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Improvements coming to 10th and Grant
City to study HVAC at Crest Theater
new deh city council 10th-grant intersection web
This intersection at 10th and Grant streets is the target of improvements.

The Great Bend City Council Monday night authorized Mayor Mike Allison to sign the agreement with the Kansas Department of Transportation for the improvements to the intersection of 10th Street and Grant Street with city being responsible for 10 percent of the $888,888 project cost. The scope of the project is to increase turning radii to better accommodate large trucks.

This is a 90-10-percent state-city cost share up to a maximum state cost of $800,000. The current cost estimates for the work are within the budgeted amounts, but if the project goes over the maximum, the city would be responsible for those costs, City Administrator Howard Partington said.

In other business, the council:

• Authorized the placement of a stop sign on Grant Street at Forest Avenue. The City received a request for the installation of the sign and it is justified by engineering standards, City Administrator Howard Partington said. Grant Street does not go to the north at this location, so only one sign is needed for north bound traffic at this location. The city had the matter studied by its on-call engineering firm Professional Engineering Consultants of Wichita.

• Authorized Allison to sign an engineering services agreement with the city’s on-call engineering firm Professional Engineering Consultants of Wichita for a Crest Theater HVAC assessment in the amount of $2,500. There have been concerns for some time over the leaks to the air conditioning system. Recently, Building Inspector Lee Schneider was contacted when the heating system failed to work. He found the heating system to also be in bad shape. An evaluation of the entire system would help determine what action is needed to repair or replace the system, City Administrator Howard Partington said.

The system dates back to when  the building was built in 1950. This study will determine if the current HVAC is salvageable or what the other options might be.

Commonwealth Theaters deeded the Crest to the city, but it sits on leased ground. The lease, which expires in 2046, calls for a $200-per-year payment.

• Authorized Allison to sign the final change order in the amount of $961 for the band shell project.

• Approved a cereal malt beverage license. This stems from a request to have a change of manager for the license granted to the Great Bend Bat Cats Baseball Club. This license goes to Roger Ward, organizer of the Bat Cats.

• Approved the budget calendar for 2018. Dates include: Tour of facilities 1 p.m,, Friday, June 9; other agencies presentations, after council meeting Monday, June 5; goals session, after council meeting, Monday, June 19; budget work session, 6 p.m. Monday, July 10; and budget hearing, 7 p.m., Monday, Aug. 21.

• Approved abatements at:  215 Fruit St., accumulation of refuse, owned by Amada Gonsalez Dovali; 800 Maple (with a mailing address of 901 8th), accumulation of refuse, owned by Great Bend MHP LLC; 200 Elm St., motor vehicle nuisance, owned by Daniel Frost; 1021 Roosevelt St., motor vehicle nuisance, owned by Rosemary Trevino; and 340 Heizer St., motor vehicle nuisance, owned by Martha Hernandez.