Dr. Steve Gray, Superintendent of the Nevada School District, was present at the City Council meeting to report that the Nevada School Board is supportive of a proposed partnership with the City to share in the cost, 50-50, for a School Resource Officer. City leaders had previously stated support, discussed, and budgeted for this position on the City side. This collaboration between the City and School will be a way to increase safety for students and staff during a time of increased violence in public schools across the country. We will report more on this crucial partnership in the near future.
Nevada Police Chief Chris Brandes reported that the Nevada Police Department will now be sheltering animals at the Story County Animal Shelter in Nevada. This change in location for sheltering and a new partnership between the City and a Story County facility is made possible by the shelter having increased space in its Nevada-based facility and being able to meet all of the needs of animals picked up/rescued by the department.
After a lengthy and emotional discussion, the Nevada City Council voted to approve liquor and tobacco licenses for a new business that will move into the downtown and occupy the north part of the former Ben Franklin store.
In making the decision to approve the licenses, City Council members weighed the fact that the owner of the new business met all the bars required by state law against community concerns about the sale of liquor and tobacco in the Main Street District. In the end, council members hesitantly approved the licenses to avoid having the City face what the City attorney said could be a lengthy and costly appeals process and the potential, if the business owner won in court, of having to compensate that business for lost revenue during the appeals process.
To listen to the discussion, go to the City’s YouTube Channel (use this link: https://youtu.be/NwiYknJ7RQA). The discussion about the liquor and tobacco licenses begins at the 22:00 mark of the meeting.
–Written by Marlys Barker, City of Nevada
