Great Bend city staff citywide goals for 2012 and 2013
Continue strong economic
development and tourism efforts
• Support for local businesses and industries
• Attraction of new businesses, industries, retail, and entertainment
• Housing - single and multi-family - new, rental, and lodging
• Partner with local, state and federal entities
• Great Bend Convention and Visitors Bureau market and promote Convention Center
• Bring college-educated young people back to Great Bend
• CVB to diversify activities and not be seen as identifying with only birding focus
• Continue to promote Sports Complex in cooperation with the Recreation Commission and Convention and Visitors Bureau
Continue to improve
image and attitude
• Marketing and Promoting of community
• Make Great Bend the most attractive community in the state
• Maintain and enhance quality of life
• Continue to make Great Bend attractive to young families and seniors
• Continue to develop youth leadership and new positive youth activities
• Clean up the city by continuing to improve code enforcement efforts
• Encourage events and activities throughout the community - add festivals
• Promote Great Bend as a healthy place to live
• Assure that city employees maintain a positive attitude, if not, replace them
Budget and financial
management
• Pursue grants
• Transfer to and build funds for capital projects improvements
• Be a good steward of public money
Projects
• Street repairs
• Continue Infrastructure Improvements
• See that Kansas Legislature funds the Northwest Passage
• Enhance Community Events
• Continue to improve signage
• Operation, maintenance, oversight, and capital improvements for Convention Center
• Improvements at Railroad Avenue and Main Street - city’s Portion - Lighting and Street
• Continue to develop health and wellness program
• Raptor Center as Gateway to the Scenic Byway
• Basketball courts construction at Veterans Park
• Planning and maintenance for Stone Lake
• Repair to streets in main cemetery
• Industrial Park improvements
Great Bend City Administrator Howard Partington didn’t have much time to talk Tuesday morning.
It was the day after the City Council meeting Monday night, a meeting that included the council’s annual goal-setting session. Although no action was taken, the brain-storming Monday and the council’s citywide facility tour last Friday marked the first steps in developing the city’s 2012-13 budget.
“This is how Wayne Henneke and I will spend the next two weeks,” Partington said of he and the city clerk’s efforts to craft the preliminary spending package.
Next, the council will hold its budget work session on July 10 or 11. After that, there will be a public budget hearing during either the first or second council meeting in August.
In the meantime, a lot of work remains.
City staff members presented their wish lists Monday. These included ways to bolster tourism, improve the city’s image and save money, as well as a list of projects and improvements.
In addition, “the council members had their ideas and thoughts,” Partington said. He and Henneke will merge the two lists into one budget proposal for the council to parse in July.
“We will look at last year’s budget and try not to increase it very much,” he said. The 2011-12 budget totaled $24,284,000.
However, the city manager said, the city’s mill levy remains unknown since assessed valuations are not available yet. The 2011 city budget featured a levy of 42.348, an increase of less than 1 mill from the 2010 rate of 41.480 mills.
The city’s assessed valuation for 2011 was $93,350,336; compared to $90,319,564 for 2010; and $88,801,988 for 2009.
