Settlement to save money in long run

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

By the city paying $10,000 now for property on East Second, major costs will be saved in the future, the McCook City Council was told Monday night.

The Council approved Monday night at its regular meeting a $10,000 settlement payment to Terry Jessen, for his property at 301 E. Second.

The payment is the amount of taxes paid by Jessen on the property, as well as the value of the land. With the payment, Jessen will deed the property to the city.

Last year, the McCook Health Board condemned the property as a public nuisance; Jessen disagreed with the assessment. As in other condemnation cases when property owners dispute the nuisance evaluation, the city filed suit in Red Willow County District Court, for a judge's ruling to proceed.

As part of that case, the city offered Jessen $10,000 for the property, which he accepted.

In the long run, the settlement is less expensive, noted City Attorney Nate Schneider at the meeting Monday night, as long range costs would exceed that amount if the city could not use demolition funds to clean up the property.

The city was awarded a federal CDBG Neighborhood Stabilization grant and funds from that grant were slated to be used to demolish the dilapidated, yellow Victorian house on the property. If Jessen appealed the ruling, the case would have continued, putting the demolition funds allocated for that property in jeopardy.

The city must submit by Fall the structures it intends to demolish with the funds. Estimations of demolishing the house on the property could run between $35,000 to $45,000.

Other projects slated to be demolished with CDBG funds include the Romanoff building on Norris Avenue and B Streets, also owned by Jessen, along with several residential structures.

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