Amanda Gaddis at the Great Bend Convention and Visitors Bureau has been promoted to the director’s position. At Monday’s Great Bend City Council meeting, City Administrator Logan Burns reported on this and other City news, including work on the dragstrip, street projects and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Gaddis appointment
Amanda Gaddis is stepping into the role formerly held by Christina Hayes. She has worked at the Convention and Visitors Bureau for three years. In 2023, she earned the Kansas Destination Specialist Award at the annual Kansas Tourism Conference.
“I’m excited to see where she continues to take the CVB position, so congratulations, Amanda, and thank you,” Burns said.
In the past, this job also included the responsibilities of Community Coordinator. When Hayes left to take another position out of town, she recommended splitting CVB and Community Coordinator roles into two jobs. Burns said the City is continuing to refine the Community Coordinator position.
“We’ll be looking to put that out later this month (and) hopefully we’ll get some good applicants,” he said.
SRCA Dragstrip
Work continues on the project to rebuild the dragstrip that closed in 2023 after safety concerns about the surface.
Flaws in the dragstrip construction in 2021 resulted in “high spots” on the racing surface and forced the Sunflower Rod and Custom Association, which manages the dragstrip, to suspend racing in 2023 and beyond.
Burns said those involved in the project meet regularly and a site survey has been completed.
“We’re looking forward to bringing the next step in the design process back to the Council at the next meeting,” Burns said. After some design drawings are completed, the next is to begin demolition of the existing track. Paving is expected to start by August.
With a scheduled completion date of February 2026, the dragstrip should be ready when next year’s season starts in April. Burns said there are commitments from the National Hot Rod Association to bring some good races to town, “so we’re excited to get that project going.”
Other departments
Burns also reported:
• Public Works will pour one more section of concrete at the McDonald’s entrance. The second section was poured last week and is curing. The project should be wrapped up next week.
• The City Connecting Link Improvement Program (CCLIP) is a federal and state-funded program that provides funds in Kansas to address deficiencies on state highways within city limits. Great Bend’s CCLIP project to repave the intersection at 10th and Patton Road, along with Second and Main, will start on or about May 19. Staff will also be striping all 10th Street intersections as part of that project.
• Public Lands finished tieing in the waterline at the new Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Monday and they plan to lay sod on Friday. The Vietnam veterans and planning a picnic at the shelter by the memorial once all the work gets done. “That is a great addition to the park,” Burns said of the memorial.
• Projects by Roofmasters should be 95% complete by the FEMA deadline, which is April 26. The City just received approval from the insurance company on some work on the North Annex (which formerly housed the Great Bend Police Department and Municipal Court). Also, the City needs to report some overhead doors at the old fire station located near K-96 and Broadway. The City has filed for a time extension on the remaining projects.
Roofmaster Roofing was named the general contractor to make repairs from the July 2023 hailstorm, which did $9 million in damage. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) later declared the damage a designated disaster, allowing Great Bend to receive reimbursement for part of its insurance deductible.
