Updates On Rail Spur, Other Programs

Economic Development Director Larissa Binod gave a brief update on the rail spur project to the Community Development Agency at their meeting January 15.

“I have worked with our new engineering firm CRS and a representative from Union Pacific on a new site plan. Those preliminary engineering plans are all ready to be submitted to Union Pacific Railroad’s system, but there are still a few things we need to decide internally,” Binod said.

According to Binod, part of the new plan is increasing the size of the site of the industry park from 67 acres to 400-450 acres in order to make the site more accommodating to potential businesses.

“We now have the space that some of these businesses would need to locate on. They can’t just locate on ten acres,” Binod said.

According to the report, Kimball has collected some $270,000 of the $3 million approved in the original bond vote.

The next step in the project is to submit a 10 percent plan to Union Pacific Railroad, which will entail the overall scope of what the plan is going to look like and what Union Pacific’s participation is going to look like, according to Binod.

Noxious Weed Measures

The Director of the State of Nebraska Department of Agriculture has approved a request from Kimball County to place Scotch Thistle on the Noxious Weed List for Kimball County.

According to Dave Hottell, County Highway/Weed Superintendent, Scotch Thistle is not localized to any specific area of Kimball County.

“You see it every once in a while. You never know where you’ll find the stuff,” Hottell said.

However, though it is not contained in a specific region, Hottell says that you’ll know it when you see it.

“It’s easy to spot. It’s a big ugly plant,” Hottell said.

The request to have Scotch Thistle placed on the Noxious Weed List came as more of a precautionary measure for the county.