Comprehensive plan targeted by city manager

Friday, March 2, 2012

McCOOK, Nebraska -- City Manager Jeff Hancock will ask the McCook City Council to grant approval to apply for grant funding to update the City Comprehensive Plan, Monday evening, 7:30 p.m., during their semi-monthly meeting at Memorial Auditorium. According to Hancock the last plan was done in 1999 and is severely outdated.

The agenda item states that the comprehensive plan outlines the overall community's vision and goals and is the driving document that controls and directs city zoning and other community development tools.

The McCook Economic Development Corp. has located a grant source that would cover almost half of the estimated $71,000 expense of updating the plan and completing an additional upgraded housing study. MEDC has also agreed to cover half of the $10,000 housing study expense portion of the project.

Hancock is asking councilors to approve an amount not to exceed $31,000 for the project that would be paid out of the Council Contingency account within the General Fund.

Councilors may go into executive session to discuss a potential real estate purchase for the cation waste disposal system. According to a Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality the report the waste water treatment plant fails to meet toxicity requirements during periods of high flow and the slow rinse cation waste water stream at the waste water treatment plant will be replaced by two new retention lagoons to alleviate this, which will require taking 10 acres of farmland out of production.

"The city and our engineering firm are currently working on the design and location of the lagoons. Lagoon construction should take place during the upcoming summer months with completion late this fall," Utility Director Jesse Dutcher told the Gazette last week.

Councilors will consider adopting a new process of introducing and approving ordinances. The new process eliminates unnecessary steps in the introduction of ordinances that had previously created scenarios where councilors were forced to second proposed items or vote for approval of the title of an ordinance, so that they could then vote against the ordinance.

Previous agenda information pertaining to the new process referenced possible changes to the three-reading rule, however no changes to the way the city council handles the three-reading rule have been proposed.

Other items on the regular and consent agenda:

* Representatives from an accounting firm hired to perform the annual fiscal year audit of city financial statements and accounts will recap their findings to councilors.

* Bid specifications for renovations at the Fox Theatre will be considered for approval. The total renovation project is estimated to cost more than $300,000 and has received a $252,000 grant to assist with the expense. The project includes renovations to the lobby, restrooms, ticket booth, stage and seating areas, in addition to electrical, heating and other improvements.

* Century Link has asked for permission to occupy City of McCook right of way to install underground fiber optic cable along West 10th Street, from West J Street to the cell tower located west of West M Street. According to a representative from the company the project is for a private company and won't effect of enhance overall service in the area.

* MO Dough LLC has requested a special liquor license for a bull riding event at Kiplinger Arena, April 13 and 14.

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