Great Bend Community Coordinator Christina Hayes offered her monthly report to the City Council Monday night. It was a full report, highlighted by the on-going Melting Pot Month featuring several diverse activities.
“There is something for everyone this month,” Hayes said. “Come experience something different.”
There are discounts on many of the activities with the commemorative pins being sold by the city.
This coming weekend is the SRCA Summit Points at the Great Bend Expo Complex at the dragstrip, gates open at noon. The pin will get one in for half price.
Also Saturday is the first-annual Party in the Park. Activities include:
• A run/walk with obstacles (Tuff Enuff)with the help of Club 1 Fitness and proceeds go to the Great Bend High School Student Council (so far, there are 50 registrants) starting at 7 a.m.;
• An inflatable fun zone by the Optimist Club from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Bark 4 Life provided by the Great Bend Tribune Relay for Life team from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Mud Volleyball (OozeFest) provided by the Great Bend Recreation Commission (17 teams so far) from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• The Oreo eating contest (which is half full) at 4 p.m.
• A picnic in the park where with the pin entitles one to a free hamburger meal served by City Council members from 5-7 p.m.
Music in the Park will be starting at 7 p.m. starring Stewart Ray, Ricky Fugitt and Logan Mize, and in between Ricky and Logan will be a firework show.
“We’re excited the rain is happening now,” Hayes said. “The city staff has been so wonderful. We’re ready for this.”
The Following weekend features the Benefit Bull Ride at the Expo Complex in Building III, the Big Bend Bike Rally with Motorcross and the Great Bend Renaissance Faire at the Great Bend Brit Spaugh Zoo.
In other business Monday night, the City Council:
 • Approved a request from the Commission on Aging for a additional $30,461 for the current fiscal year. “The simple fact is we didn’t ask for enough money last year,” said commission accountant Dave Holste.
Holste said their projections are that the commission would come up just over $30,000 short in the 2013 budget. The main cause for this was the higher than expected bus usage which has increased fuel and labor costs.
Since the commission falls under the city’s general fund, all the matter required was the transfer of money from the contingency fund to the commission’s fund, City Administrator Howard Partington said.
Holste said this has no impact on the recently approved 2014 spending package. “That’s still a valid budget.”
• Approved abatements for accumulation of refuse at: 1620 Morton, owned by Delton Sullivan; 805 Morton, owned by Corina Trevino; 1220 Jefferson, owned by Valerie Jo Hardy and Evan Keenan; and 3809 12th, owned by Joseph Farris.
• Received the snow removal policy for the upcoming winter. Public Works Director Don Craig said the only change from last year to this was the date. The policy comes up annually during the second meeting in September and is acted on at the first meeting in October. The policy prioritizes what streets get cleared first and other snow-related concerns.
• Accepted a  bid from Vance Brothers, Kansas City, Mo., for $348,344.05 to perform slurry sealing, microsurfacing and striping at locations along U.S. 56/K-156/K-96 within the city limits (10th Street). The work falls under the FY 2014 KLINK program.
The city connecting links (KLINK) is local partnership program with the Kansas Department of Transportation. This will involve 10th Street pretty much from east to west, said City Engineer Rob Winiecke.
• Heard a report on the activities of city departments from Partington.