By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
Earlier this month, the City of Great Bend announced changes to the block party guidelines. The biggest change is that citizens have to pay $150 to rent barricades. Block parties, often utilized over the 4th of July holiday, may only block half of the street so vehicles can get past.
Mayor Cody
Schmidt said the $150 non-refundable fee was a decision Interim City
Administrator Logan Burns and himself made.
"We came up with the idea of that money...a lot of it, in my mind, could help slow it down because it is a lot of work for people involved," said Schmidt. "Last year we did have several incidents where citizens were getting hateful and throwing things at vehicles because they were getting into their block party. They didn't understand you can only take half the road."
The concern over the block party guidelines was brought up by Great Bend City
Council member Lindsey Krom-Craven. Krom-Craven was frustrated that the block
party changes were posted to the city council Facebook page without the council’s
knowledge.
"More of my overall concern is that this is not the first time where a post has been made where we have no idea it's been made, yet it's called the Great Bend City Council Facebook page," said Krom-Craven. "Then we're getting calls and messages from our constituents that are reading this. We don't know what they're talking about. It makes us look stupid or uninformed."
Block party permits must be returned to City Hall at least five full business
days before your event. View the permit at greatbendks.net.