By Allison Peck
Listen to the full interview on our Kubota Podcast
The North Platte City Council tackled a lengthy agenda Tuesday night, with the meeting stretching nearly three and a half hours, according to Mayor Brandon Kelliher.
“It was long,” Kelliher said. “It was pretty close to nine o’clock by the time we got out.”
One item approved on the consent agenda was the purchase of an ABI laser-guided infield groomer for city baseball and softball diamonds. Kelliher said the city has spent roughly $80,000 in recent years improving the soil conditions on local fields and the new machine will help maintain safer playing surfaces.
“This piece of equipment automatically crowns it and keeps the soil so it’s all very level and you don’t have as many divots and ruts in the infields and makes it safer to play on,” Kelliher said.
He added that grant funding covered about two-thirds of the $46,000 purchase price.
“We want to try to make our facilities as attractive as we can to state tournaments and other ball teams,” he said. “Having good field maintenance is one of the best ways to do it.”
Council members also approved a cost-sharing agreement tied to drainage improvements near River’s Edge Golf Club. Kelliher said standing water became a recurring problem near Madison Middle School during heavy rainstorms last year because a drainage ditch had become overgrown with cattails.
“We’re going to hire a company to go through here and clean this ditch out, do it correctly,” Kelliher said. “Ultimately the drainage will be better.”
The council also approved changes to stop signs near Francis Street and Tabor Avenue as development continues in that area of North Platte.
“In essence what we’re doing with this action is making Francis Street a completely through street so you don’t stop on Francis,” Kelliher said. “When Francis Street is complete you’ll be able to drive from Dewey Street to Newberry Access without encountering a stop sign.”
He said temporary warning signs and flashing notifications will be installed to help drivers adjust to the traffic pattern changes.
“There’s lots of exciting development going on in that area over the next few years,” he said.
Council members also discussed the Deepwaters Retreat subdivision near North Buffalo Bill Avenue. Kelliher said the owners have significant future development plans for the property and the council worked to avoid creating landlocked parcels.
“The council made a really good decision,” Kelliher said, explaining that the property was restructured into two lots to preserve future development flexibility.
Another major topic involved a tax increment financing redevelopment plan connected to the proposed Chief development near Phillips Street. Kelliher said the project is expected to cost between $10 million and $12 million, while the developer is requesting approximately $1.2 million in TIF assistance.
“There’s a lot of misinformation floating around out there,” Kelliher said. “I think it’s not that people are trying to mislead anybody intentionally.”
Kelliher explained the manufactured homes planned for the development would be individually owned while residents lease the lots beneath them. Because of that structure, he said property taxes on the homes themselves would still go directly to local taxing entities.
“The property tax generated from the homes themselves will actually go directly to the taxing entities just like any other property tax would,” he said.
The item was ultimately tabled until the next council meeting so all council members could be present for the discussion.
The council also approved the bid for the Iron Horse Park trail project, which includes improvements to trails surrounding the pond near the Veterans Memorial.
“It’s always exciting to see trails come in and we were excited to approve them,” Kelliher said.
He said city officials believe enough funding is available to complete the entire trail loop this summer and noted benches may be added along the route.
Outside of council business, Kelliher highlighted several upcoming community events, including Saturday’s skate park ribbon cutting at Centennial Park and a busy graduation and tourism weekend in North Platte.
“I was very gratified to see” young people using the city’s new amenities, Kelliher said while discussing recent activity at the pickleball courts and skate park. “That’s exactly what you want to see in your community.”