The Splash Pad in Veterans Memorial Park has been closed since Aug. 23 but may reopen briefly if a new pump can be quickly installed, Great Bend City Administrator Logan Burns told the City Council on Tuesday.
“After talking with (vendor) Athco, they will warranty the splash pad,” Burns said. “Continental Pool will be here (Wednesday, Sept. 3). We’ll have them install the pump and make sure everything is functioning properly.” After that, staff will decide whether to turn the water feature on or shut it down for the season. He noted that the Splash Pad would typically close in mid-September and the temperatures aren’t expected to be as high as they were in August. “So we will see how that goes.”
This was part of Burns’s report on what is happening within the City organization. Other items of note:
• The 10th and McKinley traffic light project is almost done. A Kansas Department of Transportation engineer told him on Monday that the restricted traffic-control lanes will come down this week. “They are scheduling some punch list items ... (so) we can only hope that gets done this week.”
• The pool committee had its first meeting to review the “wants and needs” for a new municipal pool. “We will have an initial concept on Sept. 25 and then the final concept will come back to the Council in December.”
• At Heizer Park, the pavilion has been framed and will be completed this week. Other than some signage, the Heizer Park revision will be done. “So another big thank you to everyone involved in (the park project). That was a big success.”
• The City’s next Employee of the Month is School Resource Officer Paul Millard with the Great Bend Police Department, “for his heroic actions in Wichita.” Millard was off-duty and shopping in Wichita when a shooting occurred at the Towne East Mall and he stepped in to assist. He was not at the meeting Tuesday to accept the award, but Burns thanked him for everything he does for the community. “Paul’s a great role model for our kids.”
• Demolition of the old paving and wall at the SRCA dragstrip is complete and workers are crushing the old material to use as a base for new elevations and track. They’ll be starting to grade soon and then the pavers will be here at the end of the month to start that process.
• Kids Ag Day on Wednesday, Sept. 3, was moved to the Expo Complex because recent rains made it too muddy to take everyone to the Diamond K Farm as originally planned.
• The Citywide Cleanup will be sometime in October. Dates are not final.
• Now that Great Bend USD 428 has decided it will not rent part of the Front Door Community Center at 1615 10th St. from the City, Burns said he met last week with the county daycare inspector, who does inspections for the State Fire Marshal’s Office. The facility was previously a daycare center and it can be used for a home daycare again. One person can have up to 10 kids or two people can have up to 12. The City will put out an RFP (request for proposals).
