By a split vote Tuesday, the North Platte City Council approved tax increment financing for the Newberry Village, a planned park of single-wide homes on the east side of the city.

The council voted 5-3 to approve TIF for the project, following extensive discussion about property taxation, the accountability of the project, and TIF itself.

The vote was, in effect, the adoption of the Newberry Village Redevelopment Plan, a plan for as many as 247-single-wide homes by Chief Industries on a tract of undeveloped land between Bicentennial Ave. and Newberry Access Road. The homes are thought to be needed for workforce housing, primarily for employees of Sustainable Beef.

TIF funds are designated for infrastructure to prepare the land for the homes, including cement pads, all paving, electrical and water hookups.

Councilmen Brad Garrick, Ed Rieker, and Nick McNew voted against TIF for the project. 

The discussion began with council members questioning how the proposed manufactured homes would be classified for taxation purposes.

Mayor Brandon Kelliher read portions of an email from the Lincoln County Assessor’s Office, saying the homes would be considered real property rather than personal property. Therefore, the homes would receive separate real property assessments, and their taxes would not be used to repay TIF bonds. So, property tax revenue from the homes themselves would be used to pay city, county and school expenses.

The situation is similar to homes at Lake Maloney, Councilman Ty Lucas said.

Rieker proposed amendments to the redevelopment plan, replacing references to “personal property” with “real property” in the written plan, and clarifying that the classification would be subject to the determination of the Lincoln County Assessor’s Office. The council unanimously approved.

Public comments

Several residents attended to voice concerns and ask questions about the plan. While the topic was not scheduled for a public hearing, Kelliher allowed brief public comments.

Resident Steve Marshall questioned whether the project satisfies the “but for” requirement that is a foundation for TIF financing. Under the requirement, a developer must show evidence that without (but for) the TIF money, the project would not happen.

“We’re talking about a project reportedly valued at $43 million, yet we’re being told it needs $1.27 million in TIF assistance to move forward,” Marshall said, implying that it seems unlikely that the relatively small 3% of overall costs would doom the project.

Other residents raised concerns about rising property taxes, the use of previous development incentives, and the long-term affordability of the proposed housing.

Resident Greg Renner questioned if the manufactured homes would generate local tax revenue. He asked if the homes would generate building permit fees and sales tax revenue for North Platte.

“I just want to make sure that this benefits us (financially) not Grand Island, not Aurora, not Omaha, not Lincoln,” Renner said. Kelliher said it was a fair point. Later in the meeting, Lucas said he’d talked to the county assessor and believes that Chief will pay sales tax when the homes are sold to the buyers.

Also, his understanding is that residents would not qualify for homestead exemptions, although he said he wasn’t totally certain.

Resident Mike Muszalski said he attended the meeting to seek clarification on the public financing tools, after learning about previous economic development incentives.

“When I heard that you guys forgave a loan, it kind of blew my mind,” Muszalski said.

Councilman Nick McNew pointed out that TIF loans are not forgiven. However, quality growth loans are sometimes forgiven if the borrower meets specific requirements for business volume and/or number of jobs.

Resident Lana Klein expressed her frustration with taxes, saying, “The tax thing is just kind of out of control.”

City Council Ward 1 candidate Sophia Klein raised questions about long-term affordability. She asked whether future residents would qualify for homestead exemptions and whether rising land values could eventually increase lot rents.

Klein said although the homes might be affordable to buy, the lot rents could soar while the value of the homes depreciate, and residents will be stuck with the home.

Developer Roger Bullington of Chief Industries defended the project and said TIF is necessary for it to move forward.

“This project will absolutely not go forward without TIF,” he told the council. “We are not going forward with the project without TIF.”

Bullington said Chief’s investment in the project consists primarily of site preparation, utilities, roads, and other infrastructure improvements rather than the homes themselves, which would be purchased by individual homeowners.

He estimated Chief’s direct investment will be about $13 million, not $43 million, and said the company would move forward in phases. The first phase would have about 120 lots.

Councilman Nick McNew expressed concern about the redevelopment agreement, arguing that it lacks specific completion requirements or deliverables to ensure the entire project is eventually built.

McNew said the agreement could allow portions of the development to be completed without guaranteeing construction of the full project.

Kelliher and other council members questioned Bullington about development timelines, future phases, lot rents, and housing demand. Bowington was unwilling to commit to specific construction deadlines, citing uncertainty in market conditions, and declined to provide projected lot rent amounts, saying financial analysis of operating costs is still being completed.

Councilman Ty Lucas argued that TIF is an appropriate tool for the project because it uses only the tax increment created by the development, rather than utilizing existing taxpayer dollars.

Lucas said the project differs from other economic development programs that rely directly on sales tax revenue.

Garrick questioned if the redevelopment agreement contains sufficient safeguards to ensure the full project is completed. He also raised concern about the lack of timelines and project deliverables, saying he felt his biggest concern with the project was the contract itself. 

Following the discussion, the council approved the redevelopment plan by the 5-3 vote.

Restrictions on using medians

The council also considered the first reading of Ordinance No. 4252, which would create new restrictions on the use of medians and certain intersection areas by pedestrians.

Introducing the proposal, Kelliher said the ordinance is intended to address safety concerns. He cited national traffic safety data regarding pedestrian injuries and fatalities.

The proposed ordinance would restrict the time that people could stand in medians, refuge islands, and certain areas near intersections where pedestrians could become a safety hazard, obstructing drivers’ sight lines.

Councilman Pete Volz proposed an amendment changing the ordinance’s applicability from roadways with speed limits of more than 25 mph to roadways with speed limits of 25 mph or higher. The amendment was approved, 7-1. Garrick cast the lone no vote.

Questions emerged regarding enforcement, penalties, and the potential impact on constitutionally protected activities such as protesting.

Council members discussed how the ordinance would affect individuals standing near intersections, the definition of sight triangles, and whether the proposed restrictions could unintentionally limit lawful activities on public sidewalks.

Lucas expressed concern about the breadth of the ordinance, after learning it could affect areas within 100 feet or so of many intersections throughout the city.

Citing the need for additional review, Lucas moved to table the ordinance until a future meeting. The motion was unanimously approved, delaying further consideration. The council is expected to revisit the ordinance at the next meeting after additional research and clarification regarding enforcement and the scope of the proposed restrictions.

In other business, the council approved:

• The third and final reading to rezone two lots at the intersection of E. Francis and Bryan to a B-2 highway commercial.
• The certificate of completion for road work on West 15th from Custer Ave. to Hayes Ave. and Custer Ave. from 15th to 16th streets.  
• A certificate of completion for sewer work east of Buffalo Bill Ave., starting north of Spring Road along Valley Drive to State Farm Road. They also set the Board of Equalization review of the project for June 16, to determine the taxable valuation of the work. The work was done at the request of Ott’s Marine, LLC.
• Sending the application by The Vine for a Class I Liquor License at 518 N. Dewey to the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission with no recommendation.
• Applications by Pals Brewing Company LLC for special designated liquor licenses on nine Thursdays from June 11 to Aug. 6, from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., at Fort Cody Trading Post for the annual live music series. 
• The request for the one-time discharge of fireworks by a licensed technician on June 30, after the North Platte 80s baseball game, prior to 11 p.m. at Bill Wood Field.
• The minutes of the May 19 meeting. 
• The treasurer’s report for April 2026.
• Paying the bills.

© 2026 The North Platte Bulletin. All rights reserved!