Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Sidney's Municipal Airport has seen an increase in activity, and WNCC has added instructors and students to their Aviation program.
SIDNEY--Sidney's City Council held its regular meeting on Tuesday, July 23, and several agenda topics were discussed. Councilman Brock Buckner was absent, but all other council members were in attendance.
The first agenda item was a discussion about Resolution 20240704, a request for allocation from the City's Levy Authority. Airport Authority Board member Jason Petik spoke about activity at the Sidney Municipal Airport, saying there has been an increase in activity, with additional flights from crop dusting, military training, and business use. He said over the past year, about 1900 take-offs and landings were registered, within 10% of the airport's numbers when Cabela's was in full operation. He noted that most of the tax dollars received by the airport are used for infrastructure repair and maintenance, and the Airport Authority was looking for an increase of one percent in the Mill Levy to bring their budget to $233,107. Vice-Mayor Paul Strommen asked Petik if he believed the increase in activity would enable the airport to expand to handle more commercial and commuter traffic. Petik said the infrastructure costs of such an expansion would currently be prohibitive.
He also noted that the board had heard from UPS that they would be discontinuing their morning flight, which would result in a loss of gasoline sales for the airport. He also said that all of the hanger spaces are occupied, and they have been at full capacity for about a year. The board is trying to prepare for an increase in activity once the military's Sentinel Project gets underway but is still unsure about exactly what will happen once the project starts. He noted that WNCC has expanded its Aviation program, with an additional instructor being hired and class sizes doubling from 15 students to 30. The Mill Levy request was passed by the council, 4-to-0.
The council then considered Resolution 20240705, a request to close Illinois Street for a time to accommodate the Oktoberfest parade. The City Council must issue the request to the Nebraska Department of Transportation for approval. The council approved the resolution 4 to 0.
Jason Petik addressed the council again concerning the Emergency Medical Service transition to Sidney Regional Medical Center. Petik, CEO of SRMC, said that a new inter-local cooperation agreement is ready to be approved by the SRMC Board of Directors, and believes this new agreement will satisfy all of the requirements. The hospital will be bringing ambulance services back and is now hiring 12 new paramedics and obtaining new equipment and a new ambulance. They are looking at September 1 as the target date to start the new service, but they have contingency plans already built into their current agreement with Morrill County if any delays push the start date back. An advisory board will be created once the service is running. City Manager David Scott added that he had been involved with the process, and it is a huge undertaking, but after working with hospital personnel, Scott said that their professionalism and dedication will make the project successful. He also noted an issue with Medicaid reimbursements, as federal rules limit reimbursements if there are other services within a range of 35 miles, which Potter and Lodgepole fall within. He said that a solution could be to make the ambulance service independent from the hospital, but the Board of Directors would have to study that idea further.
At the end of the meeting, several events and activities were announced, including the National Night Out, which happens every year on the first Tuesday in August. On August 6, the event will be at the Sidney Aquatic Center. The event is an initiative to raise awareness in communities about the activities police take for anti-crime efforts, and there will be food, refreshments, and games and activities for the kids to enjoy. The Annual Night of Hope Walk for Cancer will be happening on August 9 at Legion Park, with events planned for the afternoon plus the Survivor's Walk and the Silent Auction. The annual Guns N Hoses Police versus Firefighters Softball game is on August 10, and money raised there will be donated to Night Of Hope. Sidney Police Chief Joe Aikens introduced Sidney's newest Police Officer, Tucker Meyer. Meyer has started his duties and will be attending the Police Academy in September.
Reader Comments(0)