By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
A smaller agenda usually means a shorter meeting. The open portion of Monday’s Great Bend City Council meeting fell just short of 10 minutes as the body voted 8-0 to approve a parking change at 9th and Kansas, and also voted to table an agenda item pertaining to costs at the SRCA Dragstrip. Great Bend Chief of Police Steve Haulmark presented the parking change to the council.
“At the northeast corner of 9th and Kansas Avenue, six parking stalls are currently marked on the pavement,” Haulmark said. “When those stalls are occupied, those parking spaces can significantly restrict visibility for pedestrians and motorists traveling westbound on 9th Street. The property owner has been contacted and supports the removal of these parking stalls.”
The other agenda item related to nearly $73,000 in savings for construction at the SRCA Dragstrip. An original contract stated any savings would be shared equally between the city of Great Bend and Bartlett & West. City Administrator Logan Burns asked that vote be deferred because of new information.
“After some issues arose here this afternoon, just some conversations with SRCA and Bartlett & West, we have some items that are outstanding,” Burns said. “I would recommend tabling this until the next meeting just so we can get more clarification, have those conversations with both parties, and make sure we’re on the right track.”
The city’s share of the savings amounts to nearly $36,500. The next Great Bend City Council meeting is scheduled for Aug. 3.