City plans for Longhorn building

The City of Kimball recently accepted ownership of the building that once housed the Longhorn Restaurant.

Once taxes are paid on the building, which has been deemed unsafe, it will be removed from the tax roles as the City works on grants to begin addressing the dangers.

The first item of business for the building will be to secure it, including the broken out windows on the second floor. After that, well, the plan is less clear.

“We really don’t have a lot of money to deal with the building at this time, however, my thought was to put it out to bid for design or redevelopment once we have it secured,” City Administrator Dan Dean said. “If we find a plan we like we will sell it at a nominal amount just to get it back in the private sector and redeveloped.”

Dean added that he and Special Projects Coordinator, Amy Sapp, attended a Brownfields seminar conference and he expects a conference call for a preliminary visioning for use of the building in the near future.

“Our main goal is to minimize any community money spent on this,” Mayor Keith Prunty said.

Actions taken by the council at the Oct. 16 meeting include:

Received annual Kimball Police Department update.

Passed Ordinance 766 – Appropriate containers for collection of garbage and yard waste.

Passed Ordinance 767 – Animals at large and waste disposal.

Tabled Ordinance 768 – Trees growing within three feet of buildings

Heard Dean’s report including an update regarding the City’s agreement with Mike Schadegg and the departure of one in the police department and one in the street department.