With a 6-1 vote Monday, the Great Bend City Council moved forward with legalizing Utility Task Vehicles (UTV) and Side-by-Sides on city streets.

At an October meeting, the governing body directed that an ordinance be prepared to allow the registration and operation of Side-by-Sides in city limits. Great Bend City Attorney Bob Suelter drafted an ordinance following the existing ordinance used by Dodge City.

Mayor Joe Andrasek noted the UTVs are not any louder than motorcycles.

“These vehicles are noticeably quieter than your conventional Harley motorcycle,” said Andrasek. “It is my understanding that if one of these vehicles is too loud, the owner can be cited for that.”

(Read more: Great Bend Post)

Gov. Laura Kelly and Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz announced this morning the 22 projects selected across the state as part of the Kansas Department of Transportation’s new Cost Share Program. These projects total nearly $74 million in state, local, federal and private investment in transportation improvements statewide.

Great Bend’s application to resurface most of 10th Street (US 56) and the SRCA Dragstrip was selected as one of the projects. Barton County’s push to make improvements at the Redwing intersection was also selected.

“These projects demonstrate communities’ commitments to improve the quality of life for their citizens and to do so in a practical manner,” said Gov. Kelly. “This program also demonstrates the great things that happen when communities and the state work together.”

(Read more: Great Bend Post)

In the summer of 2017, members of Barton County Young Professionals were meeting with at-the-time interim Great Bend City Administrator George Kolb. Kolb challenged the group to think about Great Bend’s future and what they wanted to the city to look like 20 years from now. Shortly after the interaction with Kolb, BCYP secured funding from the Harm Trust to hire Shockey Consulting to form a visioning process and strategic plan.

The visioning group, Great Bend Better than Great, brought in 55 community members to form a steering committee and received public feedback on goals for the city going forward.

Great Bend Better than Great Co-Chair Mark Mingenback says those goals are established and ready for the implementation phase.

“The risk with a plan like this is does it just go onto a shelf,” said Mingenback. “The shelf gets dusty, and then in a few years people look at this and wonder what it is. Being concerned about that, we have a plan to map the future and hold parties accountable for the goals.”

(Read more: Great Bend Post)

Monday’s Great Bend City Council meeting revealed four of the five names that will make up the Board of Directors for the newly created Great Bend Economic Development.

Mayor Joe Andrasek announced that Jolene Biggs and Barry Bowers will serve on the board from the City Council, while Great Bend Chamber of Commerce Board Chairman AJ Chrest notified the council of their two selections.

“The Chamber’s two appointees will be Mark Calcara and Mark Chalfant,” said Chrest.

Biggs, Bowers, Calcara, and Chalfant will be in charge of reviewing the other applicants to determine the at-large board member which will be announced at the Nov. 18 meeting.

(Read more: Great Bend Post)