MyTown Board member Sheryl Cheely had good news for the Great Bend City Council Monday night.
“I want to pay off the rest of our loan,” she said. She went on to thank all the city personnel that helped MyTown with the business-building enterprise over the years, and presented a check for $154,588.14.
The project’s city involvement started in 2009. In that year, Mytown borrowed the $330,000 from the city for 10 years at 4% interest, with plans of paying interest only for the first five years and principle plus interest for the next five.
Things were looking rosy for the venture, and it was able to increase its payments to the city. However, the recession hit, forcing MyTown to request an extension on the loan in October 2013, which the council approved.
Under the extension, the monthly payments will be $2,000 through May 2014, and increase $250 each year after that. They was set to max out at $4,500 in 2023-24 when the loan was to be repaid.
“I’ve been involved with MyTown forever,” Cheely said.
MyTown dates back to 2008 as an effort to fill vacant downtown store fronts. Housed the former Zarah Hotel building, MyTown started when a few local businessmen began thinking of how to revitalize downtown Great Bend.
The concept has undergone some changes from its original idea of opening different stores with some shared management.
The early MyTown ventures were Renue Salon & Day Spa, Perks Coffee Shop (now Re-Perks that is independently operated) and Heart of Kansas Mercantile. Each is still serving downtown customers, as is the other current MyTown store is Miss Pretty Pickles.
Others started coming along because MyTown was here. Examples are Gambino’s Pizza (formerly Mytown’s Treaders Deli) and Yours Truly (formerly Mainstream Boutique) that pay rent to the organization.
“I really think we’ve made a differernce,” she said. She believes the organization will continue to do so.
Great Bend City Council meeting at a glance
Here is a quick look at what the Great Bend City Council did Monday night:
• Approved a recreational vehicle parking ordinance revision.
It uses the definitions have been updated utilizing the Kansas Department of Revenues’ definitions for both mobile homes and recreational vehicles. Permitted parking has been changed to clarify that the entirety of the RV, including the hitch, must be behind the front of the house, which has also defined. It uses language from other ordinances regarding corner lots having two front yards. To help clarify, they added definitions for front yard and primary elevation.
Additionally, Permitted Parking has been changed to clarify that the entirety of the RV, including the hitch, must be behind the primary elevation.
• Recognized retiring Police Chief David Bailey.
• Approved a rezoning request from Sunflower Diversified Services.
Sunflower currently operates a recycling service at 5523 10th Street and has purchased real estate adjacent to the west. Sunflower officials said the service has outgrown its current facility.
So, it requested rezoning from C-2 (general commercial) to M-1 (light industrial) in order to move the recycling facility.
• Heard a presentation from Sheryl Cheely on Mytown. She had asked to address the council that MyTown is paying off its loan from the city.
• Heard an update from City Administrator Kendal Francis. He focused on efforts to bring passenger air service back to Great Bend Municipal Airport.
• Heard a report from Community Coordinator/Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Christina Hayes. She focused on upcoming events in the city.
• Approved a resolution authorizing an accessible parking stall that has been requested immediately west of the alleyway on the south side of Broadway Avenue between Kansas Avenue and Baker Avenue.
• Approved 2020 non-budgeted transfers to fund projects/equipment purchases.
These totalled $2,168,450. Included are Capital Equipment Reserve Fund and the Capital Improvement Reserve Funds from the General Fund, Sewer Fund and Water Fund. These also include monies received from donations and grants, said City Clerk/Finance Director
Shawna Schafer.
This is a routine matter that is done annually.
• Approved abatements at: 124 Maple, trash and refuse, Ramon Garcia; 1608 Broadway, trash and refuse, Stueder Rentals LLC.; 236 Maple, trash and refuse, Ramon Gallardo and Edemira Lopez; 317 Walnut, motor vehicle nuisance, Claudia Contreras; 1308 Morphy, trash and refuse, Carolyn Stacey Farris; 1314 Morphy, trash and refuse, January Pecora; 1408 12th, trash and refuse, Carolyn Stacey Farris; 1301 Morphy, trash and refuse, Trenton Stueder; 1404 12th, trash and refuse, Miguel and Gloria Mota; 323 Hickory, motor vehicle nuisance, Isabel Quezada; 133 Maple, motor vehicle nuisance, Sophia Nelson; 2001 Hubbard, motor vehicle nuisance, Keith and Cindy Patterson; 1434 9th, motor vehicle nuisance, Anita Stos; 404 Hickory, motor vehicle nuisance, Evelyn Clawson; 1701 Hubbard, motor vehicle nuisance, Thomas Pearson; 1011 Odell, trash and refuse, Bert and Marie Luce; 408 Walnut, trash and refuse, Manuel and Sara Tavarez; 301 Locust, trash and refuse, Antonia Alvarez; 517 3rd, trash and refuse, Sandra Reyes; 601 3rd, trash and refuse, Edel and Carol Ordonez; and 132 Maple, Ramon Garcia,
