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The Ulysses City Council discussed – again – plans for Frazier Park at its February 26 council meeting. But unlike the February 12 meeting, the council members were prepared for the discussion after City Administrator Luke Grimes sent the council a questionnaire asking them to rank the items they most want to see included in the park. The council members ranked – on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the most important – which items they feel are most important.
And unlike the previous meeting, the community did not show up en masse to voice their concerns. The handful who did attend the meeting quietly listened to the proceedings, which lasted 20 minutes before the council moved on to the next agenda item.
“There’s been quite a bit of community discussion and discussion among you all I’m sure about what we’d like to see out there,” said Grimes, who left it open for the council to begin a discussion.
Grimes had the results of the survey in front of him and there was a brief discussion, but nobody in the audience was able to see the results until councilman Terry Maas pointed it out, at which time Grimes placed the results on the monitors in the council chambers for all to see.
Grimes gave the council 26 items to rank, with restroom improvements, a new clubhouse, a freestanding storm shelter, dam walkway resurfacing, added playground equipment, cornhole pits, an improved volleyball area, a Scout camp restroom, and a back 9-disc golf course receiving mostly 4s and 5s from the council. The bandshell was the most divisive item, receiving 5 (most important) from Mayor Tim McCauley, Terry Maas and John Duran, and a 1 (least important) from Mark Diaz and Terry Dimmitt.
Items such as a Par 3 golf course, splash pad, soccer fields, additional camping spaces and artwork received low priority rankings amongst most of the council.
City Engineer Pete Earles was in attendance and was brought into the discussion by councilman Mark Diaz in reference to restrooms and the freestanding storm shelter. Diaz asked if that was something that would need to be bid out or was something the city could just build on its own.
“Is that an engineering deal or is that a standard process?” Diaz asked. “Is that something we have to pay you to have engineered, the specs of it, or is it, you know, so we don’t have additional costs on some of these items. So that’s what I would like to hear from you what we need engineer specs on, on top of – and from the city attorney – of if we need those – everything engineered - to be able to save us some finances or anything like that. I just didn’t know.”
Earles said it depends on how the council wanted to approach it. The city staff could build it if there’s a concept already available.
“Yes, we could provide a restroom, it goes back to how big is it, what are we looking at, how many stalls,” Earles said. “Cost wise for something like that if the city staff is going to build it, no it’s very minimal. If you’re going to bid it out that’s when you’re gonna have to have specs and everything else in order to bid comparatively, so that’s when you get into more expense.
“But if we could work with city staff and city staff do the work, then we could make it pretty inexpensive.”
Grimes said he would not expect city staff to construct a building, and Earles said bringing in a pre-cast building is pricey because they are hauled in from either Wichita or Oklahoma City.
Earles said that if there’s a concept in mind, funding could be found from different organizations for various elements.
“It gives you an opportunity to go out to the community (and ask for help),” Earles said. “There’s opportunities like that once you have a plan to show people.”
Earles said to take ideas, put them on paper and then figure out what will work and where.
The public has a chance to see what the council has prioritized.
“I’m not saying that the public is going to totally agree with everything we have, but at least they know what we’re looking at,” Diaz added. “And what we’ve prioritized, each individual separately. I think it will be a good idea. Not that we’re going to change it because you’re not ever gonna get a hundred percent from everybody.”
Maas agreed with Diaz, saying knowing what the council has prioritized, along with a concept, will paint a better picture of the cost and where the items will be placed in the park.
“I think a visual representation Pete can put together will be not just a benefit to us but to the public,” Maas said.
“Taking this (list of priorities) and start getting something laid out I think it will help all of you (the council) have a better picture of what we’re talking about,” Earles said.
The council decided to move forward and develop a visual representation of where the top priority items would fit.
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