Golf cart users request more latitude on city streets

Susan Thacker, Great Bend Tribune, Kan.
·3 min read
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May 16—City Council to tour North Annex Building

After concluding other items of business at Monday's Great Bend City Council meeting, the City Council will recess and reconvene at the North Annex Building at 1217 Williams St. to take a tour of the building. The building housed the Great Bend Police Department and Municipal Court until the new Justice Center opened in 2023. The tour will be a part of the open meeting that starts at 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 20. The tour will be open to anyone who wishes to join the council there.

The Great Bend City Council will consider an ordinance permitting and regulating the use of golf carts, micro-utility trucks and work-site utility vehicles on certain streets in town when it meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 20, at City Hall, 1209 Williams St. The meeting in the Council Chambers is open to the public and will also be livestreamed for the public to view on the City Council Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/gbcitycouncil/.

According to agenda materials, the current Standard Traffic Ordinances adopted by the city prohibit the use of these vehicles on city streets. However, by separate ordinance, the use of micro-utility trucks are authorized and regulated. Citizens have approached the administration requesting that the city allow golf carts as well. Several other cities in the area have ordinances allowing and regulating such vehicles.

Request to vacate right-of-way for The Landing LLC

The council will also consider The Landing LLC's request for the vacation of a strip of land 6 feet wide by 100 long along a portion of their property at the intersection of Forest and Williams. For the venue going up at Forest and Williams, the portion of land requested would run from the south right-of-way line of Forest Ave. for the entire length of the property. This will allow The Landing LLC to expand on its plans to create an outdoor courtyard for the community. City staff have reviewed the request as set out in an ordinance that the council may approve on Monday. A notice was published in the Great Bend Tribune and mailed to parties required by the resolution. No utility companies have denied the request.

Other business

Other items on the agenda include:

—Authorizing blocking off parking stalls on the north side of Lakin Ave. along the south side of the courthouse from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Aug. 17, and authorizing individuals to stay overnight in Jack Kilby Square during the annual Blessed Bike Rally, Aug. 16-18.

—Updates of two tabled items. Staff are still working on gathering items on the plans to improve the traffic signal at 10th and McKinley and to add bathrooms at Langrehr Field.

—A rezoning request for 1620 Bake Ave. Jack Manases with Manases Enterprises LLC would like to have the property rezoned from R-2 (Two-Family) and C-2 (General Commercial) as he plans to park his trailers and equipment inside the lot and then put an 8-foot tall, screened fence around the property.

—An executive session has been requested to discuss information deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship.

—The City Council will then recess and reconvene at the North Annex Building at 1217 Williams St. to take a tour of the building. This will be a part of the open meeting and open to anyone who wishes to join the council there. Following the tour, the regular City Council meeting will adjourn at the North Annex Building.