Manager's salary on city agenda Monday

Saturday, March 18, 2006

An ordinance that sets the city manager's salary and compensation will be introduced for approval at Monday night's regular city council meeting at 7:30 at City Council chambers.

The ordinance, which would be approved under suspension of the rule of three, would establish the city manager's salary at $83,000, the retirement benefit of six and half percent of his salary, and other benefits determined by the McCook City Council.

The employment agreement executed on March 6 includes these provisions, according to the City Council packet.

Council members also will be asked to approve an agreement with MWH on behalf of Coastal Mart to drill and install three groundwater monitoring wells. These wells will be along West Seventh and the alley between West Seventh and Eight streets, south of B Street.

The reason for the wells is to determine if any leakage from underground fuel tanks have affected the groundwater, according to Public Works Director Kyle Potthoff.

Agreements with the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics are up for approval from council members, as well as amendments to an agreement with W Design who is the engineer for improvements at the McCook Regional Airport.

The Federal Aviation Administration has required upgrades at the airport, which include improvements to the Segmented Circle and a new lighted wind cone.

A segmented circle is a system of visual indicators designed to provide traffic pattern information at airports without operating control towers. The estimated cost of this project is $28,000, in which 95 percent will be paid by federal grant funds, and five percent, at $1,400, paid by McCook.

Painting at Runway 12/30 is estimated to cost $80,000, with 95 percent of the cost paid by federal funds with the city's five percent portion at $4,000.

As the city's portion is not included in the 2005/2006 budget, city staff would like to use a $7,749.99 refund from the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics to help offset this cost.

Prior to the council meeting, a Community Development Agency meeting is scheduled. Council members will be asked to approve the filing of a declaratory judgment action concerning the distribution of property tax proceeds collected from the redevelopment contract with Reto Development Inc.

Approval of this action by council members will allow the matter to be filed before a district court judge, who will then decide the best way to proceed, City Attorney Ronda Vetrovsky said.

"We're trying to do what is right in this matter," Vetrovsky said.

Retro Development Inc. was one of the parties who was involved with a tax increment financing project with the city for the YMCA renovation project.

Other items on tap for council members include:

* approval of plans and specifications for the development and testing of the deep injection well and authorize bids on March 30;

* adopt a resolution which would forgive fifty percent, or $250,000, of the city's portion of the Community Development Block grant with Valmont Industries Inc., as well as the State of Nebraska Department of Economic Development's portion, at $500,000.

* approve plans and specifications for new signs at McCook Regional Airport

* approve the request for a special exception to construct a 148-foot cellular tower at Block 2, Lots 3,4, and 5 of the Willow Grove Addition, by Viaero Wireless.

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