By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
Earlier this spring, it was expected a complete resurfacing of the Brit Spaugh Skate Park in Great Bend would be finished by early June. Sharkey Construction was approved for $99,850 to handle the concrete replacement.
In the process of the demolition of the concrete and asphalt, crews found a 10’ x 20’ storm shelter with a cap on it. The structure was removed, but over the years moisture has slipped through cracks and into the subsoil creating about two feet of mud and muck.
Great Bend Interim City Administrator Logan Burns recommended
having Stone Sand excavating the mud and refilling the area with dirt and
concrete screenings for a total cost of $39,700. Mayor Cody Schmidt felt it
might be wise to use the city’s own resources to assist the project.
"We talked about using dirt pulled off the ballfields," said Schmidt. "There was an issue that it's wet. I would like to see us take our loader out there and dig into that. Our dirt is going to be just as wet as Stone's is. I have a tough time spending $30,000 on a project we could easily cut in half in my opinion."
The skate park area on Morton Street was originally constructed for tennis
courts in the 1970s. The current 125’ x 125’ surface was last redone in the late
1990s. Great Bend has allocated $130,000 for the resurfacing through the .15% quality
of life sales tax funds. Funds will also be used for new fencing and repairs to
the ramps.
Burns was hesitant on using the city’s supply of dirt and staffing.
"I would imagine that dirt was what was pulled off the top, so you're going to have a lot of grubbing, vegetation, trash, pipe or rock," said Burns. "There is also the manpower shortage. You're talking about Stone running three to four trucks on that and having an excavator pull all that material out of there."
The Great Bend City Council approved the change order from Stone Sand for the
removal of soil and to supply and place dirt and concrete screening for a total
cost of $39,700.