City looking for operators for ball park concession stands

Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Lorri Sughroue

Specifications for the three-year contracts to operate concession stands at the city's ball parks were approved Monday night by the McCook City Council.

"Have we been a good landlord?" asked Councilman Jerry Calvin, who wanted to know how the city's relationship has been with past concession vendors.

Potthoff replied that he hasn't heard any negative feedback but added that getting bids for the work was a little tough the last time the city sought vendors.

In 2007, the bids had to be re-let a second time as no group or organization bid on the Jaycees Ball complex. The other ballpark with concessions is Felling Field.

Councilman Mike Gonzales asked if the long season could be hindering vendors, and Potthoff said that it could be a factor. The season starts in February or March and ends by October or November, he said.

The council approved the specifications and set the date to receive bids as Nov. 24.

The council approved unanimously other consent agenda items without discussion, including:

* a maintenance agreement with the Nebraska Department of Roads that specifies that the city is responsible for upkeep and snow removal on U.S. Highways 6-34 and 83 that are inside city limits.

* 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.

In April, the NDEQ asked the city to place $69,050 in an escrow account to guarantee that the city had sufficient funds available should it become necessary to plug and abandoned the injection well facility. The city was notified in September that this amount had to reflect increases due to inflation and the city calculated that new amount as $70,514. The escrow account currently has $69,994.30, so city will transfer $520 from the line item "injection well testing/maintenance" to cover the required increase.

* approve the Certification of Completion for the new sidewalks installed at the Jaycees Ball Complex, along with a change order for an additional $5,347. The total cost of the sidewalks came to $120,932 with the increase. The increase was due to the amount of concrete that had to be used, especially around the concession stand and because polyurethane sealer was used on the sidewalk joints rather than tar, to eliminate tracking in hot weather and for better aesthetics.

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I think the lack of fans is a huge factor at the ball fields. Compared to 8 years ago when there wasn't even sitting room during legion games and fast pitch tourney, but there was also games on at least 3 of the fields on at least 4 weeknights. That is a definite deterrent to the cost of running the stand!

-- Posted by mccookie on Wed, Nov 4, 2009, at 4:54 PM