Pogue Announces Plan for Pool

On Monday, February 7, the Kearney Board of Alderman approved the Mayor's request to enter into a contract to purchase 11 acres of land to be the future site for a community pool and trailhead for Kearney’s trail system.

The area of land is located at the Southwest corner of 33 Hwy and 19th Street, next to the Greenfield subdivision. The proposed contract is for $750,000, and the City will also agree to a donation letter of $550,000 for the difference in value.

Mayor Pogue said that he has worked many hours on the idea, from meeting with business leaders and residents to traveling to other municipalities and facilities.

“There is still a lot of work to be done, but I promise you I’ll continue to work hard and push this forward,” state Pogue. “I understand talk is often cheap, but I sure hope my track record of delivering on my promises the last three years as your Mayor will give you the confidence in my ability to push forward and with your support, get this done.”

Mayor Pogue outlined three broad steps to accomplishing the goal of building a pool: acquiring the land, identify a specific project that will serve the community, and get public support on design and funding initiative.

Pogue said the land purchase will paid for with cash via the Shoppes of Kearney CID funding that has been collected since its inception. He also noted that additional funding is available to pay for the design and other work necessary to continue to move forward.  

Mayor Pogue has a plan to identify a specific project that will serve the community well, but he will be seeking additional community input for this part of the process.  

For the final part of the project, Mayor Pogue says that the CID will continue to provide revenue to help offset the expense of building and maintaining a community pool. However, those funds will not be enough and additional money to debt service the construction and ongoing operating expenses is necessary. 

“Until the facility is designed, the exact need is unknown,” Pogue explained. “My goal is to keep any new funding initiative to a minimum, but provide a facility that will not only serve our swim teams, but our community well.  We will be proud of this amenity!”

KPGZ News - Brain Watts contributed to this story