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Seven years later, dog park still on hold
McCOOK, Neb. -- McCook residents hoping for a leash-free dog park may be in for a wait. Finding property for the park isn't the problem, allocating city revenue is, at least according to one official.
The Burns family donated property to the City of McCook in 2009 with initial discussions indicating it would be used to develop a leash-free dog park. The property is located at East 11th and C Street.
Dorothy Burns asked at-the-time the future park be named in honor of her husband, the late Dr. Lawrence T. Burns, DPM.
Several years later it looked like the dog park might become a reality with the help of a half-million-dollar FAA mandated upgrade to fencing at McCook Ben Nelson Regional Airport. City parks officials thought they might be able to use enough of the replaced fencing to construct the dog park, however, the plan was ultimately unsuccessful with city officials indicating the condition of the replaced fencing wasn't conducive for repurposing.
Behind the lack of progress on the project appears to be a lack of budgeted funding. When asked earlier this week if there is a plan in place for the dog park, Public Works Director Kyle Potthoff offered a one-sentence response. "There is nothing in this year's budget," he said.
The McCook City Council decided to hold off on including the estimated $15,000 cost to construct the dog park back in 2009, when the Burns family donated the property. The cost was coupled with another $20,000 to fund a feral cat program.
City leaders indicated at-the-time they weren't comfortable with reducing the budgeted ending cash balance from $143,000 to $108,000 for the project.
Seven years later McCook's dog park doesn't appear much closer to overcoming its budget hurdles and Potthoff's response indicates any further progress is unlikely until at least September of 2017, when the 2017-18 fiscal year budget is approved.