Council hears annexation report

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook City Council broached the topic of annexation again Monday night, this time with reports from the city utilities department and the fire chief.

The council first considered the issue at its Jan. 3 meeting with a map developed in 2003 of proposed areas. It includes residential and agriculture land on east Ravenswood Road, residential properties north of West Q, the Highlands Subdivision west of the golf course and along West Third and agricultural land between the city airport and East 11th.

Annexation has been on the table for at least 20 years, Mayor Mike Gonzales pointed out, but while some areas make sense, others won’t serve the city financially. So the council wants to “take it slow and not jump into it,” he said. Discussion now is at a starting point, he emphasized.

As City Manager Nate Schneider said Monday night and at prior meetings, some areas are feasible, such as north of McCook, because the land is flat and adjacent to city boundaries, while others are not due to the flood plain, such as south of McCook.

Other considerations are what Schneider calls “equitable” issues, where some residential areas are technically outside city limits yet close enough to receive city services, such as fire and police and at one half times the rate, city water. Some have city sewer, while others don’t. Those outside city limits pay the the county’s tax levy; if annexed, they would pay the county and city property tax levy, as current residents do inside city limits.

Those outside city limits also pay the Red Willow Western Rural Fire Department’s levy of 0.38; properties inside city boundaries do not.

Also in question are sewer hookups, that could be more costly to the city to install in some areas, such as at the golf course, although some residential areas could stay on their own system, Schneider said. Annexation of agricultural land is another matter and is being researched by City of McCook city attorney Nathanial Mustion, he said, as annexation has to demonstrate the “best use of the property” or if it’s being used in the most productive manner.

A report was presented Monday night by City of McCook Utilities Director Jesse Dutcher that showed the water rates of about 20 non-residential water users, mostly on West Third and Ravenswood Road. Property owners that utilize city water services and live outside city limits would save on their current water bills if the property was annexed, Dutcher said, with savings ranging from $146 to $650 annually.

Another report was presented by City of McCook Fire Chief Marc Harpham on estimates on costs of homeowner’s insurance based on the ISO Public Protection Classification program. The lowest score, at 1, means the community has superior fire protection while a higher score, such as 10, means the community’s fire protection efforts don’t meet ISOs minimum criteria. Any building more than five road miles from a fire station to outside the boundary of a city fire department service area has a PPC score of 10. If a community’s PPC score improves, insurance premiums generally decrease. Properties outside city limits have a PPC rating of 10 and those inside city limits, 3. Depending on the dwelling, annual savings with a lower PPC score ranged from $117 to $186 in areas proposed for annexation.

The city’s fire department has mutual aid agreements with rural fire departments in Southwest Nebraska at no charge, Harpham said, unless a large amount of water is used.

Schneider was asked by a member of the public attending Monday’s meeting what the actual benefits were to the city with annexation. Schneider said there was the equitable issue, of those residential areas already receiving city services; long-term growth of McCook and an increased census that could mean more federal dollars.

The city may be interested in annexation but not if it costs more than what it can get back, he said, such as road issues and other infrastructure costs. Improvement districts, such as alleys and sidewalks, are assessed back to the property owner.

After the presentations, City Councilman Jerry Calvin asked that the topic keep moving forward. Schneider said he would confer with Miller and Associates, the firm the city is working with, to get more information in detail. Schneider said he also wants to have conversations with property owners who would be affected by annexation, to keep the process as transparent as possible.