The Great Bend City Council Monday night approved a bid so that additional improvements could be made to the walking path on the north side Veterans Memorial Park.
The winning proposal came from L&M Contractors of Great Bend, City Engineer Rob Winiecke said. The company’s bid was for  $10,296.
Also bidding on the project was Suchy Construction of Great Bend. L&M’s bid came in lower.
Of the total cost of the work, $5,000 will come from the Barbara Bushnell Fund, Winiecke said. The balance will be paid by the city.
Included will be 520 feet of six-foot-wide concrete sidewalk, the engineer said. It will replace an asphalt surface that has begun to deteriorate.
In August of last year, Golden Belt Community Foundation Executive Director Christy Tustin told the council the Bushnell Fund had awarded $5,000 each for improvements to Britt Spaugh Zoo and Veterans’ Memorial Park. That marked the second year in a row the facilities have received such grants.
In 2011, the awards paid for upgrades to the Christmas lights at the zoo and other walking trail renovations at Vets.
In other business, the council:
• Approved abatements at: 1310 Stone, owned by Marilyn Schartz, for accumulation of refuse (AOR); 901 Monroe, owned by Rick Clark, for AOR; 1202 Stone, owned by Troy Schroeder, for AOR; 915 Jefferson, owned by Tony Jones and Eula Fay Moser, for AOR and motor vehicle nuisance (MVN); and 1018 Jefferson, owned by the Helen Krug Living Trust, for MVN
 • Approved a $5,272.13 change order for the street repair work on Kansas Avenue. Rob Winiecke said the change would be made to better allow the massive concrete panels to move during freezing and thawing, thus preventing stress and cracking. The total cost of the repairs is $409,000, but the Kansas Department of Transportation is paying for $399,000 of that.
• Great Bend Chamber of Commerce President Jan Peters presented her monthly economic development report. She discussed the recent chamber banquet, the progress being made by the tire recycling business Blizzard Energy and the upcoming Great Bend Farm and Ranch Expo set for April 10-12.
• City Administrator Howard Partington presented an update on the activities of city departments.