KEARNEY — The Kearney City Council approved an agreement with Nebraska Game and Parks regarding the Kearney shooting range.
Fort Kearney Shooting Sports Association is located northwest of Kearney.
The City of Kearney purchased the rifle and pistol range for the purposes of providing a training site for the Kearney Police Department and the Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office. Kearney Police Chief Bryan Waugh spoke during the meeting and said the city has owned 30-acre site since 2019.
“Chief Waugh has received an inquiry from the Nebraska Game and Parks who recently purchased the adjacent property as to whether or not the City would be interested in entering into an interlocal agreement,” wrote City Attorney Michael Tye.
Through the agreement, Nebraska Game and Parks (NGP) would gain access to the City’s shooting range so it would be available to the public under the supervision of the NGP staff.
“The priority for the usage of the range would be for law enforcement purposes, however, this would allow NGP access during times when it is not being used by law enforcement,” Tye wrote.
The site would be staffed by two NPG employees.
Chief Waugh said it would be an “incredible opportunity,” to make the site open to public use.
Waugh said having the site open to law enforcement has been critical, as they would have struggled to find a site without it. He said they use it 12 to 16 weeks per year but that it is important to bring it back to the public.
Jeff Fields with NGP said the site opened on July 22 and there will be a ribbon cutting at the site on Aug. 19 at 11 a.m.
NGP member Jeff Rawlinson said shooting sports are important to the public and he was proud to have been a part of this process from the beginning.
It was noted that NGP shooting ranges are few and far between in south central Nebraska and this agreement helps to fill a void.
During the public hearings, Mayor Stan Clouse noted that with only three council members present, they lacked a supermajority to suspend the rules and approve items on final reading.
Items either postponed until the next meeting or approved on first reading included:
- A rezone requested by the Five Stones Investment Group from R-3, multi-family, to UC, urban corridor for a property located at generally at 2615 2nd Avenue.
- A rezone and conditional use permit from Bill Shapley to allow for resource extraction at 7310 2nd Avenue.
- A rezone, final plat and annexation of the Meadows First Addition which will create 50 lots for new housing to be built.
- Amendments to the Younes Redevelopment Project and 2023 Younes Expansion Project
- Approve an open account claim to Nebraska Public Power District for $47,407.58.
