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By KATHY KENDRICK
Traveler Correspondent

Residents of Arkansas City are one step closer to having a new place to ride their bikes or walk.

The City Commission on Tuesday unanimously approved entering into an agreement with the Kansas Department of Transportation for the new trail, which will be built along the levee system.

The trail will begin near the Paris Park pool. It will head west to the levee and will then travel south under Madison Avenue and around to the site of the old packing house on South Summit Street. It will be funded in part by KDOT, which will reimburse the city for 70 percent of the cost.

In May, the city announced that the Kansas Department of Transportation would provide the city $1 million to build a new scenic bike and pedestrian path. The city's expense will be about $420,900, which includes its portion of the construction costs and engineering costs, according to City Manager Curt Freeland.

"This is going to be a great trail," said Lane Massey, assistant to the city manager. "It will be about 2 1/2 miles of uninterrupted fun for the entire family."

Mayor Joel Hockenbury said the trail will open up a beautiful area to residents.

"This will likely be the first time some residents of Ark City actually get to see this part of town," he said.

The trail will be built about 10 feet wide with a 1-foot shoulder on each side. It will be accessible to those with disabilities, Massey said.

Access points will be located at Newman Park and the community soccer fields. Benches and trash receptacles will be located at various sites along the trail.

The action taken by the commission marks just the first step in the process of building the trail. A partial engineering plan will be submitted for an environmental review process before construction can begin. Massey said he is hopeful construction will begin some time next summer.

Once the trail is complete, Massey said plans for connecting the trail to a proposed sports complex near the U.S. 77 bypass may be in the works.

"This could be a great start to circling the city with a nice hiking trail," he said.

In other business, commissioners:

* Presented a proclamation designating Nov. 13-19 as the 84th annual observance of American Education Week in Arkansas City to USD 470 Superintendent Ron Ballard.

* Honored Bruce Watson for his contribution to the community through his work with the Northwest Community Center.

* Reviewed bids, adopted an ordinance issuing bonds, and approved a resolution authorizing the sale of bonds to the low-interest bidder Country Club Bank of Kansas City. Commissioners also set the terms for the repayment for permanently financing various city improvement projects.

* Held a hearing and considered a resolution declaring 1025 South B St. as a dangerous structure. New owners of the property, who have already begun improvements on the home, asked for and were granted a 30-day time frame to begin repairs and an additional six months to complete the work.

* Renewed a contract with Reaching Out Consultation Inc. for the provision of family night recreational services at the Northwest Community Center.

* Approved a new, three-year lease with the Arkansas City Tennis Association for use of the indoor tennis courts in the Agri-Business Building.

* Passed an ordinance adopting the 2005 updated Standard Traffic Ordinance into the city's municipal code.

* Reviewed bids and awarded a contact for the renewal of city employee group health coverage for 2006 to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas and Delta Dental.

* Recognized Lane Massey for his seven years of service as assistant to the city manager. Massey will be leaving the job at the end of the month.