30-year-old meal allowance increased

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook City Council unanimously approved revising an ordinance concerning how much of public funds can be spent on meals.

The council approved on first reading to use of the federal per diem rate in the city ordinance, “Miscellaneous and Travel Expenditures” under authorized expenditures, instead of the $ 30-a-day meal allowance. Each community must adopt a policy for using public funds for certain types of expenditures. The McCook city ordinance on meal allowances for overnight trips hadn’t been changed for 33 years, since 1996.

Last year, the council amended the expenditure policy in January 2022 to allow for recognition dinners of $50 per person, which is the State of Nebraska’s per person maximum cost. It was noted at the time that the $30 per day meal allowance ($5 for breakfast, $10 for lunch and $25 for dinner) should be reviewed.

Using the federal per diem rate, meal allowances are increased to $54 per day currently, with breakfast, $13, lunch, $15 and dinner, $26.

In other business, the council:

— Reviewed with McCook Police Chief Joel Smith the current organizational changes within the city’s dispatch center. Smith said it’s imperative to fill the administrative assistant position, which has remained vacant since the former administrative assistant transferred into the E911 coordinator role. Since then, City of McCook dispatchers and the E911 coordinator have assumed the duties usually performed by the administrative assistant. The E911 coordinator has also assumed the responsibilities of the chief dispatcher. The administrative assistant position would be supervised by the police chief, with the E911 coordinator offering technical direction to that person.

— Approved the preliminary and final plat of Heritage Pointe 3, a minor subdivision sought by Jerry Gohl for property he owns northwest of the intersection of J Street and Brassie Drive. Gohl would like to create one lot for commercial construction. Similar requests from Gohl were approved by the city council in 2019 when a dentist’s office was built on a lot and in 2022 when another commercial building is to be constructed. The sewer was extended through the two previously created lots and will need to be extended through the proposed “Heritage Drive” and proposed lot, according to the land use action request form completed by Gohl.

In addition to approving the plats, the council also approved the request to change the zoning from Residential Medium Density and Agricultural to business commercial and to voluntarily annex the entire subdivision into city limits. Portions of the property are currently within the city limits and the two-mile city jurisdiction. The re-zoning request aligns with future land use in the city’s Comprehensive Plan.

Councilman Gene Weedin asked who would be responsible for the cost of constructing Heritage Drive and City Manager Nate Schneider said per subdivision regulations, the developer or owner would be responsible for costs.