It will be a time for a changing of the guard at the Great Bend City Council as it reorganizes Monday night, and new council members are welcomed and outgoing members are honored. The meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. at the Great Bend Events Center.

According to the agenda, first, City Administrator Kendal Francis will recognize council members Barry Bowers, who represented Ward 2, and Dana Dawson, who represented Ward 3, for their years of service.

Next, City Clerk Shawna Schafer will administer the oath of office to those elected or reelected in the Nov. 3 general election. They include:

• Lindsey Krom-Craven who reclaimed her Ward 1 seat. Also representing Ward 1 is Alan Moeder.

• Kevyn Soupiset, the new Ward 2 councilman who replaces Bowers, who did not seek reelection. Soupiset joins the other Ward 2 representative, Councilwoman Jolene Biggs.

•  Brock McPherson, who retook his position representing the fourth ward. 

There were no declared candidates for McPherson’s seat since opted not to re-file. But he ran as a write-in candidate, winning as the only contestant. 

Junior Welsch is the other Ward 4 council member.

The new council will then elect a president. The council president serves in the temporary absence of the mayor.

However, there remains an open seat for Ward 3, which essentially covers the southwest quadrant of the city south of Broadway and K-96. This was also addressed by the council.

No one filed for the Ward 3 opening. Dawson, who did not file, garnered the most write-in votes, but he has indicated he would decline, city officials said. 

Since the seat doesn’t go to the write-in candidate with the second highest vote total, it will be filled via an application process, officials said. After the application deadline has passed, a council committee will be formed to interview applicants and make a recommendation to the entire governing body.

Applications will be available at City Hall, 1209 Williams St., or online at greatbendks.net. Applications hand-delivered or mailed to City Hall or applications sent digitally will all be accepted. 

Digital apps can be scanned and emailed to City Clerk Shawna Schafer at sschafer@greatbendks.net.

There are eight members on the council, two representing each of the four wards and each serving two-year terms. Every year, one seat in each ward is up for election.