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Council OKs nearly $30K for welcome signs
McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook City Council unanimously approved a $29,875 quote for new entryway signs to be located at each entrance to the city.
The quote, good only until the end of February, was submitted by Tri City Signs of Grand Island, Neb. As the project is less than $30,000, formal bidding was not required.
The four, monument-style signs made of plexiglass will be placed on the east, west, north and south entrances to the city. Each sign is four feet, eight inches tall and nine feet in width, established on a fixed, 18-inch base. The signs will be made of plexiglass that are internally illuminated by LED panels. A pole will go through the center of the sign and be welded internally to the cabinet and go down six feet underground, anchored with concrete. The city would be responsible to provide the cement slab for each sign.
The city council first approved in 2009-10 to have entryway signs, according to City Manager Nate Schneider. The council later approved $30,000 in city sales tax receipts to pay for the signs. Attempts to find areas to locate the signs were stymied by right-of-way regulations with the Nebraska Department of Roads. After conferring with the NDOT, the locations of the signs have been finalized at : the east entrance, on U.S. Highways 6-34 at Karrer Park; the west entrance, U.S. Highway 6 across from Westview Plaza; the south entrance, on U.S. Highway 83 on Barnett Park property; and north, on U.S. Highway 83 by the Nebraska Public Power District.
Perry Strombeck of Tri-City Sign was present Monday night and said the artwork of the signs is flexible and can be designed to what the council wants. The council decided on the sign that had “Established 1882” on the sign, rather than on the base. Strombeck also said plexiglass is better to use rather than polycarbonate, as polycarbonate signs work better for taller signs.
City Manager Nate Schneider said in a prior conversation with Councilman Jared Muehlenkamp, polycarbonate tends to discolor more quickly. He added that the signs will be insured with the city’s insurance company, to pick up any costs from inclement weather.
A member of the public spoke up with concerns, including the additional costs to the city for the cement slabs needed for each sign, whether the pole internally anchoring the sign to the base would be visible through the white background of the sign and the brightness of the signs. Stromberg said the pole wouldn’t be visible and that the signs are not in residential areas, so brightness wouldn’t be an issue. Schneider said there are general fund dollars that could be used for additional work needed to install the signs.
The four signs will be ready for the city in about 8-10 weeks, Strombeck said.
Schneider also updated the council on recent progress concerning the new city swimming pool and the ballpark project.
City staff has submitted an application for a grant from the state’s Civic and Community Center Financing Fund (CCCFF), which has a total of $552,000 to be awarded. The city will be notified by the end of March if the city received a grant, Schneider said. He added that the costs of construction have gone up, “so anything we can get in addition to the bond would be beneficial,” as a way to help the taxpayer. A CCCFF grant cannot account for more than 50% of a project’s total costs, with the minimum local cost share at 1:1.
City staff will also start an application for a federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant, which the city council approved Monday night from the consent agenda. RAISE grants can be used for surface infrastructure such as streets and walking trails. Schneider said city staff is working with Greg Wolford and W Designs for a planning grant and in the future, the city may apply for a construction grant. Grant applications are due Feb. 28.
The swimming pool construction committee will also interview four firms, three from in-state, and one outside, who submitted proposals for the construction manager, Schneider said. Committee members will rank each firm and then forward its recommendation to the city council.
Councilman Jerry Calvin asked if demolition of the old pool could start this summer and Schneider said it’s possible, depending if the city has a contract with a construction manager and guaranteed maximum price in place.
For the ballpark, Schneider said city staff has been meeting with representatives of the McCook Community College Foundation concerning a contract and will meet again in mid-March.
Schneider also cited the community impact study being done by Nebraska Public Power District, which will be important for fundraising, with the study expected to be done sometime in March. Mayor Linda Taylor said the economic impact of sports facilities is significant and cited “sports cations,” when families travel over the weekend for sporting events and utilize hotels, restaurants and other city amenities.