O’Neill

O'Neill, Nebraska golf courseDowntown O'Neill, Nebraska in 1945St. Patrick's Day celebration in O'Neill, Nebraska

 

 

 

City of O’Neill Websitewww.cityofoneillnebraska.com

City of O’Neill:  (402) 336-3640

O’Neill Chamber of Commerce Website:  www.oneillchamber.com

 O’Neill is the county seat of Holt County and the largest of the county’s communities. With a population of around 3,500, O’Neill is a city of opportunity and is poised for growth and prosperity into the next century.

Designated the “Irish Capital of Nebraska,” O’Neill is home to the world’s largest shamrock, famous Irish Dancers, and the annual St. Patrick’s Day Celebration.

Commercial Services

Machine shops in city: 2
Tool and die services in city: 1
Electric motor repair services in city: 3

Type of newspaper in city: Weekly
Local radio station(s): 3

Number of TV channels received without cable: 3
Cable antenna television serves city: Yes
Maximum number of cable channels received: 150

Number of protestant churches: 15
Number of catholic churches: 2

Number of motels and hotels in city: 4
Total number of rooms available: 184

Number of banks in city: 5

Chamber of Commerce: Yes
Chamber executive is full-time: Yes

Schools

Public SchoolsNumber of SchoolsEnrollmentTeacher / Student Ratio
Elementary14001:12
Jr/Sr. High13301:9

Private SchoolsNumber of SchoolsEnrollmentTeacher / Student Ratio
Elementary21031:13
Sr. High1821:8

The O’Neill Public School District No. 7 covers approximately 114 square miles and serves the communities of Emmet, Inman, O’Neill, and Page. The Class 3 District is accredited by the State of Nebraska and North Central Association. The O’Neill Public Elementary was built in 1996 and the Junior-Senior High School was built in 1964. The O’Neill Elementary School serves students in kindergarten through sixth grade with three sections of each grade level. Students are provided with the latest curriculum materials, including new science, social studies, reading, and math text books, along with newly aligned curriculums. Students also have up-to-date technology including MacBooks, SMART Boards, Palm Pilots, iPads, and video equipment. Special service programs are also available to students including HAL, ELL, Special Education, and Title 1. The Developing Eagles Program is available to all students after school from 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm during the school year and from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm during the summer. This program assists students in completing homework, playing educational games to reinforce classroom instruction, and physical activities to promote a healthy lifestyle. In cooperation with the Head Start Program and Chambers Public School, the O’Neill District opened a preschool program during the 2008-09 school year. O’Neill Junior-Senior High School provides a broad spectrum of courses. In addition to 13 core classes, high school students can follow a vocational program with 29 course offerings or a college preparatory curriculum with 31 courses.

Classes are also offered through a variety of post-secondary institutions during the regular school day. Students may enroll in TANN (Technology Academy of Northeast Nebraska) classes for both high school and college credit. O’Neill High School has had tremendous success in scholastic competition. During the last 20 years, students have won their division of the Chadron State College Scholastic Contest 16 times and have been overall champion several times. Students from O’Neill High School consistently score higher than the state average on the ACT.

St. Mary’s Catholic School, a Pre-K-12 school in O’Neill serves as a center for Christian education with St. Patrick’s Parish. St. Mary’s has 25 class rooms. In 2007 a $1 million renovation project was initiated. Through the generosity of friends, benefactors, parishioners, and alumni, St. Mary’s was able to renovate and add many areas to the school including the gym, classrooms, library, chapel, nurse’s station, office area, staff lounge, commons area, elevator, and paved parking.

Word of Life is a Pre-K-8 Christian School in O’Neill. The school has 6 classrooms.

Health Facilities

Health Facilities in the Community

Number of Hospitals in Community1
Number of Beds in Hospital(s)25
Number of Outpatient Clinics27

Medical Personnel in the Community

Medical Doctors / Physician Assistants5
Dentists / Orthodontists5
Nurses (registered or practical)92
Optometrists / Ophthalmologists3
Veterinarians3

Information about Avera St. Anthony’s Hospital can be found at https://www.avera.org/locations/profile/avera-st-anthonys-hospital.

Housing

Number of Single Units Built in Last 2 Years9
Average Cost Per Square Foot of Single Units Built in Last 2 Years$150
Average Monthly Rental - 3 Bedroom House$450
Average Monthly Rental - 2 Bedroom Apartment$350

Largest Employers

RankBusiness NameService SectorProduct / ServiceNumber EmployedUnions
1Avera St. Anthony's HospitalHealth ServicesHospital280No
2O'Neill Public SchoolsEducationSchool125Yes
3Holt CountyGovernmentGovernment100No
4Elkhorn River FarmsOther ServicesPotato Plant100No
5Golden Living CenterHealth ServicesNursing Home73No
6O'Neill VenturesOther ServicesVegetable Greenhouse60
7Valley HopeHealth ServicesDrug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Center44No
8City of O'NeillGovernmentGovernment31No
9St. Mary's SchoolEducationSchool30Yes
10Shopko HometownRetailVariety Store & Pharmacy29No

Municipal Services

Type of GovernmentMayor-Council
Comprehensive City PlanYes, 2003 (year)
City ManagerNo
City EngineerYes
City Zoning Ordinance in EffectYes
County Zoning Ordinance in EffectYes
Garbage Service ProviderCity
Public Library in CityYes
Percent of Streets Paved68%
Number Full-Time Fire Department Personnel0
Number Volunteer Fire Department Personnel40
Number Full-Time Police Officers7
Fire Insurance ClassInside City: 4, Outside City: 7

Zoning and subdivision codes are enforced within the city. They are as follows: General Agricultural District, Residential District, Residential Ranchette, Residential Office, Central Business, General Commercial, Light Industrial, and Industrial. The O’Neill Public Library contains 36,126 volumes and has an average annual circulation of 97,341. The library, with 2,493 patrons, is part of the Nebraska Interlibrary Book Loan Program. Story hour is held during the summer months and other special times during the year. Books and records for the blind are also provided. There are six computers with Internet access available, to library patrons. The O’Neill Volunteer Fire Department has 31 members of which 25 members are EMT certified. The department responds to mutual aid calls. There are 213 fire hydrants in O’Neill. The department has up-to-date equipment including 3 ambulances. O’Neill employs 7 full-time police officers and two support personnel. The police department has 4 fully equipped patrol units.

Population

General Population Stats

AreaCensus Year: 2010Census Year: 2014% Change
O'Neill3,7053,663-1.1%
Holt County10,43510,403-0.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates, July 2014

County Age Distribution (2014)

Age0-1920-2425-4445-6465-8485+ Total% Split
Male1,3682541,0201,5348331355,14449.4 %
Female1,3582179641,5239622355,25950.6 %
Total2,7264711,9843,0571,795370 10,403
Median Age (2014): 45.2
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, County Population Estimates by Selected Age and Gender. Released July 2014.

Tax Structure

Actual Valuation of City: $141,312,611 (Year 2015)

Real Property Tax Rates ($ per $100 of actual value)

CityCountySchoolOtherTotal Real Property
$0.562835$0.261542$0.769999$0.195860$1.790236

Bond Indebtedness

General ObligationRevenueCountySchool
$630,000.00$870,000.00None$1,415,000.00

All real property is subject to tax at market value. Agricultural land is valued at 72 percent of its actual value. Personal property that is used in a trade or business and is depreciable is subject to tax at its “net book value.” All other personal property is exempt from taxation.

Transportation

Number & Type of Roads Serving Community

Type of RoadFederalStateCounty
Interstate Highways0
Limited Access, Four-Lane Highways000
Improved Two-Lane Highways310

Nearest Highways

Highway NameMiles
Miles to Nearest Interstate HighwayInterstate 80115
Miles to Nearest Four-Lane HighwayUS Hwy 281100

Motor Freight Carriers

More than 13,500 licensed motor carriers with worldwide connections are based in Nebraska and serve businesses throughout North America.

Transit Time for Carload or Truckload Lots

DestinationDistance by Highway MilesDays by RailroadDays by Motor Freight
Omaha192N/A1 Day
Lincoln211N/A1 Day
Chicago661N/A1-2 Days
Dallas749N/A2-3 Days
Denver494N/A1-2 Days
Kansas City376N/A1-2 Days
Los Angeles1506N/A2-3 Days
Minneapolis432N/A1-2 Days
New York1425N/A3-5 Days
St. Louis626N/A2-3 Days

O’Neill trucking firms include Brown Truck Line.

Air

Distance to nearest public airport2 miles
Elevation2,031 feet
Length of longest runway4,400 feet
Runway lightedYes
Private aircraft storage availableYes
Private aircraft maintenance availableYes
Distance to nearest commercial air transportation112 minutes

Distance to Nearest International Airport

Community served by railroad?Yes
Distance to Nearest Railroad0 Miles
Number of Freight Trains Per Day0
Functional Piggyback Ramp AvailableNo
Distance to Nearest Piggyback Service76 miles
Name of Railroad Serving CommunityNebraska Northeastern Railway Company

John Baker Field has 24-hour credit card pumps with 100 low-lead and Jet A fuel. The station is attended from 1 a.m. until 6 p.m. seven days a week. Please call (402) 336-3377 for further information.

Rail

Name of AirportMiles to Airport
from Community
Omaha Eppley International196
Kansas City International359
Denver International450

Utilities

Electricity

State electric power deregulated?No
Wholesale SupplierNebraska Public Power District

Electric System Operator

Nebraska Public Power District

Phone: Economic Development – (800) 282-6773 or 24-Hours – (877) 275-6773
Website: www.nppd.com
Email: econdev@nppd.com

Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD), the state’s largest electric utility, has a diverse mix of generation, including nuclear, coal, hydro, gas and oil, and wind. NPPD delivers power to approximately 1 million Nebraskans and has ample capacity to meet the needs of new loads. Nebraska’s electric costs are among the lowest in the nation. NPPD’s professional Economic Development Team is available to assist with expansion and retention of existing business and new business locations. Contact the Economic Development Team by emailing econdev@nppd.com or by calling (800) 282-6773. Further information can be found online at www.nppd.com. Utility information can be found at www.nppd.com.

Additional Comments:
O’Neill is provided retail electric service by NPPD. Service is supplied by two 56 MVA, 115/69 kV transformers in the O’Neill substation. Alternate sources are available from the west, east, and north. All services are supplied from substations which are connected to the statewide grid system by 115,000 and 345,000 volt transmission lines. The distribution voltage is 12.5 kV wye with a total transformer capacity of 20 MVA in two distribution substations. O’Neill also has a retail customer in the northwest section of town that has a dedicated 12.5 kV wye circuit. This is fed by a 10 MVA, 69 kV transformer on the 69,000 volt line from O’Neill and an alternate 69,000 volt line from Ainsworth. Contact NPPD, 877-275-6773, www.nppd.com, for further information regarding electric rates and service.

Natural Gas

Natural Gas Service AvailableYes
Supplier in CommunityBlack Hills Energy

Water

ProviderCity of O'Neill
Major SourceFive wells
If Wells, Average Depth362 feet
Rated Capacity4.860 mgd
Average Capacity1.400 mgd
Peak Demand4.800 mgd
Storage Capacity750,000 gallons
Hardness116 ppm
TreatedNo
Temperature Range40-58 (degrees Fahrenheit)

Sanitation / Waste Water

Name of ProviderCity of O'Neill
Type of ServiceWaste Treatment
Rated Capacity0.632 (mgd)
Average Daily Demand0.525 (mgd)
Peak Demand1.000 (mgd)
Sewer Connection FeeYes

Telecommunications

Name of Local Service ProviderCenturyLink
Number of Long Distance Service Providers5