Photo by File photo Gary Suhr

Gary’s Super Foods took a substantial step Tuesday toward opening in North Platte.

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The North Platte City Council sent a liquor license application for a Class-D Liquor License – beer, wine and distilled spirits off sale only – at 1909 E. Fourth to the Liquor Control Commission with no recommendation.

It is routine for the council to send a liquor application without recommendation since the Liquor Control Commission investigates each applicant and ultimately makes that decision.

In May, the council approved a $300,000 grant and a two-year deferred $113,000 loan to Gary and Christina Suhr to help open their new store on E. Fourth – the same location of the old True Value Super Center that closed in 2005.

It will be the only locally owned supermarket in North Platte. Suhr had hoped to open the store by Thanksgiving, but now fears it may be longer before they can.

The Suhrs are contributing $200,000 of their own money to equip, stock and hire employees to run the store and they are borrowing $620,000 from Wells Fargo Bank, according to their application.

The council unanimously approved a $300,000 grant from the Quality Growth Fund and a Community Development Block Grant loan of $113,000, which will be repaid. After two years, the loan will begin to accrue interest at half the rate of the primary interest rate or 3-percent, whichever is less.

The loan is money primarily returned to the city from a tax incrementing financing project that brought Perkins Restaurant and Bakery to North Platte in 1999.

The developer pays back 25 percent of that money into a community redevelopment account that is earmarked for other, smaller TIF projects, such as a new business.

Suhr said the new Gary’s Super Foods would be a full line grocery store with a small bakery, a full service meat department and offering produce, groceries and frozen foods.

Suhr said the store would likely be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Sundays.

Suhr, long known as a fine butcher, said he intended to be the butcher at the new location and expected to hire a grocery manager. He said Gary’s Homemade Brats, a popular item at his Hershey store, will be available in North Platte.

The store is expected to create 20 new jobs and Suhr said he expected to hire 14 people and retain six current positions from the Hershey store.

According to Community Development Block Grant guidelines, at least 51-percent of the created or retained positions must be held or made available to low to moderate income people.

The new jobs created by the store are expected to average $10 per hours and range from $8.50 an hour to $15 an hour, according to the application.

The new store will make available the Affiliated Foods Sure Fine label of products, which True Value Super Center also carried.

Duane Schwartz, of Affiliated Foods in Norfolk, said they were excited about the opportunity to work with Suhr. He said the store would be a “great asset” to North Platte.

In other business, the council:

• Unanimously authorized the Public Service Department to solicit bids for a new concession stand building at the Cody Park Rides. The city included $100,000 in the 2008/09 budget from the Newburn Estate interest income to build the new concession stand. The estimate calls for a contractor installed metal building with city crews doing as much finish work as possible. Existing concession equipment as well as the walk-in cooler/freezer unit would be reused. City crews would demolish the existing building.

• Approved a new lottery operator agreement between Cody Keno Inc. and the City of North Platte through 2013.

The current agreement expires Nov. 23 of this year. The new agreement’s payouts to the city essentially remained the same as they have always been.

The Keno funds to the city used to hover around $300,000 annually, according to City Administrator Jim Hawks, but have dropped in recent months. Hawks chalked the lowered revenue for more competition for the entertainment dollar and, possibly, a tighter economy.

The council voted 6-0 to approve the agreement with Judy Pederson abstaining. Pederson’s husband, David, represents Cody Keno as their attorney.

In other business, the council:

• Unanimously sent the application of Suhr Enterprises Inc., doing business as Gary’s Super Foods for a Class-D Liquor License – beer, wine and distilled spirits off sale only – at 1909 East Fourth to the Liquor Control Commission with no recommendation.

• Unanimously aproved the application by Cindy Weller doing business as the Rustic Restaurant and Lounge in Mullen for a specially designated permit on Nov. 29, from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. at the D&N Event Center, 501 East Walker Road. The event is the Shane Larsen Memorial Bull Ride and Dance.

• Unanimously approved an ordinance to control erosion and sediment from construction sites on its third reading. The ordinance is required by federal regulations and intended to regulate discharges to the storm water system, according to Tom Werblow, city engineer.

• Unanimously approved an agreement between Borges Enterprises LLC, doing business as Regional Recycling and the City of North Platte for receiving and brokering recyclables. Regional Recycling was purchased by Borges Enterprises Jan. 2.

• Unanimously approved a lease agreement between Borges Enterprises and the city for use of the city’s bailer. The city agreed to lease a baler funded in part through a $100,000 Integrated Solid Waste Management Act grant from the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality to use in recycling cardboard, newsprint, magazines and other items. Borges agreed to provide recycling services for the city.

• Unanimously adopted a resolution approving the city’s Municipal Light and Water identity theft prevention program.