City of Beatrice secures project management services for generation station

BEATRICE – Beatrice city officials have taken a next step toward building a natural-gas fired energy generation station.

The city council has approved an agreement with HDR, Inc., for project management services. That includes acquiring equipment for the project, extending natural gas service and permitting.

"We need to file an SPP interconnect request, and we also need to go before the Power Review Board."

The city is looking at building the generation facility on property it owns just northwest of Beatrice. City Administrator Tobias Tempelmeyer says there are two possible companies that could supply the natural gas through pipeline connection to the proposed site.

The work to be done by HDR will take about a year to complete, before the project moves on to other phases. The estimated cost of the HDR work is about $890,000…and based on time spent and materials cost. Tempelmeyer says discussions have already taken place with possible partners in the project.

"And they are all very keenly aware that if they join, they're paying proportionately for this bill, and for some of the other bills we've already incurred as part of this project. I need an entity to move this project forward...that happens to be us, at this time....but as we get partners involved, part of the agreement is that they pay us back for our expenses, including this one."

Interlocal agreements with partnering entities would be formed. Beatrice Mayor Bob Morgan says there has been interest in the project from other entities.

"The few that we visited to, are very interested...and that they know they need to do this and are very thankful for those discussions that have taken place."

The generation station would provide the City of Beatrice with additional power capacity as agencies face the prospect of higher power costs in the future. Revenue bonds would be used to finance the generation facility.

It’s hoped that partners to the project can sign on within 60-to-90 days, in advance of ordering equipment.

The zoning ordinance for the City of Beatrice has been changed to allow for so-called Campus Overlay Districts.

The change was authorized by a vote of the city council Monday night. Administrator Tobias Tempelmeyer says the change comes about as a way for some entities to further develop larger areas of property they own. Christ Community Church along East Lincoln Street approached the city about possible changes.

An entity applying for a campus district would pay a fee of $150…and would submit a master development plan covering traffic, storm water, buildings to be constructed and compliance with setbacks. Requests would go before the city’s planning and zoning commission, and then the city council for final consideration. Elected officials approved the zoning ordinance amendment.

In other action Monday night, officials advanced annexing some property to the city through one round. Two more separate votes are required to add the land, located next to the Gage County Industrial Park.

Leftover funds remaining from the earlier days of economic development in Gage County were presented to Beatrice City officials Monday night. The $15,973 is half of the remaining funds…with a similar share to be presented to Gage County.

Paul Garnett says the funds were once held by Gage County Economic Development and he was notified by a local bank of the remaining money.

Garnett was part of a group that formed the Gage County Industrial Corporation during the term of the late Mayor Bob Sargent.

The city and county have moved toward a new structure with the Gage County Development Coalition. The check presented to city officials was turned over to members of that coalition Monday night, for use in local economic development.

Also from Monday night, the Beatrice City Council approved an agreement with the Nebraska Department of Transportation Aeronautics Department, for the use of federal funding on a Beatrice Municipal Airport project. A $1.3 million aircraft navigation lighting project would include a federal share of about $1.24 million, a city share of $49,000 and a state allotment of $16,000. A March 19th bid date has been scheduled.