The City of Great Bend Quality of Life Committee plans to release a public survey Wednesday, City Administrator Kendal Francis told the City Council Monday night. The purpose is to seek some feedback from citizens of all ages.
“We will send out a Survey Monkey link. We’re going to ask people to respond,” he said. “It’s a pretty simple survey. So be watching for that.”
“I want to add one thing on that survey; I know I push for it all the time but it is open to all ages,” Ward 1 Councilwoman Lindsey Krom-Craven said. “So please, if you have kids, have your kids take it as well.”
“We’re also looking at how we can best address the youth to get some input from them on some of the avenues that we’re looking at,” Francis said. “We are going to work with the school to get it distributed maybe to the school system.”
One of the committee members has had conversations with Unified School District 428 Superintendent Khris Thexton about this.
The survey asks for an age-range of the respondents.
Other questions ask the respondent to choose their top five priorities from a list of projects in three price ranges. These include under $50,000, between $50,000-200,000, and long-term over $200,000.
As of presstime, the survey link was still being finalized.
The committee members are Bruce Swob, Sharon King, Debbie Munz, Stephen Patton, Curtis Arnberger and Kate Wary. Alternate members include Randy Goering and Kaylean Weber. The six join Ward 3 Councilman Cory Urban, Ward 1 Councilwoman Lindsey Krom-Craven, Ward 2 Councilwoman Jolene Biggs, City Administrator Kendal Francis, Public Lands Director Scott Keeler and Great Bend Recreation Commission Assistant Director Chris Umphres.
The purpose of the group will be to look at how to best spend funds generated by the .15% quality of life sales tax approved by city voters last November.
They will look at the types of amenities that make Great Bend great, from maintaining and improving existing facilities to building new ones.
The tax translates into 15 cents for every $100 spent, and will bring in about $565,000 annually.
“The Quality of Life Committee has been working hard,” Francis said.
