The city’s downtown business district received the lion’s share of discussion at Monday’s meeting of the Larned City Council. Beginning with public perception of the pros and cons of the drive down Larned’s Broadway street, discussion in the three-hour session segued into ideas of what it could look like and what it would take to get there. Source: Great Bend Tribune

The new City of Great Bend Justice Center at 12th and Baker, is taking shape, with the concrete slab in place and the steel beams rising from the surface. Completion of the 20,000-square-foot nearly $9 million facility, the new site of the Police Station and Municipal Court, is expected by the end of August, said Police Chief Steve Haulmark. “It’s moving right along,” he said. They are excited about moving from their current cramped, outdated location at 1217 Williams. Source: Great Bend Tribune

As an incentive to help reel professionals back into Barton County, the County Commission Wednesday morning approved a resolution authorizing participation in the Rural Opportunity Zone Student Loan Repayment Program for calendar year 2023. The program provides up to a $15,000 benefit per applicant as a workforce recruitment tool for eligible persons establishing a home in Barton County, said Operations Director Matt Patzner. The Kansas Department of Commerce requires counties to pass a resolution obligating them to participate in this ROZ program for at least five years. “So essentially, this resolution would be allowing for this program to take place within [...]

There is a strong likelihood that the rental Bird Scooters, once a ubiquitous site around Great Bend, may not be back this year, Great Bend Community Coordinator told the City Council Monday night. After two years, the local investor spearheading the project has opted not to re-up with the company, leaving the city scrambling. Source: Great Bend Tribune

Noting how the Barton County Facade Improvement Grant program has improved the appearance of downtown streets, the County Commission Wednesday morning approved deadline extensions and/or changes for three projects. These include: My Town LP ,1917 Lakin Ave.; Hammond, Inc. for two properties; and Boots Wine Bar LLC., 2022 Forest. During the Nov. 2, 2021, meeting, My Town, LP, was allocated $14,193. They were given an extension. During the Sept. 28, 2021, meeting, Hammond Inc, was allocated $20,000 for two Main Street properties, and they are seeking changes to the projects. Source: Great Bend Tribune

The Kansas Preservation Alliance’s annual list of the state’s Most Endangered Buildings includes six specific locations and a statewide category called “Tiny Jails.” Several of these lockups can be found in the Golden Belt. Most were built in the 1880s through 1920s and were used merely as “holding tanks” in later years of operation, according to the KPA website. By the 1960s, more were retired and then forgotten about. The “bear cage” jail cell that is alleged to have belonged to the City of Claflin is now located at the Barton County Historical Society Village and Museum. It provides a fun [...]

The question Gary Demel has heard most for the past month is, “What are you going to do when you retire?” Demel’s last day as Superintendent of the Barton County Road and Bridge Department was Dec. 1. He’d worked for the county for 51 years, with some time off to serve in the U.S. Army. “I’ve been busier than ever since I retired,” he said. His wife Renee’s father passed away and they’ve been taking care of selling his property in Trousdale, and Gary also takes Renee’s grandchildren to and from school. Then there’s the Demels’ rural property in the Walnut [...]

Russell PRIDE Inc. in Russell County has received a $52,000 grant to revitalize a dilapidated downtown building, Gov. Laura Kelly announced Friday. Gov. Kelly announced the recipients of the fall 2022 Historic Economic Asset Lifeline (HEAL) grants to revitalize under-used and dilapidated downtown buildings and turn them into economic drivers in Kansas communities. A total of 15 projects from across the state are receiving almost $773,000 in matching fund grants. HEAL was created in 2021 as a partnership between the Patterson Family Foundation and the Department of Commerce. The first round of HEAL grants resulted in 32 commercial buildings being rehabilitated. [...]

The wheels are turning to find a replacement for the resigning Great Bend City Administrator Kendal Francis. First, the City Council Monday night approved contracting with Selected was Strategic Government Resources of Keller, Texas, to handle the search, and it also approved naming current Assistant City Administrator Logan Burns to fill the post as the interim administrator during the hiring process. Source: Great Bend Tribune

Barton County is a complex matrix of 56 overlapping taxing entities that either fall entirely within its borders or cover a portion of it. If just one of these is late getting their budget information to the Barton County Clerk’s Office, it delays the Treasurer’s Office from getting property tax statements out to taxpayers. ... Commissioners understood the complexity and that one entity can hold everyone at a standstill. “So, talking to you, how can it be improved?” asked District 1 Commissioner Kirby Krier. The issue is, Jordan said, the taxing bodies having to wait for the finalized November property values [...]