Looking at the city’s sales tax revenue so far this year, Great Bend City Administrator told the City Council Monday night that things are looking bright.
“The numbers are strong,” he said during his report to the council. “They are continuing to trend upward.”
Year-to-date, the city’s 1/2 percent sales tax has generated nearly $1.2 million. That is up slightly from the same time period last year and the highest total in the past 13 years, a span that has seen some peaks and valleys.
These figures deal only with the 1/2 percent city sales tax that was approved by referendum first in 2000 and renewed in 2004. The tax sunsets again in April 2015 and will come up for a vote in 2014.
Money received from this is split three ways, Partington said. These include 45 percent for capital improvements, 20 percent for economic development incentives, and 35 percent property tax relief.
In the 2014 budget the levy was reduced by $745,000 using the property tax relief money from the 1/2 percent City Sales Tax equaling 7.78 mills.
In addition, the city receives sales tax revenues from:
• A 1 percent county sales tax. This money goes into the city’s general fund and reduces property taxes.
• A 1/4 percent city sales tax that was approved by referendum and the collections will begin July 1, 2009. The tax will pay for the debt service on $5 million general obligation sales tax bonds that was issued to fund street replacements, maintenance, and repairs throughout the city. The excess sales tax that is not needed for debt service on this issue will be used for street projects.
As a side note, the 1/4 cent tax trend mirrors that of the 1/2 cent tax.
Partington said the 1/2 cent tax is projected to make up about 10 percent of the 2014 budget, the 1 cent about 11 percent and the 1/4 cent about 5 percent – a total of 26 percent. “Sales taxes are very, very important to us.”
Other highlights of Partington’s report are below:

Engineering
• Coordinated with and received “Authority to Advertise” from KDOT regarding the City’s FY2014 KLINK Project. This is the resurfacing of U.S. 56 (10th Street) from Patton Road to Kennedy Street, U.S. 56 from McKinley Street to Harrison Street, U.S 56. from Washington Street to Frey Street, and U.S. 56 from Frey to 1,350 ft west of Kiowa Road.
• Issued plans and specifications for the project for bidding. Notification was posted to the City’s website, Great Bend Tribune, and electronic plan rooms across Kansas on Aug. 7. Project letting date is Sept. 10 and the expected completion date is sometime in October.
• Provided several items from the City’s Administration Building to the Police Department for disposal through their annual property disposal auction.

Parks
• Staff assisted and provided support for this past weekend’s Polka Days at the Convention Center.

Water Park
• The Wetlands at Great Bend officially closed for the summer on Aug. 17. It was reported that this will be the last summer for Paige Achatz will serve as the aquatics director.
• Bark at the Water Park was held on Aug. 18. Attendance at the event was excellent.
 
Fire/EMS/Inspection
• Hosted the Chamber Coffee at Station 2
• Six members of the department started the Advance Emergency Medical Technician class which is a semester long.
• Battalion Chief Eugene Perkins attended the annual Kansas Emergency Medical Services Association  conference in Wichita.
• Inspector Mark Orth conducted a fire extinguisher training for Air Gas.
• Permits issued for July: Building, 34; plumbing, 19; electrical, nine; mechanical,14; and sign, two.
• Fire responses for July, 55
• EMS responses for July, 153

Streets
• Working on replacing valley gutters on Lakin Street
• Spraying for mosquitoes. This is being done in the evenings through Thursday this week.
• Turned on school zone lights.

Public Works
• Cleaned 52 catch basins.
Assisted Black and Veatch with testing for the contaminated Plating Inc. site. Remediation at the site could start in 2015.
• Did some video Inspection of sewer lines for Alden.

 Sanitarian
• 1,012 year to date complaints, 81 new complaints (23 by citizens and 58 by staff), 57 complaints completed by citizens, 10 abatement notices sent, eight abatements performed and 10 cars brought into compliance.

Administration
• Community Coordinator Christina Hayes said the Back to School, Stores Pay the Sales Tax events went well for participating stores. They saw an increase in people and sales that day, it was highly shared on social media and the office had lots of calls about the stores.
• Working on filming promotions for the Melting Pot Month in Great Bend, recorded promotions from all participating entities that will run on our City Channel 20 starting no later than Sept. 1.
• Creating Marketing plan for both Melting Pot Month activities and Party in the Park to share efforts and strategically inform the public of the activities.
• Community coordinator intern Emily Goad had her last day on Aug. 15. “Emily was so much help for the city this summer,” Hayes said. She worked part time, started the weekend of June Jaunt and assisted with Summer Street Strolls, Movie Nights, promotions, helped with retailers, helped with planning for Melting Pot Month and November’s Explore Great Bend Month. Emily will be finishing her Senior year this year at Fort Hays State University as a leadership major.
“I learned a ton from the city with this internship,” she said. “I really appreciate the opportunity to grow my skill set in my hometown, it was a great experience. Thank you.”
• Bob Suelter worked a lot last week with the Polka Days organizers.
• The city picnic was held on Aug. 11.