By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
GREAT BEND — The Great Bend Better Than Great visioning group was designed to develop a master plan to bring Great Bend forward and make sure the city thrives in the future.
One of group’s goals is to overcome cultural barriers. According the Great Bend Better Than Great research, nearly 20 percent of the town’s population has a Hispanic origin. That number continues to grow, meaning there are many residents that only speak Spanish.
City Administrator Kendal Francis noted during an online meeting this month that the city needs to do a better job of communicating and involving the Hispanic population.
"We are making a conscious effort in everything that we do to be open and transparent," said Francis. "With that said, just because I can understand it, does not mean everybody can. We're making an effort to be better in those regards."
One of the ways the City of Great Bend improved the language barrier is by installing a feature on their website, greatbendks.net, that translates the website text to one of several different languages. Francis noted the city did hire a bilingual employee and she is willing to translate for any residents with city concerns or questions.
"If you have questions, call the Front Door office," said Francis. "Our newest employee there is bilingual and we are excited to have her as a staff member and take advantage of her ability to translate for us."
Francis will be holding a Kendal’s Koffee Thursday, April 16 at 1 p.m. on Facebook Live to cover COVID-19 information. The online setting will also include the city’s translator to relay the information in Spanish.