Registration is now open for Crete Recreation soccer programs.

Youth Soccer - due Friday, March 1: The Youth Soccer program offers divisions for boys and girls in grades 1st & 2nd, 3rd & 4th, and 5th & 6th. Teams will play on Sunday afternoons in March and April at Armory Park.

Micro Soccer - due Friday, March 22: The Micro Soccer program offers divisions for boys and girls ages 3 & 4 and 5 & 6. Teams will play on Wednesday evenings in April and May at Rotary Park.

Forms are available on RecDesk or at the Parks and Recreation office at City Hall. Coaching applications are also available - parents who coach will have the registration fee waived.

City of Crete 
Parks & Recreation Department 
Daniel Dunaway, Director

City Hall - 243 East 13th Street
Phone: 402.826.4314
Fax: 402.826.4334
dan.dunaway@crete.ne.gov

The Parks & Recreation Department is currently accepting applications for Wildwood Pool lifeguards and cashiers for the 2019 season. 

Applications are available at City Hall - Parks and Recreation office or Crete High School office. Completed applications need to be submitted to the Human Resources office at City Hall by Wednesday, March 13. Interviews will be conducted the following Monday, March 18.

City Hall (243 East 13th Street) is open Monday - Friday, from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

Lifeguard applicants must be at least 16 years old and cashiers must be at least 15.

For questions please contact Dan Dunaway at 402-826-4314 or email dan.dunaway@crete.ne.gov.

Mayor Roger Foster presented the Cornerstone Award to Janice and the late Roger Belohlvay in honor of their commitment to Crete and the business community, in which they used their entrepreneurial spirit to help create and sustain growth and success in the town they called home.

Foster made the presentation at the annual Crete Chamber of Commerce banquet on Thursday (Jan. 24) at Perry Campus Center on the Doane University campus.

The Cornerstone award from the the mayor and City of Crete recognizes individuals and businesses for their efforts and commitment to community betterment.

“Janice and Roger must have met with city officials two or three dozen times on housing and trying to get a project going that would benefit the community,” Foster said. “Toward that end, the Belohlavys played a significant role in several sizable annexations and the creation of the western redevelopment district on the west side of Crete.”

The Belohlavys owned and operated Turkey Creek Furs in Crete for almost 30 years occupying a commercial spot just off West Highway 33 for buying furs and deer hides, retail sales of cellular phones, livestock feed, hunting supplies, and bait and tackle, a U-haul rental location and recycling for aluminum cans and batteries. The couple operated Turkey Creek Realty from their Main Street office starting in 2014. Roger Belohlavy also maintained his family farm, which surpassed 100 years of family ownership.

They began pursuing opportunities for their property on Crete’s west edge a couple of years ago, working with city officials in the process. After Roger Belohlavy died in June 2018, Janice continued those efforts.

Foster said he received a letter from the Nebraska Investment Finance Authority on Dec. 17 notifying the City it has issued a conditional reservation of tax credits for Belohlavy Estates in Crete, an advantage for developers involved.

"We are excited to see what the future holds for this area,” Foster said. “Our only regret is that Roger isn’t here to share in the success and excitement we are all experiencing.”

See more information on Crete's Community and Economic Development or Business and Industry topics.

Through the current round of Downtown Revitalization (DTR) funding over $500,000 will have been spent for a total of 29 front and side facades in Crete's downtown district.

The above numbers were some of the highlights from City Administrator Tom Ourada to guests at the Crete Chamber of Commerce annual banquet on Jan. 24 at Doane University. Ourada spoke after Mayor Roger Foster presented the Cornerstone Award to Janice Belohlavy, honoring both her and late husband, Roger Belohlavy’s contributions to growth and development in Crete.

In a recap of this round of the DTR program, Crete received $307,000 from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development for downtown facade renovations; $102,333 in matching funds was committed by the City of Crete LB840 Economic Development Program. A 20 percent match was provided by each property owner involved in an approved project.

When the City applied for DTR funding, program goals included improving the appearance of downtown, creating a sense of place, and promoting and preserving the historic character of downtown Crete. At the time of application, Crete had recently received approval for a nationally recognized downtown historic district.

Priorities in this rehabilitation process included removal of metal awnings and non-historic materials, new fabric awnings and upper story window replacement, and restoration of transom windows and brick.

Facade removal for approved properties began late last spring (2018) and 16 projects have been completed or are near completion. Six projects are underway to be completed early this spring and seven facades are estimated for finish dates by late summer. (See previous article on project progress.)

During initial removal of non-historic facade material from five properties, historic or original storefronts of some type were revealed, which had not been seen for decades.

Ourada said a project of this nature is not without its complications, one being working with newer staff members at SENDD (Southeast Nebraska Development District), which is overseeing the program for the City. Finding contractors who are eligible to work under the required state and federal regulations has also been a challenge.

Current City Clerk Judi Meyer is a former SENDD staff member and was hired by the City partly to administer projects of this nature and for her expertise in economic development. In the course of her work in the last year alone she has successfully written grants that have brought over $2 million to the Crete community.

The City is seeing the successes of other economic development initiatives having positives effects, namely recipients of LB840 grants, including The Brew House, Elle’s on Main, Crystal’s Bakery, and others. Ourada noted interest from the owner of an established Lincoln business who is considering moving operations to Crete due to activity and opportunity in Crete’s downtown area.

The state has recently announced a renewal of the DTR program for a second round of funding and the City intends on applying in the hopes that property owners who did not apply before will consider this new opportunity. The City will share information on this next round as soon at it becomes available.

See more information on Community and Economic Development in Crete.

Since 2008, the City of Crete has made recycling available to residents with service provided by The Garbage Company, which is also the city’s refuse hauler. Recycling collection is included in the city’s garbage collection rate on utility bills.

Residents are provided a wheeled tote to be used specifically for the single stream, or no-sort recycling program. No-sort is just that, residents are not required to separate recyclable items including aluminum, paper, plastic, cardboard or glass, and are able to put everything in the tote for weekly collection.

The steps to recycle are simple: 1) rinse or clean out any plastic or glass containers and place them in the tote and break down large, clean cardboard boxes; 2) on the night before or morning of collection day, place large cardboard pieces under the tote at the curb or alley away from any obstacles such as posts or vehicles; 3) after collection, store the tote next to the residence or away from the curb or alley until the next collection day.

A variety of materials can be recycled in Crete, including: 

• aluminum and tin: aluminum and tin cans, formed aluminum containers (example: disposable pie plates) and clean aluminum foil;
• paper: newspaper (including advertising supplements), magazines, brown grocery bags, telephone books, catalogs, office paper, junk mail, envelopes; empty chipboard (cereal boxes), wet strength carrier stock (TV dinner boxes).
• cardboard: place clean corrugated cardboard boxes or shipping boxes under toter; break down or cut boxes so they are flat and no bigger than 2 by 2 feet;
• plastic: numbers 1 - 7 plastic containers (numbers are located on bottom of container): soda/water/juice bottles, milk bottles, butter tubs, sour cream carton, dip containers, detergent/bleach bottles, household cleaner bottles etc.; 
• glass: all types.

Items not accepted include styrofoam, rubber bands, soiled paper (pizza boxes/sandwich wrappers), food, tissue paper, paper towels, wax coated paper, shrink-wrap, plastic bags or wood.

Two recycling routes are currently used by The Garbage Company in Crete. Monday includes the areas south of 13th Street excluding Lothrop Heights and Westwoods Addition. Thursday includes areas north of 13th Street including Lothrop Heights and Westwoods.

The Transfer Station on North Boswell accepts recyclable items with flat rates based on the amount of materials.

City of Crete
Departments of Public Works
Utilities and Payments

City Hall - 243 E. 13th Street
(Public Works Utility Office main entrance on south side)
P.O. Box 86
Crete, NE 68333
Phone: 402.826.4312
Public Works Directory

Public Works Office - Bills and Payments:

• A service deposit is required on all addresses; transferable if the resident moves to a new address within City service;
• All utility billing statements are mailed the last business day of the month;
• Bills are due by 5:00 p.m. on the 15th of each month;
• Bills paid by the 15th receive a 10% discount; accounts paid after the due date are subject to forfeiture of this discount;
• Accounts not paid by the due date receive a courtesy notice; a disconnect date is noted on the original bill and the courtesy notice;
• Payments can be made in person (drive-thru available) at the Public Works Office at City Hall, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; night drop, mailed or online;
• Personal checks, money orders or cash are accepted; debit/credit cards accepted with 2.5% convenience fee.
• Pay utility bills 24/7 through the online bill payment option. Make a payment online
  • Cards, checking or savings account can be used (with routing and account numbers)
  • Information required: name on the utility account, address, and the utility account number 
  • Email address is requested in order to receive a receipt
  • Account will still be credited on the day the payment is made. 
• If you have any other questions, visit the Public Works Office at City Hall.

Electrical Service: The City of Crete Departments of Public Works Electric System retails electricity within the corporate limits. 

• View Current Electric Rates

Water and Sewer Service: 

• View Current Water Rates
• Residential Sewer Rate: Monthly customer fee $29.70, plus $2.63 per 1,000 gallons average monthly water consumption for the lowest three months of water usage of the five winter months of November, December, January February and March (Calculated each April) or $37.51 average sewer fee for customers without usage history. 
• Commercial Sewer Rates: Contact the Public Works Office at 402-826-4312.

Garbage Collection and Recycling: The City of Crete solid waste service is provided by The Garbage Company. A recycling tote is included free of charge.

• Residential Rates: 
  • Small Tote (65 gallon)    $17.89
  • Large Tote (95 gallon)    $18.18
  • 2 (95 gal.) Totes             $22.98
  • Seasonal Yard Waste     $12.00
• Commercial Rates: Contact The Garbage Company directly at 1-800-322-4272 for service and rates.

Please see the Public Works sections at left for more information on these City services.

Outside Services:

• Spectrum Cable - 1-800-248-8823
• Black Hills Energy (natural gas company) - 1-888-890-5554
• Windstream (local telephone service) - 1-800-347-1991; Repair Service - 611
• Other television and phone services available, check local directory