The Great Bend City Council was divided Monday on who should get the contract for the City’s July 3 fireworks shows at the Expo. 

Instead of following the administration’s recommendation of Victory Pyrotechnics from Wichita, which did last year’s show, the council voted 4-2 to go with Wald & Co. Inc. and All-American Display Fireworks for $15,000.

Councilwoman Jolene Biggs made the motion, noting Wald & Co., based in Ellinwood, is local. Victory Pyro’s recommended option was a three-year agreement for $15,262 per year.

The motion was seconded by Alan Moeder and “yea” votes were by Biggs, Moeder, Gary Parr and Tina Mingenback. Voting “no” were Cory Urban and Davis Jimenez. Kevyn Soupiset and Rickee Maddox were not at the meeting.

In the discussion before the vote, Parr asked who did fireworks at the last Party in the Park, where he said there was poor communication in synchronizing the show with the music. “We were a quarter of a song off.”

City Administration Logan Burns did not know the answer to that question.

Urban, who voted against the motion, said, “I heard there were issues” with Wald & Co. in the past.

“There were, yes, a couple years ago,” Biggs said. She did not elaborate. Discussion continued about the importance of communication and whether the fireworks go high enough.

City Administrator Logan Burns said former Community Coordinator Christina Hayes raised the money for the 2025 show along with securing $11,637 for next year’s shows. The City needs to continue to raise funds for future shows.

Next year is the U.S. sesquicentennial (250th anniversary) and Great Bend may want a bigger fireworks show, Burns said. He added that the City partners with Eagle Radio for the patriotic music that plays during the shows.

Alcohol consumption rules for Vets Park

Alcohol consumption is banned on most property deeded to the City of Great Bend but city officials realize that ban isn’t always obeyed. City Administrator Logan Burns led discussion at Monday’s Great Bend City Council meeting on what the next alcohol ordinance for Veterans Memorial Park should look like.

Burns said he plans to bring an ordinance before the council at its next meeting.

Although alcohol is banned, the city can always pass a resolution allowing consumption during special events.

“We currently treat Vets Park as permission-only for events that happen at the park, such as Party in the Park,” Burns said. Any event with alcohol consumption must also be approved at other locations, such as the zoo or the main hangar at the airport. It requires the Council to approve a resolution each time an event comes up. 

Targeted areas, such as the Great Bend Events Center, can also be exempted from the ban.

Another avenue the Council could take is to exempt the park from the ban on alcohol. This is already done at the Events Center and the Expo. Council approval isn’t needed for any particular event or time, and alcohol can be consumed there at any time.

“One thing that was brought up was, during the summer adult slow pitch softball games, there’s alcohol consumed in the parking lots at Burns Field and Vets Park,” Burns said. After speaking to Police Chief Steve Haulmark and Public Lands Director Scott Keeler, he determined there have been no issues caused by this.

“This thing has been going on for 50 years. I mean, it’s nothing new, but we haven’t had any trouble with it,” he said.

“One idea is to make Vets Park permission only, but then come back with a resolution to allow alcohol consumption during adult softball leagues,” Burns said. The Council could exempt all or part of the park from the no-alcohol rule.

Recently, the topic of consumption has moved to the Municipal Auditorium, where the sponsor might want to hold a corn hole tournament during the Big Bend Bash in June.

A blanket exemption from the “no alcohol on city property” rule might work, or “you can put those specific locations that you want to be exempt, and then everything else is permission only.”

Burns said no decision was expected Monday. “(This will) just be discussion on where we want this to go. ... We’ll come back at the next meeting with an ordinance.”

Mayor Cody Schmidt said crafting ordinances over the course of two or more meetings is a good idea. 

“I think this is probably what you’ll see in the future with ordinances, as we move forward. We’ll have more of a discussion before we take any action on it.” He said that should relieve City Attorney Allen Glendenning from having to write two or three different ordinances to suit everyone’s input and suggestions.

Councilmembers were in agreement that there shouldn’t be alcohol at, for example, the Sports Complex, where youth ball games are played. But for adult games, the consensus was that the ordinance should reflect what they already know happens.

“This is just the consumption side of it,” Burns said. “If you’re going to sell it, there’s still going to have to be licensing and permits.”

It was also noted that cereal malt beverages are not considered “alcohol” under state law. Originally, that meant 3.2 beer could be sold with a CMB permit. Then, in 2019, the State of Kansas amended its statutes to allow “enhanced beer” with alcohol content up to 6 percent to be sold in businesses holding cereal-malt beverage licenses. At that time, Great Bend amended its ordinance to be in line with state law.

Meeting at a glance

Here’s a quick look at items approved at Monday’s Great Bend City Council meeting:

• Mayor Cody Schmidt named several board appointments and reappointments:

- Cassandra Hernandez and Karry Schmidt to the Library Board

- Carol Steiner to the Commission on Aging Board

- Ryan Hammeke, Jason Wahlmeier and Alan Crowther to the Board of Construction, Trades, Examiners, and Appeals (BOCTEA)

- David Olson to the Zoning Board and the Building Board of Examiners and Appeals

• The Council votes 4-2 to approve a proposal from Wald & Co. Inc. for the July 3 fireworks show for $15,000.

• The council approved a change to the mini-pitch surfacing at Heizer Park. Merritt Tennis & Track Systems will put an acrylic surface on the court to add aesthetics and long-term preservation of the concrete, for $27,930. 

• The council approved an agreement with JEO Consulting Group for a 2025 Water System Preliminary Engineering Report for $75,000, and for a Wastewater Treatment Preliminary Engineering Report for $85,000.

• The commission approved the purchase of an air burner firebox for the compost site from Air Burners Inc. for $163,107, and Hammeke Electric will install an electric box at the site for $2,259.