Great Bend Mayor Mike Allison has selected the members of the committee charged with studying the banning of pit bull dogs within the city limits.
“The committee is requested to study the issues and report back to the City Council at a future City Council Meeting,” Allison said Friday. This matter will not be discussed when the council meets Monday night. 
Allison selected Zola Weber, Reggie Kern, and RaShann Southard to be the at-large members of the committee, and Joel Jackson and Edwin Roberts to be the City Council representatives on the committee. City staff has selected City Attorney Bob Suelter and Police Chief Dean Akings to be  the city staff representatives. The Golden Belt Humane Society has selected Bobbi King and Seth Orebaugh as its representatives. 
The mayor tapped Suelter to be the chairman. Now that the committee has been established, Suelter will announce the date and time for the first meeting.
“I wish to thank all 12 of the citizens who applied to be members on the committee,” Allison said. He urges all of those who did apply, but were not chosen, to attend the committee meetings so they express their opinions. 
While reviewing the letters of request to be members of the committee, Allison said he noted there were numerous suggestions and thoughts that would be helpful for the committee to consider. 
All meetings of the committee are open to the public and public input will be encouraged. Due to the large response to be members of the committee, Allison plans to request that the council enlarge the at-large membership from two members to three.
It was George and Zola Weber who came before the council at its May 20 meeting requesting the dogs be banned. Although dog lovers, they said they fear their children are in danger from the dogs next door.
However, it was also noted during the meeting that the city has ordinances in place to control vicious animals, and that perhaps these needed more force and better enforcement. In the end, the council voted to form the committee.