Great Bend City Council
Week of April 20, 2026
Council approves alcohol ordinance for Art and Wine Walk in split vote
City accepts FAA grant for $725,700 airport runway design
City partners with KDOT for safety upgrades at 12 intersections
Circuit board failure causes traffic delays at 10th and McKinley
City waives parking agreement to facilitate commercial development
Drag strip May 1 race canceled amid timing system delays
Council approves alcohol ordinance for Art and Wine Walk in split vote
GREAT BEND, Kan. - The Great Bend City Council approved an ordinance allowing unlicensed downtown businesses to serve complimentary alcoholic beverages during the 12th Annual Art and Wine Walk on June 5. The event, which coincides with the Rocky Mountain Race Week Welcome Party, aims to promote downtown shopping, art and culture. The council approved the ordinance by a 7-1 vote, with one council member casting the lone dissenting vote.
City accepts FAA grant for $725,700 airport runway design
GREAT BEND, Kan. - The Great Bend City Council unanimously approved an agreement with engineering firm Garver and accepted a pending Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grant for the design phase of the runway 11-29 reconstruction project at the Great Bend Municipal Airport. The FAA will cover 95 percent of the $725,700 design cost, while the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) Aviation and the city will each contribute 2.5 percent, capping the city's share at approximately $18,150. Airport Manager Martin Miller noted that construction bidding for the newly designed runway will take place during the next grant cycle.
City partners with KDOT for safety upgrades at 12 intersections
GREAT BEND, Kan. - The Great Bend City Council approved a contract with the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) for the High Risk Urban Roads program, which will bring low-cost safety countermeasures to 12 city intersections. KDOT will provide materials, such as enhanced pavement markings and larger stop signs, while the city will be responsible for installation and future maintenance. Public Works Director David Dunekack said city crews are expected to install the upgrades within two weeks of receiving the materials.
Circuit board failure causes traffic delays at 10th and McKinley
GREAT BEND, Kan. - Motorists traveling through the intersection of 10th and McKinley streets may experience slower traffic response times due to a circuit board failure in the traffic signal. City Administrator Logan Burns informed the Great Bend City Council that a replacement part has been ordered and is expected to arrive by early next week. In the meantime, the signal is unable to operate in its standard cycle mode, prompting officials to urge drivers to exercise caution in the area.
City waives parking agreement to facilitate commercial development
GREAT BEND, Kan. - To pave the way for new commercial developments, the Great Bend City Council unanimously agreed to waive a longstanding parking license agreement between the city-owned Great Bend Event Center and an adjacent subdivided hotel property. City Attorney Allen Glendenning explained that the city will give up its right to use the neighboring parking lots for event overflow. However, officials agreed the move was necessary to remove a land covenant that could interfere with future commercial sales on the subdivided lots. Specific names for the incoming restaurant and coffee shop developments, as well as the hotel property owner, were not publicly disclosed during the meeting.
Drag strip May 1 race canceled amid timing system delays
GREAT BEND, Kan. - The inaugural May 1 race at the newly renovated SRCA Dragstrip has been canceled because the timing system contractor was delayed at an event in Charlotte, North Carolina. Despite the setback, City Administrator Logan Burns reported that the track's texturing was successfully completed, resulting in what he said experts consider the flattest-poured track in the nation. A ribbon-cutting and open house are now planned in conjunction with the next scheduled race on May 15.
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