People in Great Bend will have one more day to set off fireworks this Independence Day. The Great Bend City Council voted Monday to designate July 3-4 as days to legally discharge fireworks in town between the hours of 10 a.m. and midnight.
The action took the form of two resolutions detailing options for the discharge of fireworks permissions. City Administrator Logan Burns said the first resolution creates a process where the council can approve the discharge on dates other than July 4 when appropriate. The second resolution was this year's approval.
“The City of Great Bend will be celebrating the 250th birthday of the United States and the dates (July 3-4) are on Friday and Saturday this year,” Burns said. “In future years, a resolution would need to be brought back to Council to allow fireworks on specific dates.”
Christy Kuhn with T&L Fireworks and Russell Snyder with Fireworks 4 Less approached Burns, Fire Chief Brent Smith and Police Chief Steve Haulmark about expanding the dates beyond July 4 each year. One proposal asked the City to allow them to be discharged July 1-4. However, Ashley Klein, Kuhn’s daughter, attended Monday’s meeting and said they were only asking for July 3-4 this year.
“We’ve revised our request out of respect for residents and pets,” she said.
The resolution received unanimous approval.
STAR Bond hearing
The council approved a resolution calling for a public hearing on July 6. Burns said the hearing during that City Council meeting will allow public comment on the proposed STAR Bond project plan. After the conclusion of the hearing, the Council will consider an ordinance adopting the project plan. Passage will require at least 2/3 of the council (6 of 8) to approve it.
A Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) Bond is an economic development financing tool primarily used in Kansas to fund major tourism, entertainment and commercial destination projects. Great Bend’s project is defined in a general way as a major multi-sport athletic complex and a major commercial entertainment and tourism area that will include enhancements to the SRCA Dragstrip, a dragstrip racing museum, event center, a hotel and related entertainment, restaurant and retail sales. City Administrator Burns noted that those are split between two districts, with the dragstrip at the Expo Grounds and a new hotel and restaurants planned for 10th Street.
Sales tax initiative committee
Before the council votes to put a 0.75% city sales tax on the November election ballot, city officials want to make sure the public understands why it is being requested and the benefits it could provide. Councilmember Jay Luerman requested to be on the agenda Monday to form a committee of four councilmembers, the mayor, administrator and City Clerk/Finance Director Shawna Schafer “to implement a plan for educating and informing the public.”
Luerman noted on the agenda, “It is vital that we discuss and inform Great Bend residents of the obstacles and opportunities in front of us.”
He said councilmembers who want to be on the committee should contact Burns or the mayor. Councilmember Gary Parr announced he wants to be on it.
Banking and Safe Streets
The council also heard reports from City Administrator Burns and Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Amanda Gaddis.
In other business, it voted to designate all banking institutions within the City of Great Bend as official depositories and authorized Finance Director Schafer to conduct business with those institutions. Schafer said this will allow the City to invest in money markets and certificates, seeking the best interest rates on deposits.
The council also approved signing an action plan agreement with its on-call engineering firm, JEO. The agreement allows for the development of a Safety Action Plan. The City applied for and was awarded funding through the Safe Streets for All (SS4A) federal grant program. The cost to develop the plan is $200,000 and the grant will pay $160,000 of that.
Burns said studies such as this are needed to go after certain grants.
Public Works Director David Dunekack reported, stating, “This project will include data gathering and analysis of the safety of Great Bend’s streets for multi-modal transportation alternatives, and the development of a holistic, well-defined plan to reduce roadway fatalities and serious injuries in the city.”
