After hearing about its dilapidated condition, the Great Bend City Council Monday night set a public hearing for an unsafe structure at 814 Monroe for 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 20.
Building Official Logan Burns conducted a visual inspection of a house, Code Enforcement Leo Espino told the council. “For us, it was an eyesore for the neighborhood.”
During his inspection, he found numerous problems, including:
• The south side of the structure had a large crack in the southwest corner.
• The southeast side of the structure has begun to settle as there is separation from the sill plate and the foundation.
• The glass is broken out of the two windows that have been partially boarded up and the siding has fallen off the gable end.
• The rake fascia is weathered and rotted and is open to the elements. On the west side of the structure, the foundation has several large cracks in spots and appears to be settling.
• The siding has deteriorated on the south part of the structure where an addition appears to have been constructed at some point. All four windows on this face have broken glass and are partially boarded up.
• The roof has deteriorated and is ineffective at waterproofing the structure along with the fascia that has deteriorated and has left the eaves open to the elements. There is also a point on the addition where the top plate has rotted away leaving one rafter unsupported at its bearing location.
• The rafter tails seem to have been exposed to the weather for some time now.
• The north side of the structure does not seem to have as extensive of damage, but the windows are broken out as well on this side.
• The northeast corner looks to have some fascia damage where it is evident it is deteriorating.
• The east side of the structure shows the most damage.
• The roof line is clearly showing rafter damage where there are approximately six rafters that are no longer supporting the roof loads at the location of possibly a patio door.
• The shingles are in bad shape and are ineffective at waterproofing the structure.
• The siding is all deteriorating on this side as well the fascia.
• All the eaves look to be open to the elements as the fascia is gone. The windows all have broken glass and are partially boarded.
The setting of a hearing is the first step and will result in the first formal attempt to contact the owner, said City Attorney Allen Glendenning. Certified letters will now be sent to the owners and all those with interest in the property, and a public notice will appear in the Great Bend Tribune as the official city newspaper.
This is different from the abatement process, Glendenning said. In an abatement, by the time it reaches the council, attempts have been made to contact those involved.
Great Bend City Council meeting at a glance:
Here is a quick look at what the Great Bend City Council did Monday night:
The agenda includes:
• Set a public hearing for an unsafe structure at 814 Monroe at 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 20.
• A Great Bend Events Center bathroom remodeling bid from Brentwood Builders for $115,120. The work must be completed between June and September when fewer events are scheduled at the facility.
• Approved a $92,000 bid from Circle C Paving of Goddard for crack sealing city streets.
• Authorized Mayor Cody Schmidt to sign an airport letter agreement with engineering firm Burns & McDonnell of Wichita for improvements to the Great Bend Municipal Airport.
• Authorized Mayor Cody Schmidt to sign leases for two airport hangers, one for Max Nichols for $6,500 per year and one for Tony’s Aerial Spraying for $4,000 per year.
• Heard a report from City Administrator Kendal Francis.
• Approved street closures on Main and Lakin for the June Jaunt Car Show and Cruise Night June 3, and a beer garden in Jack Kilby Square and extending the curfew in the square for June Jaunt Saturday, June 4.
• Approved the consumption of alcohol at Brit Spaugh Zoo for the Western Kansas Rural Economic Development Alliance Conference on June 8 and the Chamber of Commerce Executive of Kansas Conference on Nov. 3.
Also OKed were permissions for city staff to help with the conferences and for the zoo to stay open later for the events.
These events will be funded by the Great Bend Convention and Visitors Bureau, Great Bend Economic Development Inc. and the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce.
• Approved closing Lakin Avenue from Main to Kansas from noon to 8 p.m. June 17 to host the Rocky Mountain Race Week Welcome Event downtown.
• Approved abatements for trash and refuse violations at: 2501 Lakin Ave., Keith Heeke; 2400 Broadway Ave., Joseph and Tara Cruse; 2509 17th St., Edgar King; 2406 18th St., American Western Bonding Co. Inc.; 1118 8th St., Richard Ogle; 2405 31st St., Zakary Zimmer-Pflughoeft; 1417 11th St., Angel and Ana Martinez; 3301 Broadway Ave., David and Mary McKay Trust; 3511 Lakin Ave., Conrade Montoya; 1412 21st St., Cynthia Farris; 2527 7th St., Justin Schartz; 805 Morton St., Jennifer Trevino; and 1427 21st St., Richard Ogle.
