City asked to borrow for school projects

By Dan Swanson
news | press

City commissioners deliberated a school scheme Monday that would add expenses to school building projects in addition to the $23 million already approved by voters.

Merle Rambo of Facilities Cost Management Group and Ken Zaroban of the Nebraska City Board of Education met with the city council regarding the replacement of the Northside Elementary School and construction at the high school.

Rambo said the city could borrow funds to build parking stalls and a drop off lane next to 14th Avenue for the new Northside school and to add 77 parking stalls along Arbor Avenue on the curve between the high school and Arbor Lodge State Park.

Rambo offered few cost estimates, but said the city might also borrow funds to build a drainage structure downslope from the new Northside school. He said the city could use its eminent domain powers to purchase additional property from trustees Allison D. and Margie Gibbs, who previously sold 10 acres for the elementary school at $25,000 an acre.

Rambo also explained the school’s intention to pave a road around the north end of the high school to connect a new parking lot there with the front of the building.

He said a concrete block retaining wall could be built to support Arbor Avenue and provide room for off-street parking on top of the hill.

The school’s plans for city indebtedness appeared to come as a surprise to city commissioners.

Rambo said the school construction plans have been extensively studied and the school board has known about them for quite some time.

“The problem is, we didn’t know about them,” said City Parks Commissioner Leon Schiermeyer.

Some city commissioners expressed puzzlement over the school’s plan for parents to drop off their children at the new elementary school. The new school will be built about 75 feet from 14th Avenue. A “soccer-sized field” would be built in the space north of the school.

When Rambo said the kindergarten through second grade students will have no use for the field, Mayor Jo Dee Adelung asked why the school isn’t moved far enough away from the street to build a circle drive on school property.

After she said circle drives have been effective ways to drop off students at other schools, Rambo said anyone who cares about the safety of children would not suggest such a thing for the elementary school.

He said the school board is also building a parking lot on the west end of the new school. Parents can pull into the parking lot, find a place to turn around and return to 14th Avenue.

Chief of Police Dave Lacy said there is a reason NASCAR does not hold races on “crazy eight” tracks. He predicted serious traffic problems if drivers enter and leave the school parking lot at the same driveway along 14th Avenue, which will be busy with cross traffic from buses and school patrons.

Nebraska City resident Mark Ray told Rambo it appears that the school is asking for tax dollars beyond the $23 million already approved.

Rambo said there will be no tax change because the school already has enough money in a separate fund to pay back the city revenue bonds for the street projects.

He said the cost of the drainage structure would probably be less than $200,000.

“So we’re not talking major dollars here,” he said.

Rambo said the school district is interested in the city constructing a drainage structure near 15th Street so the school will not have to build a retention area on its property and so it will be less expensive to haul dirt away from the school construction site.

Ray asked Rambo if the school already has plenty of money, what is the discussion with the city about?

Rambo said tax increases are not an issue, but Adelung said it is still new spending.

Rambo said the school hopes to break ground on the new Northside school in May and said the city would have a little more time after that to prepare its drainage project.

Mayor Adelung said she does not think the city should get involved in making a quick decision about a drainage project.

Schiermeyer said the city is trying to lower property taxes.

He said the city has no legal responsibility to worry about the drainage on the school or the private property.

Schiermeyer said citizens may not accept Rambo’s observation that these projects will not result in a tax change.

“With the city working hard on a lower tax levy and people seeing a higher tax levy overall, people don’t separate it out. They just see it as higher city taxes,” he said.

Adelung asked Rambo what will happen if the city does not widen 14th Avenue for a drop off lane.

“The kids will be dropped off in the street then,” Rambo said.