The North Platte City Council voted on Jan. 6 to table two ordinances creating paving extension districts for sections of proposed Francis Street, saying additional financial analysis and legal review were needed.

Staff said the ordinances would establish Paving Extension District No. 840 to extend Francis Street from Devco Avenue to Bicentennial Avenue and Paving Extension District No. 841 to extend from Bicentennial to Newberry access. Both measures were on third reading but members raised questions about how assessments would be allocated, whether the assessments would be assigned to a small number of acres and how that would interact with the redevelopment plan and the project’s TIF-eligible costs.

Councilmembers warned of a risk that property buyers might end up with both assessment liens and TIF-related tax obligations if financing was not structured as intended. One councilmember said such a structure could result in effectively taxing owners twice; the city attorney and staff replied that the redevelopment plan and redevelopment agreement contractually obligate the redeveloper to certain improvements and that improvement-district financing can reallocate eligible TIF expenses, but that the interaction is complex and needs clearer documentation.

After discussion a motion to table each ordinance to the next meeting carried so staff and the city attorney could provide clearer written language and financial analysis before any votes on final adoption.

What’s next: The ordinances were tabled and will return with additional financial and legal analysis of assessment boundaries, TIF interaction and the redevelopment agreement.