By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
In August 2022, Ellinwood City Administrator Chris Komarek approached the Barton County Commission about developing a water, sanitary sewer, and storm sewer infrastructure project to serve the new Ellinwood District Hospital and a new housing area in Ellinwood. The county pledged $300,000 to support the project. Tuesday morning, Komarek provided the commission an update on the project.
"We originally did this funding in October 2022, it was to go to October 2023," he said. "If you remember right, last year I was asking for an extension and we went to July 1. I really thought I'd be in place, and quite honestly, I probably could have had most of this money spent on the materials we're looking at by this point, but I really don't like doing business that way because I could have the materials but I really don't have anything to show you guys."
Komarek said much of his time has been spent working around the new hospital, which is slated to be fully operational by Aug. 1. Now back on the housing development, Komarek said the city had reverted to a backup plan for the sanitary sewer and storm water drains, but the delays have actually been a good thing.
"As it so happens, some things changed with some property up in that area," Komarek said, "and it looks like we're going to be able to go back to Plan A on both of those, which is going to save us some money and allow us to basically go from nine lots to as many 14, possibly 15 lots."
The commission extended the memorandum of understanding with Ellinwood to Dec. 31, 2024. Komarek said sidewalk work near the Wolf Hotel will likely begin in August after After Harvest Festival activites and the other sidewalk project for downtown Ellinwood should enter the bidding phase this winter.