Fireworks and festivals are on the agenda for the next Great Bend City Council meeting, set for 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 17, in the Council Chambers at City Hall. The council meeting will be livestreamed for the public to view on the city council Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/gbcitycouncil/.
The Bat Cats baseball team has asked the council to authorize an extra fireworks display at their home game on July 5.
The council also needs to allow street closures, fireworks and more for this year’s Party in the Park on Aug. 10 in Veterans Memorial Park.
• McKinley Street and 17th Street Terrace will close starting at 9:50 a.m. for the Wet/Day Parade.
• 17th Street Terrace west of McKinley to White Sands Drive will be closed after the parade until midnight to use for extra parking and to allow one-way traffic to be directed to the west.
• There will be a fireworks display by contracted officials around 10 p.m. in Vets Park.
• Cars that are non-street legal and are affiliated with a local car club will be allowed to preregister and travel no more than 12 blocks to get to the Party in the Park Car Show.
• Cereal Malt Beverages (beer) will be allowed in Al Burns Field for the concert, with the help of the Legion Riders and Great Bend Police Department as additional security. No bottles or glass will be allowed.
• The curfew for Vets Park will be extended, authorizing people to stay past midnight for cleanup of the park after the event.
Golf carts back on the agenda
In other business, the council will be asked to approve an ordinance permitting and regulating the use of golf carts, micro-utility trucks and work-site utility vehicles on certain streets in Great Bend.
Other items on the agenda include:
• Langrehr Field Bathrooms – After further review, the city now recommends purchasing a prefabricated restroom facility from Sourcewell preferred vendor for a total price of $90,093.
• Request for Public Hearing – An accessory structure at 1441 9th St. is believed to be a dangerous building.
• Patrol vehicle replacement – A GBPD 2023 Ford Police Interceptor was involved in a motor vehicle crash on April 30. The insurance company has agreed to pay a replacement cost of $44,102. The administration recommends using this money and an additional $6,801 to purchase a 2024 model from Superior Emergency Response Vehicles (SERV) for $50,903. The agenda notes that local vendor Marmie Motors was contacted and they do not have any Police Inceptor units in stock and do not plan on receiving any in the near future.
The agenda also notes that a proposed upgrade to the traffic signal at U.S. 56 (10th Street) and McKinley remains tabled. Staff is still working on gathering information; no action is recommended at this time.
