Council requests proposals to remove asbestos

The building, at 204 Norris Ave. and has been vacant for years. In November, the city bought the half-block long structure from Terry Jessen for $9,372.08.

Jessen purchased the building in 2006 at a public auction for delinquent taxes. The city bought the building from him for the delinquent taxes Jessen paid, plus interest and attorney costs.

The McCook City Council approved the request for proposals at the regular meeting Monday night and set the date to receive proposals as March 30 at 2 p.m.

The structure contains both friable and non-friable asbestos. The city will use funds to pay for this from the $629,700 demolition grant the city was awarded from the CDBG Neighborhood Stabilization Program.

In other action, the city council:

* amended a city code on first reading, to exempt lawn sprinkler systems that do not release chemicals, from yearly backflow device testing

* approved the letter to the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, that requests the removal of the West Ward school building from the list of buildings to be demolished using the CDBG grant the city was awarded. The building was removed as it had potential to be listed as a historic site. Estimates to tear down the structure were given at $150,000.

The city would like to replace that building with seven other properties: 102 S. Sixth, 203 E. Sixth, 508 E. Second, 410 South Street, 1003 East C, 305 East 12th and 202 South Street. These properties will not require additional funds and were in the original survey area.

* approved the special designated liquor license submitted by Mo Dough LLC, for a wedding reception in May at the community building on the Red Willow County fairgrounds.

During Council Comments, Mayor Dennis Berry noted that the Leadership Institute of McCook will have a city-wide clean-up day on April 24. He also urged people to fill out the 2010 census and noted that Nebraska loses $1,100 in federal funding for each person who does not fill out and return a census report.