Council ponders Habitat request

McCOOK, Neb. — A vacant lot that Habitat for Humanity is interested in using for a residential home may be easier for the city to sell than previously thought.

Habitat for Humanity has requested to use a vacant lot at 1107 W. Fourth so they can build a home sometime next year. A provision in city ordinance allows the city to bypass the usual auction and sealed bid process of selling city property, if the property is worth less than $5,000, City Manager Nate Schneider said at Monday night’s council meeting.

Something similar to this has been done in the past with park property, Schneider said. He added that the lot has been vacant for several years and it’s hard to find interest in an infill lot.

“It would be nice to get some dollars back or create something the council is comfortable with,” he said.

The property, surrounded by residential homes, has been abandoned since at least 2018 when a fire destroyed a vacant house. The city demolished the house for the total cost of $15,000, using ACE Funds, general funds and enterprise funds (funds from water, sewer or waste collection).

At the past two council meetings, the council has been considering options for donating or selling the property to Habitat for Humanity at a discounted price, but also expressed the wish to recover some of the taxpayer money that was used for demolition.

A total of $8,665 was used from Ace funds for the demolition and asbestos inspection. Ace funds come from the revenue return program ACE rebates each year to member communities. From the general funds, $1,100 was used for legal and publishing costs and $5,561 from enterprise funds for transfer station charges. General funds are supported through property and local sales taxes and enterprise funds are from water, sewer and trash collection, supported by ratepayers.

A market analysis or appraisement can be done to assess the property, Schneider said. The first step is to close out the $15,000 assessment against the property and during that time, do a market analysis, he said.

The council was comfortable with that. “Let’s move forward with this…if it’s less than $5,000, sell it and recoup some of the taxpayer money,” Mayor Mike Gonzales said.

Councilmember Jarod Muehlenkamp was also in agreement. “Let’s get it back on the books,” he said of the property.

On another discussion item Monday night, the council also considered the city vacating an easement along U.S. Highway 83.

Doing so would not be out of the ordinary, said Councilman Gene Weedin, referencing a street that was vacated on East 11th a few years ago by the city due to a request.

The request comes from Curt Swanhorst, who wants to build an implement machine shop on property he owns in the Bish Addition, which’s on U.S. Highway 83 across from “T” and “S” Streets. Those streets are designated but not yet built. The easement allows access to property to the west that’s zoned agricultural. Swanhorst said a portion of the building would be located on the easement. The easement is within city limits.

Schneider said he’s been in discussion with Swanhorst about this and although vacating the easement would create fewer access points, it would still be accessible. The land adjacent to the easement is zoned agricultural, but according to the future land use map, it’s designated as residential in the future, he said.

If the city at some point wanted to annex that property, it would have access to the south and west, Weedin observed. As far as vacating the easement, “We’ve done this before, this isn’t new. If he wants to develop it, go for it,” he said.

Councilman Jerry Calvin was also in favor of the request moving forward but did asked about the existing and future use of water lines. City of McCook utility director Jesse Dutcher said there is a water line along the highway, but doesn’t see an issue right now.

After a brief discussion, the council appeared in favor of vacating the easement but took no direct action, instead asking city staff to continue the process.