Friday, January 23, 2026 |
Photo – Saratoga’s old Water Treatment Plant – Bigfoot99 file photo
The Town of Saratoga is requesting further public comment before moving forward with the purchase of land for a new public works facility.
During the December 17th Saratoga Town Council meeting, Public Works Director Emery Penner outlined a proposal to move his department out of the former water treatment plant and adjacent garage on South River Street. Penner said the existing buildings are dangerous and outdated.
The public works director suggested purchasing a 12‑lot parcel on the corner of North State and East Rochester Streets. The property, owned by Danny McGuire, is already zoned for light industrial, making it suitable for a new public works garage and material staging area.
Before Wednesday’s regular Saratoga Town Council meeting, the governing body held a public hearing for the potential land purchase. Public Works Director Penner explained the purpose of the hearing, saying that suitable properties are hard to find. Penner added that the town must take its time to ensure the purchase doesn’t create problems down the road.
Following Penner’s remarks, Mayor Chuck Davis opened the floor for public comment. Engineer and former councilmember Jon Nelson spoke first. Nelson began by applauding the town’s efforts to relocate the public works facility, saying that the land by the North Platte River can be better utilized. However, Nelson said he is opposed to moving the facility into the light‑industrial district, arguing that the decision will limit future development in the area.
Since the property is zoned for light industrial, Nelson said it could support manufacturing. The former councilmember said he would rather see the land used to create jobs for residents than for a public works facility.
Given how difficult it is to find suitable land in Saratoga, Nelson said the decision to purchase the former Dan’s Trucking property may not have been fully thought out.
Nelson added that consolidating all municipal offices, including the post office, the library, and the public works department, into a single location would benefit the town. Councilman Jerry Fluty questioned why industrial activities should be placed alongside other services. Nelson replied that a centralized location would make it easier to coordinate between the town’s various departments.
Nelson said other towns successfully utilize a centralized layout for their municipal services. The former councilmember suggested relocating Saratoga’s offices to town‑owned land in another part of the community, such as the area south of the public library.
Returning to his original point, Nelson said the property would better serve residents if it remained in private hands. Mayor Davis thanked Nelson for his thoughtful comments.
Councilman Bub Barkhurst said moving the public works department behind the library would require heavy equipment to regularly pass by the high school. Nelson said the town has other properties it can consider, to which Councilman Fluty noted that most town‑owned land is zoned for residential. Nelson instead suggested relocating the public works facility closer to Shively Field.
Nelson said he recommended the area around the library only as an example of where the town could relocate the public works department without needing to purchase additional real estate.
Following Nelson’s remarks, R G Raymer Construction owner Randy Raymer spoke in support of the purchase. As a long‑time resident, Raymer said he took part in the 2016 Saratoga Master Plan. The document identified three key areas of improvement: additional childcare, increased access to health care services, and beautifying the town. Raymer said two of those goals have been fulfilled by private industry. However, the town has not made any meaningful headway in beautification, implying that relocating the public works facility away from the North Platte River would help meet that objective.
Raymer said Nelson is using property zoned for light industrial for something other than industrial purposes, making his argument less convincing.
While light‑industrial properties may not be listed often, Raymer said that in his experience every property is technically for sale.
The R G Raymer Construction owner said he has a production shop on the northeast side of town. Although he has considered moving the facility closer to his office on West Bridge Avenue, Raymer said the shop’s central location makes it easier for his employees to access. Additionally, the site is away from residential areas, unlike the land behind the public library.
Raymer said he is completely opposed to Nelson’s suggestion to find a different location for the public works facility.
Next, Planning Commission member Jodell Hone said Nelson and Raymer are not in total disagreement as both speakers agreed that moving the facility will beautify the town. Hone said she originally supported the purchase, but after hearing Nelson’s argument against the proposal, she reconsidered her position.
Mayor Davis said the matter needs more consideration and closed the public hearing. Later, during the regular Town Council meeting, the mayor presented a letter from Saratoga resident and S-E-R Conservation District member Scott Kerbs opposing the land purchase. In his letter, Kerbs wrote that the deal would remove the property from the tax rolls, since towns are tax‑exempt. Mayor Davis said Kerbs suggested moving the public works facility to town‑owned land near Shively Field and selling other town‑owned property to pay for the project.
Public Works Director Penner said he had been planning to make an offer on the property. However, after hearing opposition to the deal, Penner said more public comment is needed before a decision is made.
The Saratoga Town Council agreed to delay the purchase and hold another public hearing before its next meeting.
