Five apply for council position

The city has received five applications for the open seat on the McCook City Council, including those from former council and school board members.

Mayor Dennis Berry will nominate a candidate from the applications and the council will be asked to approve the selection, at the regular council meeting Monday night, 7:30 p.m., in City Council Chambers in Memorial Auditorium.

Those who submitted applications are Steve Batty, a training and business consultant in McCook and Colorado and former McCook City Council member; Mike Gonzales, YMCA director and former McCook School board member; Shane Hilker, president of the McCook Youth League and recent contender for the council vacancy created by Jack Rogers' resignation; Steve Keene, a 1965 McCook High School graduate who recently moved back to McCook from Pittsburg, Calif., where he was actively involved in Special Olympics; and Fred Shepherd, life-long McCook resident and sales manager for American Electric.

The vacancy on the five-member council was created when council member Colleen Grant died Oct. 9. The person selected Monday night will serve until the person elected in the November 2010 general election will take office.

The nomination by Mayor Berry, approval by council and oath of office for the new council member will begin the meeting.

Council members will be asked to consider a variety of items Monday night, including the regular agenda item that approves the city acquiring the Romanoff Building from Terry Jessen for $9,372.08

Jessen purchased the building in 2006 at a public auction for delinquent taxes and on Oct. 5, a Decree of Foreclosure was entered in the District Court of Red Willow County authorizing Jessen to conduct a sheriff's sale of the property.

Jessen has indicated to the city that he's willing to sell the building to the city for the cost of delinquent taxes he's paid at $8,231.40, plus the interest rate of 14 percent per annum after Oct. 5, ($94.72) court costs ($85.32) cost of lien search ($125) along with a 10 percent attorney fee at $835.64, for a total of $9,372.08.

The building is one of several in disrepair that are slated for demolition using a federal neighborhood stabilization grant the city received.

After the regular meeting, the council will meet in closed executive session to discuss pending litigation regarding another property owned by Jessen, at 301 E. Second. The residence on this property was one of the buildings scheduled to be demolished using neighborhood stabilization funds.

Other regular agenda items up for discussion or approval include:

* plans for the West Ward site and the future of municipal buildings. The site has been considered as the location for a new fire station and for a city municipal building, that would house city offices and the police dispatching center. Discussion would help bring the two new council members up to speed on plans for the site and also establish future objectives.

* receive and file information on the progress being made on cleaning up property at 305 East 12. Following an inspection Aug. 13, the McCook Health Board determined the property was an unsafe nuisance property, recommended the City Council declare the property as such and to allow the owner three months to clean up the property before the city took legal action. The owner, Dottie Park, asked the council for more time to clean up the property and the council agreed, with the council reviewing the progress in early November. City staff noted that although much of the overgrown vegetation has been trimmed, the unsafe structures have not yet been removed.

* the request by the McCook Youth League to close West C Street between West First and West Second on New Year's Eve, from 8 p.m., to 2 a.m. for a youth street dance. City staff has several concerns, including that not all businesses located in the area have been notified, the safety of teens on a closed street during New Years Eve and curfew violations due to the holiday falling on a Thursday.

* approve on its final reading an amended ordinance that clarifies that fireworks are allowed to be discharged in the city on July 5

Consent agenda items the council can approve in one motion, or pull for discussion by a council member or a member of the public, include:

* approve the increase of $5,347,54 and sign the certificate of completion for the new sidewalks installed this summer at the Jaycee Ball Complex.

* approve bid specifications for the ball park concessions at the Jaycees Complex and Felling Field

* declare the list of abandoned and unclaimed vehicles and property as surplus city property. After being declared as surplus, the city will sell the items at a public auction.

* approve an escrow agreement with McCook National Bank that provides financial surety to the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality for the plugging and abandonment of the deep injection well

* approve the maintenance agreement with the Nebraska Department of Roads where the city is responsible for maintaining U.S. Highways 6-34 and 83 within city limits. The rates for surface maintenance and snow plowing have increased 25 cents per lane mile in 2009, resulting in an increase of the annual payment from the NDOR to the city from $14,616 to $18,270

* adopt a resolution that approves a summary plan description for the 401K plans of city employees

* approve special designated liquor license submitted by Mo Dough LLC for a wedding reception at the Red Willow County Fairgrounds Dec. 18 and from the McCook Area Chamber of Commerce for a mixer at Wells Fargo Bank Dec. 9 with an alternative date of Dec. 16