Council to take another look at 'jake brake' ban

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook City Council will again take up the feasibility of a potential law that prohibits the use of “jake brakes” or compression release engine brakes inside the city, at the regular meeting Monday, July 19, 5:30 p.m. at city council chambers at the city municipal building.

The item is for discussion only with no action required. City Councilman Darcy Rambali requested at the July 6 council meeting that the topic be included at a future council meeting.

“Jake brakes” are prohibited in many communities for its loud exhaust noise. In the past, the council had voted on creating an ordinance that prohibits the use of jake brakes inside city limits, but it failed by 2 to 3.

The issue came up again at the June 21 meeting, upon the request of a local citizen. Since then, city staff has received five more requests from local citizens who want a jake brake ordinance, two couples and one individual, who resides on Mashie Drive and Wedgewood not far from U.S. Highway 83.

The other regular agenda item slated for Monday is to hear the quarterly McCook Chamber of Commerce report. Per the 2020 “Memorandum of Understanding” between the city and the chamber, which allocated $6,000 from ACE funds to the chamber, an update is required and McCook Chamber of Commerce director Brandi McConnell will provide that. The council will also receive a renewed request from the chamber requesting ACE funds for event promotions.

The meeting will open Monday night with a public hearing for a request for a special exception submitted by Kris Flammang/Tri-Star Investments to allow a building at 109 East C Street to have only residential uses in an area zoned as Central Business (CB) District. The first floor of the two-story building was used for commercial purposes and the second for residential; Flammang would like to convert the first floor to one-bedroom residential apartments. The McCook Planning Commission has approved the request.

Consent agenda items for Monday include:

-Receive and file results of the Annual Reservoir Test for the Class I Non-Hazardous Deep Injection Well. The City of McCook has a 1,880-foot deep Class I non-hazardous injection well for the disposal of anion waste generated by the drinking water treatment plant. While anion is considered non-hazardous, it does contain levels of arsenic, nitrate, uranium and chlorides that are not allowed into the receiving waters of the state, the Republican River.

The injection well has collected 7,776,294 gallons in 2020. It has received about 117.9 million gallons since it began operations in 2009. The Nebraska Department of Environmental and Energy (NDEE) requires annual testing and results from recent testing said that the well continues to operate as expected and is capable of taking the anion waste fluid at higher rates than it currently does, according to the city council agenda report.

-- Approve two applications for a special designated liquor license submitted by JBN, Inc., dba Hi Times Liquor Mart 1, for:

-- A reception at the Barnett Lumber Building, 1701 North Highway 83, on Nov. 20, 2021, from 12 p.m. to 1 a.m.

-- A reception at the Red Willow County Community Building, 1412 West 5th Street, on Nov.6, 2021, from 12 p.m. to 1 a.m.

-- Authorize applications from Pinpoint Communications to occupy city right of way for five locations in the city, for the installation of communications cable and vault, those locations being:

-- Along the west side of the alley north of East “J” Street, between East 2nd Street and East 3rd Street

-- The east side of the alley running north and south of East “G” Street, between East 5th Street and East 6th Street

-- The west side of the alley north of East “H” Street, between East 6th Street and East 7th Street

-- The east side of Country Club Drive, then crossing Country Club Drive and running south along the east side of the alley between East 5th Street and Country Club Drive

-- The south side of East “I” Street, between East 7th Street and East 9th Street.