bear expansion and reintroduction of bison project. Chris Kliewer of zoo design experts Wichita-based GLMV Architecture and Josh Golka of the city’s on-call engineering firm Wichita-based Professional Engineering Consultants were present at that meeting and recommended the method which was slightly renamed in this case to construction manager with a pre-selected architect, City Administrator Howard Partington said.
In other business Monday night, the council:
• Approved abatements at: 1412 21st St., accumulation of refuse, owned by Jason L. Martin; 1412 21st St., motor vehicle nuisance, owned by Jason L. Martin; 1305 Morphy St., accumulation of refuse, owned by Douglas W. Bender; 1305 Morphy St., motor vehicle nuisance, owned by Douglas W. Bender; 1215 Morton St., motor vehicle nuisance, owned by TMS Rentals; 1432 Lakin Ave., accumulation of refuse, owned by Dorsha Ford; and 1615 Jefferson St., motor vehicle nuisance, owned by Jessica D. Wittig.
• Approved a request for tree trimmer license for I.G. Construction LLC.
• Heard a report from Convention an Visitor’s Burea/Community Coordinator Christina Hayes. She discussed upcoming events including June Jaunt.
Two weeks after it sparked much discussion, a special events permit process ordinance was adopted by the Great Bend City Council Monday night.
At the Feb. 6 council meeting, it was decided to allow two weeks for council members to ask staff members questions regarding the proposed ordinance after objections were raised by Councilman Brock McPherson.
“As you know, I am not in favor of it,” McPherson said Monday night. He felt the measure went too far, especially the potential $1,000 fine and jail time for violations.
He said he’s support the measure if that penalty was struck. This would have allowed the city’s default $500 fine to applicable.
However, his motion died for a lack of a second.
It was then moved to included the higher fine and incarceration, needed it was believed to give the ordinance more teeth. This was seconded and passed, with McPherson the sole no vote.
Earlier, McPherson feared the policy was counter productive and would make events like his Shelby car show difficult to stage, and thought the matter needed more study.
In the end at the last meeting, the council voted to table the matter until this week. McPherson wanted to form a committee to study the matter, but that didn’t garner any other support from others on the council.
The policy, prepared by Police Chief Cliff is aimed at making the process more uniform and efficient. It requires a permitting process that begins with the Director of Public Lands Office. It also sets exemptions, an application process and fines for violating the policy. Applications can be denied and permits can be revoked.
