Inflation affects pool, police pay, housing plans

McCOOK, Neb. — Thanks to inflation, McCook will still have a great new swimming pool, but may not have everything originally planned, City Manager Nate Schneider told the City Council Monday night.

City officials and the pool committee are working with Omaha engineers Lamp Rynearson and Carrothers Construction Co. of Paola, Kan. to set a guaranteed maximum price, which 20% inflation has pushed from an originally planned $6 million to $7.2 million.

Amenities like a “vortex pool” may be cut, or other modifications made to bring the cost into line. The “lazy river” is still a priority, Public Works Director Kyle Potthoff said, but different sourcing and pricing may change the configuration of the slide.

It will still be appropriately sized for swimming competitions.

The guaranteed price will be used to determine the size of the bond issued to pay for the project.

Some $562,000 will come from a Nebraska Department of Economic Development grant and the Masonic Lodge pledged $250,000, but other fundraising will be involved in building the pool.

Expected “groundbreaking” has been pushed back to late summer, but it is still expected to be completed by Memorial Day 2024, Schneider said.

The same crew that is building the Waverly pool will come to McCook after that project is done.

Officials also recently met with Lloyd and Elizabeth Benjamin, who plan to provide land for the new ballpark on the northwest side of McCook.

Community and college foundations will help with funding for the ballpark, but a state revolving fund to provide city water to the site will not be available.

After a short executive session, the council approved changes to the contract with the police union give Police Chief Joel Smith more flexibility in hiring certified officers.

The city has hired three new officers, but they won’t be available for duty until they are state certified, which will take several months.

Meanwhile, Smith will have the ability to hire certified officers at pay scales up to Step 8 on the contract with the city.

The current salary range is $21.25 to $29.14 an hour, several dollars an hour lower that comparable communities like York , Gering or Lexington.

In addition, because the police department will be short-staffed until new officers can be brought on board, the modified agreement will allow officers to be paid for a certain amount of lost vacation time.

The current city contract with the police union, the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 57, will be renegotiated when it expires in a year and a half.

Charlie McPherson and Sean Wolfe of the Economic Development Plan Citizens Citizen’s Advisory committee reported on the use of LB840 funding for early childhood education, rural workforce housing, microenterprise revolving loan and the Hormel Business Plan contest.

Later in related issues, the council approved modified agreements between the City of McCook Community Development Agency and the McCook Economic Development Corp. for Phase II of the North Pointe Redevelopment project.

Tax increment funding will help build streets, sewers, sidewalks and lighting to make the project attractive enough for contractors to build houses in the development.

TIF is seen as key to the three-phase housing project, underway since 2015, which has already seen six houses built on R Street.

The second phase calls for 17 houses over six years and the third eight more houses over eight years.

Because of inflation, the valuation on each of the lots has increased from $220,000 to $320,000, or from a total of $5 million to $7.5 million, which will make more TIF funding available.

City Attorney Nate Mustion outlined the Land Bank process, saying it might be difficult to establish a land bank with small participants such as Cambridge, Curtis and Oxford. No commitment has been received from McCook.

The council directed Mustion to continue efforts to establish a land bank, which is a way for cities and towns to pool funds to address vacant or tax-delinquent properties, designated as nuisance properties.

Consent agenda items approved included:

• allowing parking to be blocked off next to the old Ben Franklin store on West First between May 12 and June 9 so a community mural can be painted on the wall.

• setting bids for a new storage facility at the wastewater treatment plant at 2 p.m. May 25.

• appointing Natalie Mickey to the Senior Citizens Advisory Board to fill Joe Ryland’s term plus a new term expiring September 2026.

• a liquor license Jana G. Sides as manager of TJ’s Family Fun Center

• a liquor permit for Tidy’s Sip & Seed LLC for a wedding reception at the fairgrounds on Sept. 16

• permits for Wagner’s Cruisin’ the Bricks cruise night and car show on June 24 and a Color Fun Run Fundraiser on June 10

• purchase of a new ambulance from Professional Ambulance Service for $347,359.