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GBRC discusses further Sports Complex improvements
Sports Complex Master Plan
Shown is the original master plan for the Great Bend Sports Complex. To the left, on the west side of the complex are football and soccer fields, as well as additional parking. GBRC and other entities have begun preliminary discussions to apply for a matching grant through the Kansas Department of Tourism in order to make those improvements. - COURTESY GRAPHIC

Thursday morning, local entities will cut the ribbon on the long-awaited turf project at the Great Bend Sports Complex. Fresh off that success, the Great Bend Recreation Commission board began discussions Monday on a potential opportunity to expand on that success.

GBRC Executive Director Diann Henderson told the board the City of Great Bend has begun exploring the possibility of pursuing a grant through the Kansas Division of Tourism to make further improvements to the Great Bend Sports Complex, including the addition of synthetic turf soccer and football fields on the west side of the complex, along with additional parking.

The grant the city is exploring is the Tourism Attraction Sub-grants for Kansas (TASK) program grant. It is a one-time grant administered by the Kansas Tourism Division of the Kansas Department of Commerce. 

According to the KTD, the program is for the purpose of enhancing of tourism attraction assets, with any state or local government or non-profit entity eligible to apply. Individuals and for-profit entities are not eligible to apply under the terms of the grant.

According to the department’s website, funding for the TASK program is through American Rescue Plan U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) Travel, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation state grant funds. $1.5 million has been set aside for the TASK program for the state of Kansas. A total of 10 grants will be awarded under the program, with award amounts ranging from $100,000 to a maximum of $250,000. It is a 50/50 matching grant program, which means for every dollar awarded, the receiving entity or entities must contribute an equal matching dollar amount.

Eligible projects must have an accountable tie to the tourism industry, the department notes, and can include, but are not limited to, “museums, sports facilities, major attractions, permanent exhibits, unique or destination-type lodging, conference centers, trails, outdoor activities that spur visitation, destination retail, etc.”

Henderson, who also serves on the Great Bend Convention and Visitors Bureau board, said the topic came up at a recent CVB meeting. Great Bend City Administrator Kendal Francis approached Henderson and GBRC Assistant Superintendent Chris Umphres and advised them the city was considering applying for the grant with the expressed purpose of making additional improvements to the Great Bend Sports Complex. CVB Director Christina Hayes has also approached them for potential assistance in applying for the grant.

The purpose of the grant, Henderson told the board, is to, “develop destination-based community assets, enhance visitor experiences, and improve quality of life to the community.”

Henderson believes improvements to the Great Bend Sports Complex fit that bill, though she said this is a highly competitive grant.

Should the entities move forward with the application process for the TASK Grant, she said, they would seek the maximum $250,000 matching grant. She said should the process move forward, the board would eventually be asked to sign a letter of support for the project with other local entities, but because discussions are still in the preliminary stages, she does not know yet what that would entail. She also noted that because of the preliminary nature of the process, the funding share among the three entities is unknown, though it is hoped the city would be able to utilized the quality of life sales tax funding for the potential project.

The focus of the grant project would be to take another step toward the completion of the complex’s original master plan, and would focus on the development of two synthetic turf soccer fields, two synthetic turf football fields, a guest service area for those fields, as well as lighting, a shaded spectator area and additional parking. Francis said the project would also include the addition of another baseball field, and the grant would be seed money to help jump-start the project.

“This would make it a destination complex for those activities,” Henderson said. “And that’s something we’re involved with, providing those tournaments and those events.”

Right now, they are working with the city’s grant writer to develop the grant application, and Henderson  said the current time frame will be dictated by that application process. The application deadline is March 11 and awards will be announced on May 2.

Great Bend Recreation Commission board meeting at a glance


Here’s a quick look at what the GBRC board did Monday:

• Assistant Superintendent Chris Umphres presented baseball/softball rules for upcoming rec seasons, with no changes from previous years.

• Umphres presented the upcoming baseball/softball tournament schedules, with tournaments at local facilities beginning April 16 and running through mid-July. The schedule includes tournaments and games at all levels, from youth rec games through college-level tournaments.

• The board approved an updated youth sports parents’ guide. The guide is given to parents and coaches of youth sports participants. Umphres said the main updates were to means of communication with parents, as well as updates to pictures and field locations.

• The board approved the annual Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) Waiver resolution. The annual resolution exempts the GBRC from a portion of the state GAAP statute, which requires the resolution to be passed each fiscal period.

• The board approved renewal of an Internet Service Provider (ISP) agreement with Cox Communications for a cost of $1,018.88 per month, an increase of $255.45 per month, for a period of three years. The new agreement includes faster upload and download speeds than in the previous agreement, due to changing needs with migration of many GBRC functions to a cloud-based environment. According to Executive Director Diann Henderson, this will decrease backup times from more than three hours to somewhere around an hour and a half.

• Henderson advised the board on the expansion of a patron survey program for spring and summer programs, to include a broader scope of information. Future surveys will utilize both social media and traditional media formats, and will utilize Survey Monkey as in the past. Future marketing strategies will include the use of QR codes, as well as Mail Chimp to get information out to Rec patrons.

• Umphres provided details on the recent youth basketball and adult pickleball tournaments at various facilities around Great Bend. The pickleball tournament was significantly larger than those the Rec has held in the past, he noted.

• The Enrichment and Activity Center Director provided updates on past and upcoming enrichment programs.