The Grand Island City Council approved July 8 buying property at 3836 W. Highway 30 for the Wastewater Division of the Public Works Department and the Grand Island Police Department for a satellite location, (Carol Bryant, Central Nebraska Today)
GRAND ISLAND – The Grand Island City Council voted 8-0 July 8 to purchase the Heartland Ag building and property at 3836 W. Highway 30 for $3.9 million for the Wastewater Division of the Public Works Department.
Council members Jason Conley and Chuck Haase were absent from the July 8 meeting.
The price for the building is $2.15 million. Grand Island Police Department improvements total $1.07 million, and Wastewater Division improvements total $691,000 for a total purchase price of $3.9 million.
Public Works Director Keith Kurz wrote in a memo to the City Council that the Collections Group occupies four separate buildings at the Wastewater Treatment Plant and near the Utility Line Division. The Public Works Department has been seeking to consolidate the Collections Group and their equipment into a single location for the past few years.
“During the planning process, the Wastewater Division looked at several possibilities including erecting a new building on city-owned property, purchasing property and building a new facility, and purchasing an existing building and modifying it,” Kurz wrote.
Square-foot construction costs were compared for new construction prices to existing facilities with needed modifications. The price of purchasing the Highway 30 property is much lower than constructing a new building.
New construction prices were above $200 per square foot without land and ranged from $235 per square foot to $322 per square foot when land and site improvements were included. Existing facilities with needed modifications ranged from $155 per square foot to $171 per square foot.
The purchase price includes improvements to the property. Improvements to the 25,000 square foot building include site improvements such as a new driveway, landscaping, security fencing, gates, exterior building renovations, an exhaust system in the shop area, two additional overhead doors, and a new 3-inch water line to fill equipment.
Mayor Roger Steele said that it is not efficient for the Wastewater Division to go from building to building in its operations. Council President Jack Sheard said, “This is in so many ways a smart decision. …I totally like this plan.”
Council member Mitch Nickerson said that timing is everything. This building became available.
During the process of looking at the building, it was determined that the Grand Island Police Department was also looking for additional space for personnel and equipment. The Police Department portion of the space will have locker rooms, ammo cages, a weapons vault, a training area, and office spaces. Police Chief Kevin Denney said having the satellite location would allow police officers a place to go to file reports without having to go back to the Public Safety Center.
Closing date for the purchase from Prataria Ventures is Nov. 3. Under the proposed arrangement, the Wastewater Divion would purchase the building and pay for renovations with the area the Wastewater Division uses for $2.8 million. The Police Department would pay for improvements associated with their space for $1.07 million. The Police Department would lease the portion of their used space from the Wastewater Division at $7 per square foot per year.
The Wastewater Collections Division currently uses three buildings at the Wastewater Treatment Plant and a building at 1204 W. North Front in leased space owned by the Grand Island Utilities Department.
For financing the purchase, a cash purchase could be considered at the beginning of the 2025-26 fiscal year. The purchase could be financed through a local bank loan, with an estimate of a 25-year loan at a 3 percent annual percentage rate.
In another matter, Councilman Mitch Nickerson requested that approval of the Parks and Recreation Department master plan be pulled from the consent agenda. After discussion, the City Council voted 8-0 to approve the 279-page plan.
SaDonna Manfull, manager of Jackrabbit Run Golf Course, addressed the City Council about the plan. Landscapes Golf Management manages the golf course for the City of Grand Island.
She noted that in the plan, it said that golf is the second most heavily participated sport. She said that COVID sparked an increase in golf participation, because of the distance between golfers.
She said that there have been eight catastrophic failures of the irrigation system, which has 1,110 irrigation heads. She noted it would cost $75,000 to replace one green if it was not watered properly.
Parks and Recreation Department Director Todd McCoy said there was a lot of public input in the master plan. He said the document gives the department a plan to pursue its operations. McCoy said having a master plan is also helpful when the city is applying for grants.
In another matter, the City Council voted 8-0 to approve a conditional use permit for Mid Nebraska Land Developers and Lloyd Gunderson to operate a concrete crushing site south and west of the Burlington Northern railroad tracks and north of Bismark Road. Concrete that will be crushed at the site will come from the South Locust improvement project and could then be returned to the location to be used as a fill.
The City Council voted 8-0 to vacate a portion of Lot 11 of the Burch Subdivision owned by 3 MENZ, LLC.
The City Council voted 8-0 to approve acquisition of a utility easement at 111 W First St. The City Council voted 8-0 to approve acquisition of public right-of-way for South Locust Street improvements from Fonner Park Road to Second Street involving Leach Investment Properties and Roebuck Enterprises.
