The North Platte City Council voted 4-3 Tuesday to refer a blighted and substandard study to the city's Planning Commission.
The Lincoln County Community Development Corp. is seeking the designation in order to use microTIF on four lots north and west of East 11th Street and Bryan Avenue.
Both regular tax increment financing and Nebraska's four-year-old microTIF program require that target properties meet legal definitions as "blighted and substandard."
An earlier version of this story incorrectly said the council had approved a blighted and substandard study. The measure must be referred to the Planning Commission for a public hearing before a formal council vote.
The council also approved Mayor Brandon Kelliher to negotiate and sign an access and easement agreement with Midwest Land Development LLC. in a 7-0 vote. Councilman Brad Garrick was absent.
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The agreement allows for the extension of East Francis Street through the city's industrial park.
After moving the agenda items to the end of the meeting for a closed session, the council tabled a vote for a industrial wastewater plant lagoon liner and authorized the mayor to negotiate further with a selection of companies.
Three councilmembers made motions to amend the city's annual user fee schedule resolution for fiscal year 2024-25.
Councilman Ty Lucas moved to keep the building permit fees the same as the previous year and later rescinded his amendment. The building permit fee for 2024-25 will be $50-$300 depending on the size of the home.
The second proposed amendment was made by Jim Nisley to keep the ticket prices for rides at Cody Park the same as the previous years at 75 cents, which passed 7-0.
"I don't think people realize some of these families are more strapped than you think," Nisley said. "This is for kids, and there's a lot of families in town."
A third amendment by Councilman Ed Rieker proposed leaving the itinerant sales fee at $25 per day rather than the proposed $200 per day. The motion failed 3-4.
Chief of Police Steve Reeves spoke to the council about his thoughts on itinerant sales, which include door-to-door salesmen.
"I'll be real blunt, I wish we'd do away with the ordinance and not allow itinerant sales," he said. "Nobody likes itinerant sales. Every time we approve one of those permits, and they start out in our neighborhoods It's call after call after call."
Woods and Rieker, however, said it is a freedom they should be able to use.
"In my opinion, that goes against the grain of our American Heritage," said Rieker. "I just don't like it and I will not vote for it. I would like to see us go back to the $25 a day or possibly even eliminate it."
"It's the right to do business," Woods added. "... it doesn't have to be a problem."
In other business, council members:
Approved a three-year contract between the city and Nebraska Public Employees Local 25. The term would begin Oct. 1 and end Sept. 30, 2027
Renewed two road maintenance agreements with Lincoln County, dividing responsibility for maintaining and clearing snow on nine streets and roads that cross North Platte's city limits between the city and county.
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