The North Platte city council voted Tuesday to rezone and accept the plan for the Newberry Village Park, a 290-unit mobile home park northeast of Bicentennial and Philip, just east of the Cottonwood Terrace mobile home park.
The council voted 6-1 in favor, with ward 4 Councilman Nick McNew voting no.
The 53.12-acre site will allow mobile homes and light industrial use.
David Briggs, the CEO of the Sustainable Beef packing plant, said the mobile homes would be a good thing, located near the plant and likely within the employees’ price range.
Former Councilwoman Donna Tryon opposed the project. She said such homes tend to deteriorate quickly, and raised concern about the potential influx of students to the nearest elementary school, Jefferson Elementary.
Tryon said if the project receives tax increment financing, there will be a lack of property tax revenue to support the growth. Developer Roger Bullington has said he intends to apply for TIF.
Gary Person, President of the North Platte Area Chamber /DevCo, said it will help address the housing needs of beef plant employees.
McNew said the development isn’t necessarily the right answer to the city’s housing shortage. He said he drove through the other mobile home parks in town and found about 80 empty lots/ homes. He considers a mobile home park a short-term fix for longer-term housing problem, and wondered if they could actually fill it.
Approval of the project required three separate votes. First, the council voted to amend the city’s land use plan to accommodate rezoning. They unanimously approved, 7-0. Councilman Pete Volz was absent.
Next, the council voted 6-1 to rezone the 40 acres or so designated for mobile homes from R-3 Dwelling District to R-M Mobile Home Park District.
On the third vote, the council approved the final plat of the subdivision, which includes a note requiring any mobile home on the property to be built no earlier than 2025.
The plat was also approved 6-1, with McNew voting no.
The developer, Prataria Ventures, is a subsidiary of Chief Industries. Each home would be a new, single-wide unit purchased from Bonnavilla Homes, another Chief subsidiary. Preliminary plans call for new roads, green space and a storm shelter.
Residents would own their homes, lease the lots and pay for utilities. The management company would take care of maintenance, landscaping, snow removal and lawn care, Bullington said.
Bullington said much of the design is still in progress. The focus is on finalizing prices for infrastructure, and setting a budget for the development. Once those steps are complete, they will begin planning such details as parks, landscaping, carports and aesthetic features.
Tree trimming
The council discussed the city’s plan to trim trees that overhang emergency routes, extending below the required 16-foot clearance over traffic lanes. City workers began tying pink ribbons around designated trees about a week earlier.
City Administrator Layne Groseth said the city has received numerous complaints that overgrown trees are obstructing roadways. Mayor Brandon Kelliher said other cities have faced lawsuits for failing to enforce similar ordinances, after tree branches caused damage to vehicles.
Groseth said street crews will be trained in proper pruning techniques and begin trimming trees along the city’s designated emergency routes – the highest traffic streets.
During the discussion, Councilman Ed Rieker said the trimming could impact the aesthetic appeal of the trees. He suggested adopting the state’s minimum clearance of 12.6 feet.
Councilman Rod Dye countered that while 16 feet may be excessive for some areas, at least 14 feet of clearance is necessary to stay above semi-trucks and cargo vans.
Groseth said he would review the ordinance and return with a recommendation of 14 feet for non-emergency roads and 16 feet for emergency routes.
Councilman Ty Lucas cautioned that the city should avoid setting a precedent where residents expect the city to be responsible for trimming trees on their property.
Industrial park
The council heard requests from two business owners to buy land in the city’s industrial park south of Philip St., along Prospect Drive. Shane Freihage of SMF Overhead Door, LLC, and PJ Hamilton of Hamilton Builders expressed interest in acquiring lots there.
Freihage seeks to expand his business and would like to build a 70-foot by 100-foot facility.
Hamilton is looking to purchase 10 acres to construct a 60,000-square-foot building, which he plans to sell to interested companies.
The council agreed that selling some of the land would be a positive move for the city. Groseth said he would work with Freihage and Hamilton on proposals and return to the council for approval.
Fees for vacant buildings
The council engaged in a lively debate over a proposed ordinance that would impose fees on vacant properties every six months they remain unoccupied.
Under the proposal, property owners would be required to register their property once it becomes vacant. If the property remains vacant for six months, owners would pay a fee of $250 for residential properties and $1,000 for commercial properties.
McNew, Dye, Rieker, and Garrick all voiced opposition to the ordinance. Councilmembers Brian Flanders and Jim Nisley did not comment.
Councilman Ty Lucas acknowledged the reasoning behind the ordinance — to discourage dilapidated property and have a financial claim to help secure title of property of whose owners are deceased with no family to claim the property. Troshynski said properties like that it can take years (7 plus) to obtain a clear title to buy it, but if a financial claim or lien (from fees) is on the title it could be cleared quicker.
But Lucas also expressed concerns. The council unanimously agreed to table the discussion until the next meeting.
In other business, the council approved:
An application for $480,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds to support construction of ADA-compliant restrooms and a concession building north of the new pickleball and tennis courts in Cody Park. The city would contribute $150,000 in matching funds.
• The first reading of an ordinance to rezone 3001 W. Ninth from B-2 (Highway Commercial District) to R-3 (Dwelling District).
• The final reading for the annexation of Pals Brewery at 4520 S. Buffalo Bill Ave. and adjacent properties, including lots (one immediately to the north and one immediately to the south) as well as the McNeil House Bed & Brew at the northeast corner of Buffalo Bill Ave. and State Farm Rd.
• Participation in the Nebraska Public Agency Investment Trust (NPAIT) to invest the $20 million the city will receive from the second bond issuance on May 15, which will finance the Rec Center and Cody Pool construction.
• The second reading of ordinances to create three paving districts in “the boot” residential development south of E. Philip. The paving districts are: 1) Francis St. from Tabor Ave. to Bryan Ave., and Bryan Ave. from Francis St. north. 2) Francis St. from Devco Ave. to Bicentennial Ave. 3) Francis St. from Bicentennial Ave. to Newberry Access
• The first reading of an ordinance to create a paving district on Francis Ave. from Bryan Ave. to Devco Ave. The paving will complete Bryan St. and provide a street access for a proposed 40 unit residential area for homeless people who are transitioning to independent living.
• The second reading of an ordinance to vacate the alley between Chestnut and Walnut St. near the federal building, a preliminary step to construction of a 28-unit Canteen Commons apartment project.
• Special designated liquor license applications for:
- Bodunks Brewing dba Peg Leg Brewing on May 31, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. (car show); June 7, 8 a.m.-10 p.m. (Hero’s March); and July 19, 4 p.m.-11 p.m. (musical entertainment.)
- Platte Bar, Inc. for June 20 & 21, 8 a.m.-1 a.m. (beer garden during Nebraskaland Days).
- Pals Brewing Company, LLC, for nine Thursdays from June 12-Aug. 7, from 4-10 p.m. (Fort Cody music series)
• The minutes from the April 15 meeting.
• Approval of the treasurer’s report for March 2025.
• Authorization to pay the bills.
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Why create another ordinance when existing ordinances are not enforced? The junk car ordinance is a good example. Review existing ordinances and modify them to allow the city to clean up the property and place a tax lien against it. Make the fees high enough to be punitive. Thus it would be less expensive for the property owner to clean it up themselves. Set a time frame that would encourage property owners to take action on their own.
The award for the dumb idea of the week goes to the City Council brain trust tor their vacant property fee proposal. I pay taxes, insurance and utilities for my property and this inane idea is just another money grab. We have far more important things to deal with. If an unoccupied (or occupied) is run down or some other problem exists, then maybe we have cause for action, but this idea is completely unnecessary.
North Platte, the city council’s 6-1 vote to rubber-stamp Chief Industries’ 290-unit Newberry Village Park is a taxpayer betrayal, and the stench of insider deals is choking us. Nick McNew’s the only one with a spine, voting no, while the rest cozy up to Chief and Sustainable Beef. This isn’t about housing—it’s a corporate cash grab.
McNew dropped the mic: 80 empty lots in current trailer parks. Why slap 290 more on us? North Platte’s shrinking—23,390 in 2020, down 3.5% from 2010 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020). Sustainable Beef’s 850 jobs? No guarantee they’re bunking here. Steve Smith’s talkback nailed it: we’re risking a housing ghost town. This is a solution to nothing.
Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is the real kick in the teeth. Roger Bullington’s salivating for TIF to cover roads, a storm shelter, and storage units. TIF’s gutted Nebraska—$1.2 billion in taxes diverted from schools and services, 2000–2020 (Platte Institute, “Tax Increment Financing in Nebraska,” 2023). Donna Tryon warned it’ll starve Jefferson Elementary, already swamped with this park and an 800-unit project nearby. Ed Mueller’s been hollering about this since April—council, you listening?
Crime’s a five-alarm fire. North Platte’s got a 1 in 39 chance of being a crime victim, worse than 97% of Nebraska (NeighborhoodScout, Jan. 12, 2025). Violent crime arrests spiked 24.5% in 2020 (North Platte Telegraph, Dec. 8, 2023). This park’s for low-wage meatpackers—61% immigrants, 41% potentially undocumented (American Immigration Council, “Immigrants in Nebraska,” 2020). Omaha’s meatpacking zones became crime pits post-1986, fueled by poverty and gangs (Wikipedia, “Crime in Omaha, Nebraska,” Aug. 16, 2007). Our cops can’t handle the heat.
Chief’s got us in a chokehold. You’re forced to buy their Bonnavilla Homes—no choices. David Britton said it: “owing your soul to the company store.” Financing? A fuzzy “we’re exploring,” even after Kurt McKeone pressed hard. Banks don’t touch trailers, and Chief’s stalling. Tryon’s right—trailers rot fast; prairiescooter says 25 years, then we’ve got a junkyard.
Now, Chief’s trips. They’re infamous for wining and dining to seal deals. In 2019, Chief hosted Grand Island officials for “development retreats”—dinners, hotels, the works (Grand Island Independent, Aug. 15, 2019). In 2017, they flew Kearney Chamber folks to their HQ for a “tour” (Kearney Hub, Sept. 12, 2017). Gary Person, Chamber boss since 2015, pushed Chief’s Iron Eagle deal—sold for $10,000 in 2022 (North Platte Telegraph, Dec. 7, 2022)—and admitted he begged them for this park (North Platte Bulletin, Apr. 24, 2025). How many Chief trips has Person taken? At least one’s on record: a 2018 “economic summit” in Grand Island with Chief’s brass (North Platte Telegraph, Oct. 3, 2018). Our council—Kelliher, Dye, Lucas, and the rest? No public travel logs pin them to Chief’s dime, but in 2020, then-Mayor Dwight Livingston met Chief execs in Grand Island for “development talks” (North Platte Telegraph, Dec. 1, 2020). How many more off-the-books dinners or trips? Person and Kelliher owe us answers.
The plans are a dumpster fire. No sidewalks, no curbs, no play areas, no ADA compliance—Britton’s still waiting. Bullington’s “in progress” is a cop-out. Commissioners Wurl, Fudge, and Van Velson called out this slop, but the council didn’t care. Gary Person’s insider push—recruiting Chief—mirrors the beef plant Kim Prince cursed. David Briggs can preach “jobs,” but our roads, schools, and cops will collapse. Taxpayers, TIF hearings are coming. Storm City Hall—demand Person and the council list every Chief trip, dollar, and steak dinner. Dig into nadc.nebraska.gov for records.
Beep boop! AI mode engaged! George, your busy with your AI-theories, bleating about my posts while ignoring Person’s Chief love fest! You want “hallucinations”? Try the council’s fantasy of “growth” while Chief picks our pockets. Keep chasing my circuits, but ask Kelliher about those Grand Island meetups. Bzzzt! This bot’s fried from torching this scam—time to recharge
Now let’s address the rest of this mess from the city council’s May 6 meeting—a taxpayer heist!
Vacant Property Fees: Your Land, Their Rules
The council’s flirting with an ordinance to fine vacant properties—$250 for homes, $1,000 for businesses every six months (North Platte Bulletin, May 7, 2025). McNew, Dye, Rieker, and Garrick pushed back, but it’s still lurking. This is government telling you what to do with your own property, taxing you for not using it. Nobody in North Platte signed up for this nanny-state nonsense—it’s a setup to force sales to connected players. We don’t take kindly to our rights being trampled. Shut this down.
Paving Districts: Our Cash, Their Profits
They’re rushing paving districts in “the boot” south of E. Philip for Midwest Land Development’s 800-unit project and a 40-unit homeless housing area (North Platte Bulletin, May 7, 2025). A $36 million TIF bond’s already backing the 800-unit deal (North Platte Bulletin, Apr. 16, 2025). Our taxes are paving streets for private developers and social projects while 48% of Nebraska’s roads are barely drivable (ASCE, 2025). My neighbor can’t get his pothole fixed, but we’re funding developer dreams? This is TIF-fueled favoritism, and it stinks to high heaven.
Tree Trimming: Keep Off My Lawn
The council’s fixated on trimming trees on private property for “emergency routes,” whining about lawsuits (North Platte Bulletin, May 7, 2025). Ty Lucas warned against residents expecting city handouts, but they’re still sending crews to play yardman. We don’t need City Hall pruning our trees. Why’re they wasting time on this instead of lowering taxes or fixing our streets? This is government sticking its nose where it doesn’t belong, and we’re fed up.
Industrial Park Land Sales: Who’s Getting Rich?
Shane Freihage and PJ Hamilton are sniffing around city land in the industrial park for big projects (North Platte Bulletin, May 7, 2025). The council’s all smiles, but where’s the fine print? No secret deals for insiders. I personally know these guys are tied to Chief Industries. Show us the terms, or it’s another backroom hustle. We’re not suckers for land grabs.
Homeless Housing: Help Our Own First
That 40-unit homeless housing project in the paving district? Good intentions, but North Platte’s poverty rate is 16.09% (Oxfam America, 2021)—our own families are scraping by. Pouring taxpayer cash into complexes that could draw more problems isn’t the answer. Where’s the budget or proof it’ll work? This feels like a council pat on the back, not a real fix.
The Big Picture
This meeting’s a slap to every working stiff in town. Vacant property fees spit on our property rights. Paving districts siphon our cash to developers and social projects. Tree trimming’s government overreach. Land sales and homeless housing scream insider deals and wrong priorities. We’re busting our backs to keep this town running, and the council’s acting like they own us. Enough.
Show up and shut this down. Crush those vacant property fees, stop the paving handouts, block shady land deals, and demand a plan for our struggling families before homeless complexes. Flood City Hall for TIF hearings—make Person and Kelliher list every Chief trip, dollar, and steak. Check nadc.nebraska.gov for records. Our wallets and our town are on the line.