Among several agenda items this week, the Sidney City Council will conduct a public hearing to solicit feedback and approval for an additional public transportation bus and facilities. This project is being contemplated as part of the city's effort to expand the public transportation system to include a fixed bus route.
According to information supplied to the press, the funding request will be made from Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds and will seek to spend approximately 45,000.00 on a new twelve passenger bus and approximately 173,000.00 on facilities and other upgrades.
Information supplied to council members shows that for 2009, the Sidney Public Transportation offerings served approximately 11.900 passengers, averaging, 992 per month or 48 passengers per hour. The busiest time of the day, on average was between 1-3 p.m. when between seven and 12 people took advantage of the dial-a-ride service. Sidney garnered 11,896.00 in fare revenues last year on this service.
The fixed route will make stops at the following locations:
1. Cheyenne/Sioux Villa
2. Safeway
3. Cheyenne County Courthouse
4. Memorial Health Center/Sidney Medical
5. Cheyenne County Community Center
6. Holiday Inn
7. Wal-Mart
8. Cheyenne County Visitor Center
9. 10th Avenue & Hickory Street Parking Lot
The bus will operate daily, except Sunday from 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. for accessing the fixed route will be one dollar per boarding. Costs for the existing dial-a-ride are one dollar for in town and two dollars for interstate transit.
The project is sponsored locally by the Cheyenne County Visitors Committee though a lodging tax of up to 20,000.00 per year. A number of businesses and governmental agencies have signed on as supporters, including Here We Grow Day-Care, Golden Living Center, Memorial Health Center & Extended Care, Sidney Medical Associates, and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
According to information supplied to the State of Nebraska in support of the application, the operation will operate at a net loss of nearly $290,000 in its first year.Based on the split between state and federal and local matching funds components, Sidney's part will be approximately $71,000, and will be cost neutral with the participation of the Cheyenne County Visitors Committee as local sponsor, providing up to $20,000 per year.
Other business:
Council will take up a request by Brandon Chaon to place a fence in the right of way at 505 19th Ave,.
A request to Proclaim April 30, 2010 as Arbor Day and notes the historic significance first started in 1872 when J. Sterling Morton proposed that a day be set aside for the planting of more than a million trees. The proclamation also details the benefits, including reduced erosion or topsoil, energy savings and habitat for wildlife as the benefits for those activities. The proclamation also acknowledges that Sidney has been recognized as a Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation.
Consideration of payment for invoices for the Waste Water Treatment Project in the amount of $74,215.80 for contractor fees, and $18,999.45 for engineering service fees; A separate resolution for M.C. Schaff & Associates of Scottsbluff, Neb., for Engineering services incurred to date for the East Old Post Road Area project. The funds for this project are part of a business tax agreed to by businesses such as Wal-Mart to avoid additional property taxes in the city mill levy.
Planning Commissioner Bob Pohl submitted a letter of resignation and the council will hear proposed replacements to fill his unexpired term. In his resignation letter Pohl said, "I have enjoyed my years of service on this committee and the opportunity to serve on this committee for the past 16 years."
Copies of supporting documents for this meeting may be found here.
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