By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
The digital billboard display on Main Street near the Brit Spaugh Park and the Wetlands Waterpark is viewable at one of the main entrances to Great Bend.
For the past five years, the sign has operated beyond its warranty period. While the city as encountered minimal issues during this time, a major storm last summer has caused problems to the screen portion of the sign.
Great Bend Community Coordinator Christina Hayes said the city spends up to $550 per month since the storm for someone to repair the billboard, and keeping the sign functional is important.
"The highest traffic counts we have from the city entrances...the first comes from the east," said Hayes. "The second is coming from the Hoisington drive. When they placed this sign, which was well before my time, they did it based on numbers and to promote the zoo."
After soliciting bids from Marks Custom Signs in Great Bend and Commercial Sign Company in Hays, Marks Custom Signs offered a bid more than $14,000 cheaper. For the past few years, the city has allocated funds to a billboard savings account for displays at Brit Spaugh Park, the Events Center and the Sports Complex.
"Because the technologies will match with our other billboards, I will be able to design one screen and just resize it," said Hayes. "I won't have to design it three different times. It takes a lot more time to do that. It's for the technology too, but we are having issues with it."
The Great Bend City Council approved the $41,107.60 purchase from Marks Custom Signs to replace the screen on the Brit Spaugh billboard.