Council OKs wage hike for manager

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The McCook City Council approved a 4.5 percent annual wage increase for City Manager Jeff Hancock Monday evening. According to city staff, the increase includes a 2 percent wage increase and 2.5 percent merit increase.

The increase was approved, along with a new employment agreement, following an executive session coordinated for the annual evaluation of Hancock's job performance. The three-reading rule was suspended for the item and set Hancock's annual pay was set at $91,045, plus benefits, effective Oct. 1, 2013.

The city manager's total annual pay increase has typically matched up with the across-the-board cost of living increase approved for city employees, which historically had been set according to the annual national consumer price index.

The 2013-14 budget included an across-the-board "cost of living" wage increase of 2.5 percent for fire department employees, and a 2 percent increase for the police department and all other city employees.

The practice of lining up, or claiming to align, with the national CPI ended in 2010 after it was pointed out the proposed 4.5 percent city-wide cost of living increase was more than double the CPI increase of 2.1 percent for the claimed timeframe.

At the time City Council said the discrepancy was an "accounting error" and subsequently reduced the wage increase to 2.1 percent, but followed that with a motion from Mayor Dennis Berry to reduce employee contribution to their health insurance by 1.8 percent.

Since then, discussion of the national consumer price index during the budget process has faded away and was not discussed during this years session at all. Neither council nor city staff has offered additional information on how city-wide employee or city manager wage increases are determined, since the "accounting error."

The unadjusted 12 month CPI ending January 2013 was 1.6 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Also during Monday's regularly scheduled meeting, broad-based changes to the city zoning ordinance were approved on third and final reading. The changes were described as being intended to make the city more business- friendly and drew little comment during their final reading. Councilman Jerry Calvin noted that approving the zoning changes would leave property bordering Drive 716, west of Orscheln Farm and Home zoned as agriculture with a future use of residential.

Former Councilman Aaron Kircher inquired about a new special exception condition added to the zoning ordinance that he worried would create a zoning loophole. The new condition requires special exceptions be compatible with existing and future land use as set in the McCook Comprehensive Plan.

City Attorney Nate Schneider said the condition was already an unspoken rule and, while he understood where Kircher was coming from, felt formally adding the item was appropriate.

Schneider said approving bodies should "always have a checklist of items" they go through each time a special exception is considered.

Bill Mathies of McCook asked councilors to make sure solicitation of a salvage business to become the first tenant in the industrial park east of Valmont, which has sat vacant for more than a decade, is the correct decision. Mathies said the courted company, Booe Machinery & Salvage, did not own the North Platte location visited by Councilwoman Janet Hepp and McCook Economic Development Director Rex Nelson but did own another location in Nebraska.

"Before you let somebody in and start spending money on stuff, make sure it's what you want," said Mathies.

Council approved a $105,000 grant application with the Nebraska Department of Economic Development in October, which will be used as a portion of the expense to pave Industrial Park Drive in advance of the company establishing a McCook location.

As of Friday, neither MEDC or the city had received any announcement pertaining to the grant application.

Council members offered no comments on the topic Monday evening.

A McCook High School Junior spoke to the council and said she was working on a project to raise funds for two soccer goals to be placed at Elks City Park. The student, Ashley Laurie, said Elks Park was more accessible than Barnett Park and she hoped to eventually raise funds for goal posts for the school as well.

Laurie said she had visited with Public Works Director Kyle Potthoff and determined indoor/outdoor goal posts, that could be folded up for easy storage, would work best and offer the ability to be used indoors for practices at Memorial Auditorium.

Laurie said she planned to raise the approximate $1,000 needed to purchase the two goal posts for Elks Park.

Other items on Monday's consent agenda:

* The intercity bus agreements between the City of McCook, the state of Nebraska and Dashabout Roadrunner, Inc., was approved. Dashabout provides roundtrip bus transportation between McCook, Hastings, Grand Island, Columbus and North Platte, Sunday through Saturday, except on legal holidays. The agreement is effective July 1, 2013, to June 30, 2014, and equates to a per mile subsidy of 464 route miles per week at 56 center per mile. Funding for the project is split evenly between state and federal funds, with state funds limited to $33,536 for the duration of the agreement. For more information on Dashabout call 1-800-720-3274.

* A modified replat of lots 9-18 and a pair of out-lots at the Villa's at Heritage Hills was approved without comment.

* Council approved a letter inviting kindergarten through second grade students, special education students and Hillcrest Nursing Home residents to make ornaments to adorn the "Community Christmas Tree," which will be setup at the new McCook Municipal Center.

* Several office items, including a desk with hutch, keyboard and plastic desk organizers, was approved to be added to the list of items sold at the annual city public auction. A date for the auction has not yet been scheduled.

* McCook Fire Chief Marc Harpham introduced new firefighter paramedic Tyler Neff. Neff was moved to full time in early November and will begin regular shifts on December 1, according to Harpham.