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McCook Gazette
Letter to the Editor

City, county should cooperate

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Dear Editor,

I wish to express my appreciation and admiration for all those in Red Willow County who took an active part in the discussion about the price and location of the $5.1 million Red Willow County jail.

In my opinion, it is important for citizens in all levels of government to take an active role in deciding the issues which face cities, counties, states and the nation.

While Red Willow County Commissioners exercised power allowed them by legislation, I still feel it is unfortunate that they chose to build the jail without a vote of the people.

Because of that belief, I will appeal to this region's state senator, Mark Christensen of Imperial, to introduce legislation in the 2013 session of the Nebraska Legislature to require a vote of the people for county projects costing in excess of $250,000.

That being said, I still feel it is a mark of good citizenship for Red Willow County citizens to encourage our elected leaders and law enforcement personnel to work cooperatively to provide law enforcement and jail services.

Therefore, I suggest the following:

1. For the Red Willow County Sheriff's Department and the McCook Police Department to begin discussions immediately aimed at achieving improved efficiency and economy in providing law enforcement services to the citizens of Red Willow County;

2. For a special panel, chosen by the commissioners, to develop a plan to fully utilize the 24 cells in the new jail. This will be necessary to create a revenue stream as an eight-to-10 average prisoner count, as estimated by jail planners, will be a drain on county resources. Rental of cells to other county, state and national agencies could minimize that cost;

3. For the Red Willow County Commissioners and the McCook City Council to resolve to work cooperatively to provide governmental services to the citizens of the city and the county. To work at cross purposes with different agendas, which has been the case too often in the past, is a disservice to the citizens of Red Willow County and the City of McCook.

Respectfully submitted,

Gene O. Morris,

McCook, Nebraska

Comments
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  • The County and City worked together on the first joint facility. They are working together on the county now using the city jail. They are working together on dispatch, training, equipment use, purchases, manpower needs and MOU's on several issues.

    -- Posted by dennis on Wed, May 16, 2012, at 1:41 PM

  • What about city projects in excess of 250k, Gene? The water treatment facility should have received more attention from you at the time.

    Dennis. How did all that cooperation work back in 2006? It might have proved to have been successful had the entire city leadership supported the joint facility. Just a casual observation reflecting on those past events that caused it to fail. You tried once and then the city decided to do their own thing without the county. The only way the city building was voted in was due to the excess sales tax allocated to the project ahead of the vote.

    -- Posted by Todd Cappel on Wed, May 16, 2012, at 7:15 PM

  • Todd you still seem angry regardless what the city does. You may feel the city did not support the joint facility but the voters in the city came closer to approving the project than the rest of the county voters. The city DID ask the county to participate in the "city" facility and the county said no thanks. Not a knock on the county just a fact. The city continues to work with the county by still offering the use of the current jail. You are correct that sales tax is being used to pay for the city facility but again, that plan was approved by the voters. I am puzzled why you continue to try to pit the city and county against each other. You are correct that the city did sit dollars aside for the facility prior to the vote. The county also had budgeted dollars prior and used those to buy property to put their new facility on. I think that is good budgeting by both, like saving up money before a person buys a house or car so that the entire cost does not need to be borrowed. I pray that the anger anyone may have over both these projects ends.

    -- Posted by dennis on Wed, May 16, 2012, at 9:01 PM

  • Dennis,

    I was going to respond like always but this is proving to be a very unproductive means of communication for me. Give me a call sometime, seriously. Because I would really like to sit down with you, have a cup of coffee and discuss our political differences. The blogs seem to be reactionary for the both of us and then we start throwing jabs. You and I can respond here or we can sit down sometime and discuss this.

    Thanks,

    Todd

    -- Posted by Todd Cappel on Thu, May 17, 2012, at 6:22 AM

  • WHAT STILL STICKS IN MY CRAW: IF MEMORY SERVES ME RIGHT: THE COUNTY WANTED TO BUY WEST WARD SCHOOL FOR COUNTY & CITY OFFICES, THIS MORRIS WANTED WEST WARD FOR A MUSEUM. THE CITY SOLD IT TO HIM & THEN HAD TO BUY IT BACK FOR DOUBLE THE COST. TO ME THE CITY UNDERMINED THE COUNTY WHO HAD A REASONABLE PROJECT.

    SOMEONE IS GOING TO PROVE TO ME, IT IS GOING TO COST 5. SOME MILLION DOLLARS TO RESTORE THE OLD JAIL. THESE PEOPLE R N JAIL FOR BREAKING THE LAW. WHY R THEY ENTITLED TO LIVE THE LIFE OF LUXURY? THE JAIL SHOULD BE ATTACHED TO THE COURTHOUSE LIKE EVERY JAIL & COURTHOUSE.

    THIS TOWN AND COUNTY YES NEEDS TO BE ON THE SAME PAGE. THERE R A LOT OF ISSUES THAT THE CITY & COUNTY R AT ODDS WITH.

    I KNOW I'M GOING TO GET A LOT OF GUFF BUT U KNOW WHAT PEOPLE OPEN UR EYES! WE R A TOWN, NOT A CITY!

    THANK U FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOICE MY OPINION! & YES I AM A REGISTERED VOTER!& HAVE LIVED N MCOOK FOR 34 YEARS!

    LADYTHUNDERBIRD

    -- Posted by LadyThunderbird on Thu, May 17, 2012, at 9:26 AM

  • I do not believe your memory is correct on how the former West Ward property became the property of the city. The county and city both looked at that property for the joint facility but elected to go north, which was voted down. The city did not sell it and then buy it back. Also I am not sure what you think the issues are between the city and county. Please be specific.

    -- Posted by dennis on Thu, May 17, 2012, at 12:32 PM

  • Todd, you're crying again.

    -- Posted by Nick Mercy on Thu, May 17, 2012, at 6:56 PM

  • There are several issues that need to be cleared up in my opinion.

    1. Were there conversations between the city council and county commissioners that agreed that the city was no longer going to need holding cells in their new facility?

    2.Didn't anyone discuss doing a combined facility with the City of McCook?

    3. Exactly what is wrong with the old jail that makes it unable to be brought up to an standard that is acceptable?

    4. How much would it cost to bring the old jail up to standard?

    5.Why couldn't Red Willow county take over the short term holding cells from the city and perhaps improve upon them.

    6.Why do we need a 5 million dollar jail when jails like frontier county's (that didn't cost 50k)is acceptable and can take prisoners from other counties?

    Perhaps the public is up in arms over the fact that the city is building a brand new law enforcement center and now the county is building a brand new jail. The money for both of these projects are coming from the pockets of everyone who lives in Red Willow County and/or shops in McCook. The tax rates are the reason some businesses are leaving mccook or purchasing their supplies elsewhere. No one is debating the fact that we need a local holding facility. But It appears that there may be, or may have been a more cost effective solution. Which causes the public to question who they voted for in the last election.

    -- Posted by quick13 on Fri, May 18, 2012, at 12:17 PM

  • The city and county did have multiple conversations regarding the city building a new multi-purpose building (fire/EMT/police/city offices)and that the facility would not have a jail. The offer was there by the city to have the county build another story on the city building for their law enforcement and jail. The current jail can not hold what the average county prisioner rate per day is. The county and city is currently working on an arrangement for the county to take over the city jail while their facility is being built. Currently the city and county have tax rates that are in the lower than average range for other cities the same size or larger and for other counties.

    -- Posted by dennis on Fri, May 18, 2012, at 2:39 PM

  • I'm saying that the tax rate isn't the reason businesses aren't setting up shop here. To be clear, the smaller businesses that set up shop here, do so because the entrepreneur lives here and wants their own business, those larger businesses..... Such as Parker, Valmont, and WalMart.... Well they are here. Those similar businesses that choose NOT to set up shop here are finding it difficult due to the transportation aspect. McCook is off the interstate so shipping costs more, both to bring product in and to move product out.

    I suspect that if the 4 lane highway that the mayor is talking about, which has been in the "possibility loop" for decades, should come to a state of reality, McCook as we know it, would become a thing of the past and even though taxes may increase, larger companies would roll in left and right. Transportation has always been key to development. 1st it was waterways (river) then the railroad. Today trucking is a major transport option, couple that with BNSF and I'm sure this town would explode overnight.

    Keep in mind, along with population growth comes rif raf infusion. You can't have everything folks.

    -- Posted by Nick Mercy on Fri, May 18, 2012, at 6:48 PM

  • Dennis, how much would it have cost to put the second story on mccooks public safety center? I would assume that it could have been done for significantly less than $5,000,000.00? So what was the reasons that the commissioners rejected that option?

    -- Posted by quick13 on Fri, May 18, 2012, at 9:25 PM

  • Quick13' ask the commissioners. I not know.

    -- Posted by dennis on Sat, May 19, 2012, at 12:46 PM

  • Quick 13

    Back in 2005, the commissioners also tried to

    get McCook to go in with them on a Public

    Safety building. Even had the Chief of police,

    Fire chief on the committee. Those two did a

    lot to keep it from happening.

    Good politic's Dennis. Don't recall the city

    asking the commissioners to go in with them.

    If there was a letter it ws to cover your

    behinds. See what happens people when you

    don't attend meetings and see how your

    government plays politics. McCook had the

    reputation of not getting along with the

    county, other towns in the county when I was

    a kid and that has been a lot of years ago.

    Did you know that Indianola was the first

    county seat and they had a jail? The way

    it is, should have left it all in Indianola.

    -- Posted by S&P1958 on Sat, May 19, 2012, at 8:11 PM

  • S&P. Several of the concerned citizens these days were in their early to mid 20s 7 years ago.... What is the likelihood of a 23 year old slips into the City Council meeting? I'm not statistician, but I'd venture to say few.

    -- Posted by Nick Mercy on Sun, May 20, 2012, at 3:43 PM

  • I would have to agree with nick, 7 years ago would put anyone younger than 40 as highly unlikely to attend a city council meeting. With most people in that age range (23 to 40)deep into raising their own family. That leaves very little time for anything other than that. Does anyone realize that this jail would put almost a $2000.00 tax burden on a family of four? Not as shocking as $5,000,000 I realize. But, This figure will only go up as the rural population is trending down. Yes, we do need a jail of our own, but at what cost?

    -- Posted by quick13 on Mon, May 21, 2012, at 9:08 AM
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