City approves design costs for housing plat

NEBRASKA CITY – Nebraska City commissioners approved allocations from America Rescue Plan funds Tuesday, including expenses to design and plat for a workforce housing development.

Commissioners earlier committed to purchasing 27 acres in the old Grundman Airport area for $500,000 from ARPA funds. On Tuesday, they approved $200,000 to design a plat for the area to include street, utilities and lots sizes.

An additional $200,000 was approved to extend a water line from the Morgan Drive area to CHI Health St. Mary’s. City Administrator Lou Leone said the water line provides a redundant source of water for the hospital, as well as for the new houses.

Other ARPA funds were approved for:

• $150,000 for new fire department pumper truck
• $35,000 for first responder laptops
• $29,000 for dispatch equipment at the fire station
• $10,000 for the Food Pantry
• $9,000 for bus stops
• $49,000 for premium pay for pandemic workers

Leone says $73,000 remains in the ARPA fund in case there are cost overruns.

City commissioners agreed that $57,000 to paint the swimming pool would come from the Nebraska City Recreation Agency. The agency expects to repay the bonds for the new aquatic center in 2023, but the half-cent sales tax will be collected until the end of the year.

Leone said the money collected after the bond is paid off, but before the tax ends, can be used to repay a loan for pool and tennis court maintenance.