Council looks into converting armory

McCook wants to know what it might cost to convert the former National Guard Armory into offices for the city and police department.

The City Council will review the idea with architects via a teleconference at the regular meeting Monday night, 7:30 at City Council Chambers in Memorial Auditorium.

The council previously had directed city staff to look into the idea of converting the building, which will be vacated when the National Guard moves into a new joint military facility with the Army Reserve at McCook Regional Airport.

The council will talk to architects at Prochaska and Associates of Omaha about the renovations. Prochaska and Associates have estimated that improvements to the armory will cost from $3,363,742 to $3,763,742.

The architectural firm has done other work for the city, including preliminary designs for a new fire station and city office/police department at the West Ward site.

The teleconference is a consent agenda item. On the regular agenda, the council will vote on three separate items concerning alcohol use at the city auditorium. These include :

* introduce and approve, under suspension of the three-reading rule, amendments to an ordinance to allow the use of alcohol beverages at the auditorium after a special designated liquor license has been approved by the city council

* approve the request from Mark Friehe for a wedding reception serving alcohol at the city auditorium, providing that all requirements of a special designated liquor license are met before the date of the event

* approve on first reading an amended ordinance that increases the rental fees and damage deposits at the auditorium.

The council will also be asked to approve on second reading an amended ordinance that exempts the testing of backflow devices use on lawn sprinkler systems when the sprinkler system is not used to apply chemicals.

The council will convene in closed executive session to discuss a potential land purchase for cemetary use, then re-convene afterwards in open session to direct city staff regarding the land purchase.

A public hearing will start the meeting off, where the city council will be asked to approve a special exception requested by Glen and Kim Tietz for daycare at a former church at 409 West Q.

Other consent agenda items include:

* approve the plans and specifications for the sidewalk along U.S. Highway 6-34 and set the date to receive bids at April 26, 2:30 p.m.

* award the bid to Environmental Services Inc. of Norfolk for $29,500, to remove asbestos from the vacant commercial building at 204 Norris Ave., at the corner of Norris Avenue and B Streets

* authorize staff to negotiate a contract with CivicPlus of Manhattan, Kan. for the City of McCook Web site

* approve the request from Terry Sitzman to close C Street from Norris Avenue to West First and Norris Avenue to East First on May 1, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. for a benefit car show for Baylie Simmons

* approve plans and specifications for the 2010 Street Improvements and set the date to receive bids at April 26 at 2:30 p.m.

* approve plans and specifications for the 2010 armor coating project

* adopt a resolution that grants a waiver of payment in lieu of taxes to the McCook Housing Agency

The council will also be asked to designate three proclamations: April 10-17 as "National Telecommunicator's Week,"; the month of April as "Sexual Assault Awareness Month" and "Child Abuse Prevention Month" and April 11-17 as National Library Week.