Public hearing on city budget Monday night

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The McCook City Council will coordinate a public hearing Monday evening to hear support, criticism and suggestions from residents pertaining to the proposed 2012-13 city budget. The hearing is scheduled during their regularly scheduled meeting, 7:30 p.m., at Memorial Auditorium.

Following the public hearing, the 2012-13 city budget will be introduced and considered for approval upon its first of three required readings.

This year's total proposed budget is $31,221,906. The general fund portion of the budget is $6,764,824, which is $389,787 or a 5.7 percent increase from prior year. The increases are described as being necessary to meet operating capital items that City Manager Jeff Hancock said have been neglected in the past.

The proposed budget includes a 2.5 percent city-wide wage increase, which would equate to a $80,357 annual increase, and would be combined with $80,520 in merit increases and $59,570 in longevity increases. The 2012-13 fiscal year employee classification pay plan is also scheduled to be introduced and considered for approval upon its first of three required readings.

A second public hearing is scheduled as a requirement for setting the final property tax request for the upcoming year. The 2012-13 proposed property tax rate will be requested at the same rate as prior year, 0.319044, which is the same rate the city has maintained since the 2002 property tax levy.

Near the end of Monday's meeting councilors may go into executive session for another strategy session pertaining to the purchase of real estate for the cation waste disposal system. Councilors approved the use of eminent domain following a similar executive session in July. City staff has targeted a 10-acre tract of land adjacent to the waste water treatment facility for the project, which includes the construction of two EPA mandated lagoons to dissipate brine and hard water that has historically been released into the Republican River.

The property is owned by the Estate of Leo Randel.

Other items on the consent and regular agenda:

City staff has requested authorization to prepare and execute a contract with Miller and Associates as general administrator for the city's CDBG Downtown Planning Grant.

Nebraska Public Power District has requested to occupy city right-of-way around their substation, located at the intersection of North U.S. Highway 83 and West Q Street, for the installation of an underground ground wire. The ground wire will be approximately two-and-half feet deep and three feet outside of the substation's fence.

The lease-purchase agreement between the city and Wells Fargo Equipment Finance Inc., for the purchase of a 4-wheel drive mini-rescue pumper for the fire department, will be considered. The vehicle cost came in under budget at $147,111 of the $150,000 budgeted in the 2011-12 budget.

A request from St. Patrick Catholic Church to close portions of East 4th and East G Streets, for their annual fall festival on Sept. 22-23, 2012, will be considered.

The closure of West D Street, between West Fifth and West Seventh Streets, on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2012, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. will be considered. The closure is being requested for street work, which will include milling of the larger cracks and humps and the placement of hot mix asphalt.

Special liquor licenses for MO Dough LLC for wedding receptions at the Armed Forces Reserve Center, on Sept. 29 and Oct. 20, 2012, will be considered.