Menu
Pool, auditorium renovations explored at town hall meeting
McCOOK, Neb. — Street repair, aging infrastructure and city facilities and the best way to use city sales tax revenue were discussed at a town hall meeting on May 10.
It was the second town hall meeting scheduled by city staff to hear what the public has to say about future city improvements. In contrast to the first town hall meeting, when city council chambers were filled to capacity, the latest meeting brought out only about 20 citizens. Still, plenty of discussion took place on the future of the city pool and Memorial Auditorium and how to best address street repairs, buying new equipment for city services and using city sales tax revenue.
Renovating the pool and Memorial Auditorium would cost around $3.5 to $4.5 million each, City Manager Nate Schneider said, depending on the years of the bond and the amount of renovation. Both would go before voters for a vote, he said, if the city council decided to pursue upgrading those facilities using city sales tax dollars.
Voters approved building the new city municipal building seven years ago, using city sales tax revenue to pay down the bond. With $1.5 million already earmarked in city coffers, the total cost of the building, that houses city offices, police and fire departments, was $3.25 million, with the last payment of about $600,000 slated to be paid in September of this year.
Representing the pool committee was Grant Norgaard, superintendent of McCook Public Schools. He said the committee decided the best location of an upgraded pool was the current location. Of the current pool, built in the 1930s, Norgaard said, “We got our money out of it …spending the right amount of money, we can get the best bang for our buck.”
The committee heard several presentations from engineers and heard from other communities with city pools. Norgaard reasoned that if $1 million is needed to simply keep the pool functioning, “then we might as well move forward” and upgrade the pool to make it a draw for kids and the community.
He agreed with Schneider that some additional costs would be incurred with a new pool, including staffing costs. He gave the example of a speed slide, that is required to have a lifeguard at the top and bottom.
One participant at the town hall voiced his “grave concerns” about the amount of money projected for pool renovations, for a facility that is used for only about two and half months of the year. He urged city staff and the city council to fully explore the extra costs associated with a new pool.
Discussion also centered around upgrading Memorial Auditorium. Calling it “an icon in McCook,” Jeff Tidyman, engineer/architect, presented information on how the building could be improved, with the renovation keeping the building the focal point on West Fifth and its outside brick finish.
Usability is key for the structure, he said, with the current stationary seating hindering what could be an open room, with retractable seating instead. Most events taking place in large areas use table and chairs, such as wedding receptions, conferences and craft shows. “There’s definitely a need in McCook for space for a gathering of more than 300 people,” he said.
In a conceptual rendering, Tidyman envisioned upgrading the main building with a kitchen and a covered courtyard connecting it to an addition for meeting rooms.
Tidyman believes the auditorium has the potential of functioning as a dynamic part of the community, much as it did when it was first built, rather than the languishing landmark it is today.
“It would be a shame to tear it down or leave it as it is,” he said. “There is so much potential. If a building sits empty and doesn’t get used, it tends to deteriorate...that building deserves a lot more.”
One participant at the meeting suggested that maybe the McCook Economic Development Corp. could take over the renovation of the building, or be the coordinator or manager to promote the building.
Street repair also came up in discussion, with several repairs being delayed due to financial restraints, said Schneider. About $400,000 is put aside each year from city sales tax revenue for repair and maintenance, he said.
In 2017, the city garnered about $2.4 million in city sales tax revenue, Schneider said, with one-sixth of that going to the MEDC. Sale tax receipts are holding steady with what is projected in the budget, he said.
About $1 million in capital outlay purchases were delayed from last year, Schneider said, that included radio equipment and a sniper rifle for the police department, an ambulance and rope rescue equipment for the fire department and mowers for the parks department.
While McCook has one of the lowest property tax rates in the state - when combined with Red Willow County and McCook Public Schools — it can be a juggling act in finding funds for city equipment, street repair, renovations of the pool and auditorium and Barnett Park improvements, Schneider conceded.
“It can be difficult to keep the same levy year after year,” he said.
“That’s what we pay you for,” said McCook citizen, Dick Trail, also attending the meeting.