City Council OKs land purchase for sports complex

McCOOK, Neb. —  Following a public hearing, the McCook City Council approved the purchase of 127 acres of land, 50 to 60 of which will be used for a city sports complex.

“The one nice thing about this is it gives us a chance to expand into the future,” City Manager Nate Schneider said.

He discussed the need to create a committee to plan what the Sports Complex project will look like moving forward and partnering with other organizations, i.e., the schools, the YMCA, and the College. 

In November 2022, voters approved a half-cent sales tax to fund a $5 million bond issue for the new aquatic park as well as the ballpark.

"The big thing with this again is that it gives us some liquidity up front that will provide us with the ability to go ahead and just purchase this property. " Nate Schneider, City Manager, said.

The total cost of the 127 acres is $3.186 Million, and the City anticipates that the purchase agreement will be completed in August. 

Ordinance No. 2024-3082 was approved, authorizing the issuance of Combined Utilities Revenue Bonds in a principal amount of not to exceed $9 million to pay the costs of improvements to the City's combined utilities, including the sewers system improvement project with a motion to suspend the rule of requiring reading on three separate occasions. 

Brian Slaughter, Managing Director at First National Capital Markets, explained that the ordinance allows permanent financing for the private sector. This ordinance will enable city staff and their team to collaborate on the structure and timing of the funding as the City progresses through the construction phase. The second aspect is interim financing, which is temporary until the USDA takes over. 

Ordinance No. 2024-3083 was approved, authorizing the issuance of Combined Utilities Revenue Bond Anticipation Notes in a principal amount not exceeding $8 million to pay the construction costs of improvements to the City's combined utilities. 

Schneider explained that they have to separate this into two separate issues. One will be a straight-up utility bond issue, which is typical of how we finance our utility projects. The other will be a bond anticipation note with a shorter term.

Ordinance No. 2024-8084 authorizes the issuance of Municipal Improvement Bond Anticipation Notes in a principal amount not to exceed $5 million to pay the construction costs of the ballpark facilities and other improvements authorized by the votes at the City's sales tax election held on November 8, 2022 

Erica Bush and WCNDD (West Central Nebraska Development District) also presented on the properties that violated the McCook Code of Ordinance. The City Council approved the designation of nuisance properties as deemed by WCNDD. 110 letters were sent out; 52 of those properties have been cleared. There were 31 extensions, and 27 of those properties are nuisances that need to be taken care of. 

Nuisance Abatement Ordinance No. 2024-3081 amends section 95.35 Weeds, Litter, and Stagnant Water and adds additional provisions that include all specific instances listed in Section 95.02 of the McCook Code of Ordinances. 

The first of three readings of Ordinance No. 2024-3080 was approved. It adds chapters 75, sections 75.01 through Section 75.99, to the Title VII Traffic Code. This would allow UTVs to drive on city streets. Police Chief Kevin Hodgson has worked to develop a UTV ordinance that would fit McCook and satisfy state statutes. Registration will go from January to January and will cost $100. 

The pool project is getting close to completion, with the expected opening at the beginning of July but with no specific date yet planned. 

Eleven lifeguards have been hired in addition to a manager, but it is hoped seven additional guards can be hired.

There will be another Lifeguard training through the YMCA on June 24-26, 2024.