City fund seekers will have to wait

Representatives from the McCook Economic Development Corporation, McCook Humane Society and McCook Chamber of Commerce seeking additional city funding will have to wait until the Monday night council meeting to find out whether their request will be granted.

The MEDC asked that the city's annual contribution be bumped up from $50,000 to $100,000, with the Humane Society asking for an additional $12,000 and the Chamber $25,000.

Rex Nelson, Mark Graff, Dale Dueland, Greg Wolford and Russ Delong approached the council and outlined the financial status and purpose of the MEDC.

"We're the door step for McCook - we're all about creating jobs and opportunities," Dueland said.

Nelson cited the 244 jobs that Valmont and the Work Ethic Camp have provided to the city and the 20 additional jobs that 21st Century Systems will supply in the future, in addition to the current 11. All these jobs lead indirectly to increased retail revenue, he said.

"Do we want to play in the game or sit on the sidelines?" he asked.

Although he understands the difficulty in balancing the budget, Nelson said, "This is one line item that will be re- invested in the tax base and jobs."

Graff explained funding sources of the MEDC that included grants, private and corporate donations and a $10,000 contribution from Red Willow County.

But the MEDC is also is paying 25 percent debt service to Valmont and the Work Ethic Camp, he added.

Wolford asked the council to look at the "big picture" and cited the cash outlay concerning the upcoming renovation of the Keystone Hotel.

"If another Valmont or Work Ethic Camp came today, I'm not sure we could service their requests," Wolford said.

Councilman Kircher, who asked for the $100,000 in his council request, said the ultimate goal is to provide jobs for graduating students.

"We need to keep out kids here - that should be our focus," he said.

McCook resident Bill Frazier addressed the council and said "We need to support these guys - they're going to walk us to the future."

The $12,000 increase request from the Humane Society is needed as "we are continually in the hole," the council learned from Humane Society president Anne Dowd.

The additional funding would go toward escalating expenses and upgrades at the facility, she said.

Red Willow County has approved a $3,000 request, with other towns contributing what they could, she continued.

Marilyn Cuellar added, "Just as regular as our water bill, we get checks every month from Indianola and Oberlin."

The $25,000 requested for the Chamber would go toward their marketing campaign to draw business, said Richard Stull, chamber president.

The Chamber has neglected this area and they would like to aggressively recruit business to the area, he said.

"This is about creating a retail draw instead of a retail leakage," he said.

Pam Harsh, Chamber director, told the council how other city councils have supported their Chamber, with Alliance putting in $75,000, North Platte, $8,000 and Aurora's city council giving a five-year pledge. Although the Chamber's partnership with the MEDC is important, she still feels there is a difference in areas they are approaching.

McCook resident Mitch Lyster addressed the council later during the workshop and asked that they be cautious in spending city money on private entities.

I'm not here to bash anything, " he said, citing that all the requests the council heard have been legitimate. "But I'm a private entity too - maybe I should ask for money." The cost of living has rose in McCook, he noted, and asked that the council be prudent when distributing funds.