Barton County Commission meeting at a glance
Here is quick look at what Barton County Commission did Wednesday morning:
• Presented a report on the third-annual joint County Commission-Great Bend City Council meeting last Thursday night at the Courthouse.
Topics included partnership opportunities, economic and budget development, Operation Clean sweep and landscaping upgrades. The commissioners all joined in the presentation.
“It was a great meeting,” said commission Chairman Shawn Hutchinson, noting this was the best one yet. “It was light and it was fun.”
“We are all working for the whole county,” District 1 Commissioner Duane Reif said. He noted it is great to see the two entities working together.
• Approved a joint county-city project to improve the Courthouse front landscaping that was brought up during the Thursday night meeting. The county will kick in $5,000 for the work, adding to the $10,000 from the Beautification Committee, and $5,000 from the City of Great Bend for the $20,000 effort.
• Approved joint county-city participation in Great Bend Police Chief Steve Haulmark’s Operation Clean Sweep program that was brought up during the Thursday night meeting. The county will offer $5,000, matching what the City of Great Bend provides. That would give the program a $10,000 budget.
• Approved helping to pay for upgrades to the Expo III building operated by the Barton County Fair Association.
In their 2023 budget request, association detailed a need to improve emergency exits and lighting, as well as accessibility, to the building, County Administrator Matt Patzner said. The association requested the county contribute $5,000 to the $7,969.33 project, plus an additional $500 for the association to advertising.
The commission opted to cover the entire cost of the project and the advertising, totaling $8,469.33.
• Approved repairs to the Courthouse elevator.
For some time, the Courthouse has experienced service interruptions in relation to the elevator, County Administrator Matt Patzner said. It has been suggested that part of the problem is due to the mechanics being housed on the roof.
The county has received an elevator remodel contact to modernize the unit. Included in the $122,300 cost is electrical components, power unit, wiring, hydraulic oil, piston and cylinder. Capital Improvement funds will be used for the upgrade being done by CABB Elevators of Whitewater.
• Approved a request from Encounter Church, 601 S Patton Rd., to hold a public Independence Day fireworks display at the church on Sunday, July 2.
Games and other activities start at 7 p.m. with the show started at dusk.
• Following the agenda meeting, the commission held more 2024 budget meetings with agencies and county departments, including:
– Solid Waste.
– Public Works budgets.
– Soil Conservation.
– Sunflower Diversified.
– 20th Judicial District Offices.
– Golden Belt Human Society.
– County Clerk / Election.
– 911 / Communications.
– Register of Deeds.
In a showing of unity that arose in last Thursday’s combined Barton County Commission-Great Bend City Council meeting, the commission Wednesday morning approved one of the agenda items from that session, a joint county-city project to improve the Courthouse front landscaping.
Great Bend Ward 2 Councilwoman Jolene Biggs, a Master Gardener, was at the Commission meeting and said the city has joined with Master Gardeners to request $5,000 for a beautification project on the west side of the Courthouse. Included will be trees, bushes and flowers anchored by the Jack Kilby statue.
“It’s going be beautiful out there,” said commission Chairman Shawn Hutchinson, District 3. “Like one of the commissioners said, it would be kind of silly of us to do all of the Facade Improvements that we’ve implemented in the City of Great Bend, also in the other cities, and not take care of our Courthouse square. So I’m more than 100% of favor moving forward.”
It is a $20,000 project (Kyle’s Landscaping of Great Bend will do the work) and the Great Bend Beautification Committee (a part of the city) can kick in $10,000. Biggs said the city is willing to add $5,000 and she asked if the county was willing to contribute the same amount.
The city owns the ground around the Courthouse and the county owns the building and just a small footprint around it. The goal is to improve the building’s curb appeal.
After the installation, Biggs said the local Master Gardeners program will maintain the improvements.
“I think that’s part of the problem with what had developed,” Biggs said. Originally, the Dorothy Morrison Trust took care of the display, but that has lagged and been hit and miss.
“If you could have somebody coming in and taking care of it regularly, the longevity is going to be much greater,” Biggs said.
Work will be timed with the upcoming Courthouse HVAC replacement, she said. The watering system and plants around the Jack Kilby statue will likely be in place before the work starts. But, “there may be some delays with things along the building.”
The other thing would be the heat and planting the plants in the heat, she said. This may have to wait until next spring.
“I thank the Master Gardeners for stepping up and doing the maintenance,” District 4 Commissioner Tricia Schlessiger said. “That’s going to be the hard work behind it every year.”
“The Master Gardener Program has to provide an educational service with this,” said Master Gardener Jan Keeley. So, each of the plants will have a small identification plaque that one can scan to find out the name and how to care for it.
