Council to start winnowing admin applications
Representatives with the headhunting firm Strategic Government Resources of Keller, Texas, have received 25 applications in the search for a new Great Bend city administrator, Interim Administrator Logan Burns said, addressing the City Council members Tuesday night.
The applications have been sent to council members for their review, along with score sheet to rate them. “We’re looking at getting those narrowed down,” he said.
He asked them to wrap this up by March 6, so they can start scheduling some video interviews.
With this information on what the council is looking for in a new administrator, the company posted the opening in mid January. Strategic Government Resources was hired in December to handle the search for an administrator at a cost of $8,500, not to exceed $24,009.
In early January, the council picked Burns as the interim administrator to fill in as the search to replace Kendal Francis continues. Francis announced in early December he was leaving Great Bend to accept the city manager’s job in Hutchinson.
There is considerable visible progress on the new City of Great Bend Justice Center at 12th and Baker, Interim City Administrator Logan Burns said in his update to the City Council Tuesday night.
“If you’ve been by the site of the new Justice Center, you’ve probably noticed it has changed a lot,” Burns said. The wall structures are up and “they are putting the roof on the court side right now.”
Contractors are estimating it will take about 20 days to finish the roof.
Ground was broken for the nearly $9 million, 20,000-square-foot facility on Sept. 12. The project should be completed by the end of August.
The building will house the Police Station and Municipal Court.
Great Bend voters in November 2021 approved a .10% sales tax to help fund a new facility. The city is also tapping about $1.5 million set aside for the project.
The cost came to $8,883,273 which exceeded the available revenues by $902,667. To cover that, the city will use COVID-19 relief Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) funds, insurance proceeds, and interest from federal COVID relief American Rescue Plan Act payments.
Wichita construction firm McCown-Gordan is the project manager. GLMV Architecture of Wichita was selected as the architect.
