Council applies for abatement program

McCOOK, Neb. — Most people will clean up their messy property if asked nicely, the director of a regional development agency told the McCook City Council Monday evening.

The secret is “fostering local pride in appearance” and making sure each property gets a “fair and impartial review,” Amber Kuskie, executive director of the West Central Nebraska Development District said.

The council voted 5-0 to apply to her agency to take over most of McCook’s nuisance abatement efforts, but there’s no guarantee it will be able to and McCook is not locked into contracting with it to do so.

The city will be notified on Jan. 1, 2024, whether the application is accepted.

Muskie distributed a map of Imperial, one of the communities for which WCNDD performs nuisance abatement. It shows color zones designating each area to be surveyed for nuisance properties.

“The real success is those who clean up on their own,” she said.

The process starts with a “windshield review” from a public street and photos with problem areas.

The agency then notifies the property owner, and that generally does the job.

If not, a certified letter is sent, and a PowerPoint is presented to the City Council, which then has the option to declare the property a nuisance.

If there are still no results, the property is cleaned up at the owner’s expense, and if that bill is not paid, a lien is filed against the property.

Working one zone at a time, the process usually takes from April to October.

“We’re not the paint police,” Kuskie said. “Would your child be safe if they wandered onto the property?” If so, it is not a candidate to be declared a nuisance, she said.

She said about 98% of the properties are cleaned up without the abatement process, with the agency working directly with the property owner.

The agency charges $75 an hour for members of the WCNDD and $125 for non-members. Seventeen communities went through the process last year, with fewer this year, she said.

The city’s “problem resolution team” and health board will still have a role, City Manager Nate Schneider said, and the Public Health Board planned to visit several problem sites this morning.

In other business, the council:

• Agreed to use Community Betterment Funds from the ACE natural gas program to cover Heritage Senior Center rental fees for a “Share the Heat” fundraising event on Oct. 29. Volunteer Linda Nielsen explained that Thrivent also contributes to the program to cover utility bills for people in the seven counties served by Mid-Nebraska Community Action Partnership. A lot of the recipients are people who have incomes just slightly too high to qualify for other programs.

• Approved on first reading an ordinance to increase the fee for engraving of names and dates on the columbarium in Memorial Park Cemetery from $125 per name and date to $375, and the perpetual care fee from $150 to $300.

• Conducted an executive session to discuss strategies for the purchase of property for the ballpark project.

Proposals passed as part of the consent agenda included:

• Bids for the business park sanitary sewer and water main extension project will be opened at 2 p.m. Nov. 7. Also opened at that time will be bids for two new 3/4-ton 4wd pickup trucks, a new half-ton 4wd extended cab pickup truck and a new 2023 or 2024 compact to mid-size SUV.

• Forwarding of a property damage claim from Jeremy Young in the amount of $300.00 to the City’s insurance carrier for review and appropriate action.

• Forwarding of a property damage claim from Pat Fawver to the City’s insurance carrier for review and appropriate action.

• Approved to the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission for the Application for Manager submitted by JBN, Inc., dba “Hi Times Convenience,” 606 East “B” Street, which holds License #DK-100025, with Nicholas J. Nothnagel as the applicant and approved the location change from 502 East “B” Street to 606 East “B” Street..

• Approved of the request from the McCook Community Foundation Fund to change the date to close Norris Avenue from the north side of “D” Street to the south side of “E” Street for their community event, now scheduled for Thursday, October 19, 2023, between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m.

• Ratified of the Mayor’s appointment to the Housing Agency Board, reappointing Barb Ostrum with a term expiring in November 2028.

• Approved of the McCook Area Chamber of Commerce’s request to use City facilities for a Christmas Celebration on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023, including various festivities around the city.

The city zoning commission will meet at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 23 to consider a zoning variance request from the Coppermill.