What housing?

Dear Editor,

Recently I attended the McCook Economic Development Corporation's annual meeting. (Also reported in March 29, 2006 Gazette.)

Over the past year, the MEDC has been busy helping attract new business to McCook and continuing to nurture those already here.

By my count they were extolling the strong possibility of at least 100 new jobs coming to this area in the very near future. I found that scenario exciting because new good jobs are what this economic center of Southwest Nebraska sorely needs.

Another fact reported was that attempts to designate Red Willow a "Livestock Friendly" County may be impossible due to many residents having already built homes in the country.

Putting those two bits of information together raises a question. Where are the people coming to fill the new jobs going to live? McCook's "new" City Manager has a history of discouraging building new residences in the city limits including the two mile surrounding area.

Evidently the City Council approves of the prospect of a tight housing situation because they invited Mr. Bingham back.

Possibly the council's intention is to encourage the new job seekers to reside in surrounding towns; not a bad thing, or to build new homes in the country out away from the restrictive influence of McCook. It seems to me that such a policy is not in the best interests of the City of McCook. 

Dick Trail

McCook