By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
As the City of Great Bend continues their research on potentially creating a multi-million-dollar bond to replace an aging swimming pool, the Great Bend City Council has discussed raising admission fees.
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Great Bend currently charges $3 to access the pool for children ages 3-17 and $4 for adults 18 and older. In Hays, their city pool charges a flat $5 fee and Hutchinson charges $4 for children between 8 and 17 years old and $5.25 for adults 18 and older.
Great Bend administration has suggested starting construction on a new pool after the 2026 swim season and have it ready before the 2027 season. City Administrator Logan Burns did not suggest raising prices until a new pool was constructed.
"Fee changes would be something you would look into when you build a new pool," said Burns. "I think you keep the prices the same this year. Raising a dollar or two doesn't make a drop in the bucket for anything. It just makes people mad and you still have the same pool."
In 2024, the Great Bend Wetlands Waterpark had 21,780 visitors and collected $117,126 in total revenue.
During a work session this month, the City Council leaned toward charging each utility customer in town an extra fee per month, similar to Hoisington. Burns suggested a $3 monthly fee, generating approximately $198,000 for pool operations. In return to paying the monthly fee, each Great Bend resident would be given free access to the pool along with four additional guest passes.
"You could give the passes to grandkids, whoever that may be, you have four free passes not paying anything to get into the pool," said Burns. "You would still have admission fees for anyone coming from out of town. The idea is you're not going to have anyone pay that lives in the City of Great Bend if they're a residential utility user."
The City Council is considering a roughly $6 million bond project to pay for a new pool, replacing the existing one built in 1936. The thought is to make the bond payments from the quality-of-life sales tax revenue.