Pool, streets, top concerns at town hall meeting

McCOOK, Neb. — From fixing the restrooms at Felling Field to using the former landfill area east of Walmart, McCook residents shared their ideas with the McCook City Council Monday night at a special town hall meeting.

The meeting, for public input on future projects, generated much discussion for city staff and the council to consider, with much of it centered on the city pool and street maintenance.

One citizen even brought a visual aid. Holding up a chunk of asphalt he picked up on a street, he told the council he’s not against upgrading facilities, such as the pool, but that priorities, like street maintenance, needed to be kept in order. He added that he would be returning the piece of asphalt so as not to steal a piece of city property, to laughter from the crowd and city staff.

City Manager Nate Schneider said additional town hall meetings will be scheduled and comments made Monday night will be the starting point in establishing a priority list.

The meeting was broken down into three categories: ongoing concerns (pool, Barnett Park, street maintenance), capital equipment purchases delayed the past few years due to budget concerns (ambulance, police vehicles), and potential future projects (new swimming pool, auditorium renovation).

Scheider also briefly explained the general fund budget, that funds all the departments in the city except the water/sewer department, and revenue the city has to work with, property taxes and city sales tax.

Sales tax revenue has been declining the past few years in communities across Nebraska, Schneider said, due to the slow down in the ag economy and more internet purchases.

Historically, the city has committed $400,000 from sales tax revenue to street projects and improvements, he said, with the cost of street projects steadily increasing.

Additional revenue will be realized when the city makes its last $604,000 payment on the city municipal building in September, he said. The general fund also has reserves, that have been recommended by an auditor to be three months worth of operating expenses, and currently has two months.

The city pool, a sentimental favorite for generations of McCook citizens, generated the most comments. The 80-year-old structure is showing its age, with filtration, leaking and other problems. Options the city has explored is a $1 million renovation of the structure to a complete overhaul, at $3.5 to $4 million. Both options have been researched by city staff and a pool committee and could be paid with city sales tax receipts. However, it would take a large chunk of the city sales tax every year, Schneider said, when other needs, such as street improvements, are needed as well.

Discussion ranged from making it a three-season facility to draw more activity, or as one citizen put it, building a better mousetrap, to downsizing to a splash pad and consolidating with the pool at the McCook YMCA. Many, too, commented that the costs concerned them and want to be prudent as possible about paying for it. Even after renovation, “you still have an 80-year-old pool,” one citizen cited.

Some stated that near-by, smaller communities have better water parks where they take their kids and would like something similar in McCook. Others said a water park does not make the city any money and cited the ballparks and the Kiplinger Arena complex (financed by the late Tom Kiplinger) as tried-and-true revenue generators.

Memorial Auditorium was also discussed, with the consensus appearing to keep it maintained but not to spend an estimated $4.5 million to renovate it to a convention center or theater-type building. A self-professed “old person who loves old buildings,” Susan Doak said converting the former city office space at the auditorium into a kitchen would make the area more conducive for weddings, receptions and other local events.

Another said most motels make their money on convention centers and it would not be wise for the city to enter into a privatized function like that.

In response to a question as to why a convention center was first considered for Memorial Auditorium, Schneider said it began when several hotel companies were looking into McCook as a possible location, as well as when the Elks building closed, Public Works Director Kyle Potthoff added. It’s also a fabulous building that is not getting utilized enough, Mayor Mike Gonzales said.

Maintenance of city streets was brought up repeatedly, along with sidewalks, curbs and even bricks on Norris Avenue becoming loose. Public Works Director Kyle Potthoff responded to several, saying there he wasn’t making excuses but the city tries to address city streets in the one- and six-year plans, but that new problems crop up continually.

Potthoff, along with Schneider, also spoke of Barnett Park, where thousands of migratory geese are causing a problem because of their waste spoiling the soccer field and ruining the ponds by killing fish. Potthoff said in recent talks with officials from the Nebraska Game and Parks, there may be a solution where the native geese, at around 500, can stay and the migratory geese can be discouraged with aggressive noise and light tactics.

In fact, after talking to Game and Parks, “There can be a happy medium,” Potthoff said, for people who want the geese to stay and those who want to fish in the ponds.

Other ideas and comments citizens brought up at Monday’s meeting included:

* use the under-utilized landfill area, east of Walmart and now covered in grass, as a soccer field and possibly a snow-sledding area. “Moms could go shopping while their kids sled,” Councilman Jerry Calvin mused.

* using land donated to the city, at East 11th and C, for softball practice as it is closer to town, instead of the field south of McCook on Federal Avenue.

* asked about the status of the McCook Walking Trail: Potthoff said that it originally was planned as a 13.2-mile trail reaching to Karrer Park, but has been put on the back burner for now because of a tight budget. Grants and donations helped finance the trail in the past.

* bricks from the since-demolished Westward Elementary School were supposed to go toward new city entrances and the status of that plan: Schneider said city staff has discussed it, financing it with city sales tax dollars and that staff is still looking for appropriate sites.

A complete list of ongoing concerns, capital equipment purchases delayed the past few years due to budget concerns and potential future projects, along with estimated costs of each, can be found on the city’s website at www.cityofmccook.org. Mayor Mike Gonzales said that people can also contact him or other council members with their ideas.

After Monday night’s meeting, Schneider and council expressed their appreciation for those who attended and hoped the next town hall meeting will bring more ideas.