Council applications accepted until Oct. 28

The city clerk's office will accept letters of interest and brief resumes until 4 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 28, from those interested in serving on the McCook City Council.

The vacancy exists because of the death of Council member Colleen Grant Oct.9.

The McCook City Council officially declared the vacancy at its regular meeting Monday night and approved a resolution to submit the vacancy to the statewide general election on Nov. 2, 2010.

From the applications received, Mayor Dennis Berry will nominate a candidate and the council will be asked to vote on the individual. The person chosen will fill the seat until the November 2010 general election.

During Council Comments at the end of Monday's meeting, the council extended its condolences to the family of Colleen Grant.

Mayor Berry noted her commitment to McCook and to her family. Councilman Aaron Kircher cited her compassion for others and Lonnie Anderson mentioned her enthusiasm for serving on the council.

"She loved McCook," Mayor Berry summed up.

In other action, the council approved several consent agenda items, including:

* a deduction of $9,110 from the project that extended water and sewer lines to the proposed Nebraska Guard and Reserve Readiness Center, that will be near McCook Regional Airport.

The decrease was due to a minimal amount of silt fence needed, less feet of pipe used and because no seeding was done on the ground. Completed the end of September, the project cost $246,014, including the deduction. It was paid for out of water department funds and city sales tax revenue.

* another deduction of $2,998 from Phase II of the Kelley Creek Walking Trail. This phase takes the trail from the lower shelter house up Kelley Park Drive and over to Bolles Canyon Road to M Street. The deduction was due to only two instead of 11 trees being removed for the project.

* an agreement between the city and Miller and Associates Consulting Engineers for the design and construction of the water main on South Street and Kelley Park Drive. The agreement designates a lump sum fee of $16,215 for the design phase and not more than $15,000 for 15 days of construction observation services. The project will replace about 1, 600 feet of three- and four-inch cast iron water mains with a new six inch plastic pipe on South Street and connect the water main on Kelley Park Drive to existing water main on Park Street.