Great Bend City Council meeting at a glance
Here is quick look at what the Great Bend City Council did Monday night:
The agenda includes:
• Approved the lease of Expo I and II to the Barton County Fair Board.
• Approved a change order for the automated water meter reading project that includes additional parts to finish the work.
The city has consulted with subcontractor Zenner USA of Banning, Calif., after a hard count of what is left to do, Public Works Director Jason Cauley said. Remaining are 237 retrofits for one-inch meters and the corresponding antennas for a total cost of $31,995.
The money will come from our equipment maintenance budget. Depending on the speed of shipping, they are still hoping to have the project finished by July 3. If there is a delay, the city may have to extend the contract date.
• Approved the Veterans Memorial Park splash pad design and construction. The $680,000 project will be done by Athco LLC of Lenexa.
• Heard a report from Interim City Administrator Logan Burns. He focused on on-going city projects, including the Justice Center.
• Heard a report from Christina Hayes, community coordinator and Convention and Visitors Bureau director. She focused on June Jaunt.
• Held a 15-minute executive session to discuss non-elected personnel in regards to fire chief applications.
When reconvening in open session, the council named Interim Chief Brent Smith as fire chief. He had been serving as interim chief since the resignation of Luke McCormick.
• Held a 10-minute executive session to discuss “information deemed privileged in the attorney-client relation” to seek legal advice for “pending legal matters.”
After reconvening in open session, not action was taken.
• Approved the closure of Main Street from 24th Street to 12th Street during the 9/11 Parade from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. or until the end of the parade on Sept. 9.
• Approved allowing cereal malt beverages (cans only) in Jack Kilby Square from 5 p.m. to midnight on Sept. 9 in relation to the parade.
• Authorized people to be in Jack Kilby Square past midnight on Sept. 9 for parade cleanup.
• Approved the closure of Stone Street from Lakin to Forest Avenue from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 25, for the 150th Celebration of First United Methodist Church on Forest Avenue.
• Approved all the annual business licenses renewals.
• Approved abatements for trash and refuse violations at: 204 Elm St. Matthew D. O’connor; and 913 Jefferson St., Antonio V. Rocha Jr.
The Great Bend City Council Monday night approved leasing the Expo I and II buildings at the Great Bend Expo Complex to the Barton County Fair Board.
The board presently owns Expo Ill and has indicated that it is willing to take over the operation and maintenance of Expo I and II under a lease with the city, City Attorney Allen Glendenning said. “It was tentatively negotiated over the past several weeks.”
“These are pretty standard terms,” Glendenning said, noting the Fair Board’s payment will be $1 per year, but all maintenance (not major repairs) are the responsibility of the Fair Board. The term of the lease is for 20 years but can be terminated upon 180 days notice.
It also “expressly gives the city the right to include the property in any STAR bond or similar projects that might become available to the city,” he said. This lease also gives the city the right to rent the facilities for up to five of its own events each year at half the cost charged to other renters.
The buildings sit on city property, but were built by the Great Bend Chamber Commerce over 40 years ago to house the 3i Show. The GBCC was leasing the ground at no charge, but was maintaining the buildings.
However, the chamber announced March 31 it would no longer manage the buildings, noting they no longer fit with the chamber’s mission and was not financially feasible. They were then transferred to the city.
