Currently advertised public notices and hearings of the Crete City Council and appointed boards and commissions will appear below when available.

 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

The City of Crete is seeking proposals from qualified consultants with considerable experience in community design, land use and environmental planning, economic analysis, and citizen engagement to provide consulting services related to a complete rewrite of the City’s Comprehensive Plan and zoning and land development ordinances. The City's zoning code has remained roughly the same since its original adoption in 1977, and it no longer suits the needs of a community that requires sustainable planning and smart growth and redevelopment. The successful candidate will bring a fresh, innovative perspective grounded in a demonstrated understanding of community engagement techniques that encourage buy-in and ownership of the future of the City. Firms with the necessary experience and qualifications are encouraged to submit proposals by 11:00 AM on November 11, 2021.

Additional information can be found in the City Government section:

• City Council and Standing Committees
• Boards and Commissions
• Meeting Agendas
• City Hall and officials: City Administrator, City Clerk-Treasurer, etc.

The Crete Police Department is sponsoring a Community Trunk or Treat on Friday, Oct. 29, from 4-7 p.m. in the Crete High School Parking lot, 1750 Iris Ave.

Groups interested in bringing a decorated vehicle and handing out candy should contact the Crete Police station to reserve a spot: 402.826.4311.

This event was last held in the CHS lot in 2019 with a combination of local law enforcement and first responders joined by school and community groups displaying decorated vehicles and handing out candy to costumed youth and families.

Crete Police Department 
Police Station - 1945 Forest Avenue
Non-Emergency (24 hours): 402.826.4311

Crete Recreation program signup for "Kickin' It" with Gold Star Martial Arts is open through Friday, Oct. 29. No late registrations are accepted.

Registration forms are available online (RecDesk) or in the Recreation Office at City Hall.

"Kickin' It" with Gold Star Martial Arts, in cooperation with Crete Parks and Recreation, is an introductory martial arts program which offers many benefits to participants: life skills such as respect, discipline, and integrity, physical fitness, safety awareness, self defense, increased focus, and more. The program is taught by nationally certified instructors with an emphasis placed on having fun while learning self defense and bullying prevention skills. There will be multiple classes, depending on registrations. Current liability waivers are required.

• dates: November 7, 14, 21, 28, December 5 (Sunday afternoons)
• ages 4 & 5 - 30-minute classes, 3:30 p.m.
• ages 6 & up - 45-minute classes, 4:45 p.m.
• location: Gold Star Martial Arts, 142 West 13th St
• Cost - $45

Parks & Recreation Department 
Dan Dunaway
402.826.4314

More than 80 guests were entertained by Mark Twain, played by Warren Brown, and Andrew Carnegie, played by Tom King, on Oct. 7 during a Crete Public Library fundraiser to purchase outdoor musical instruments for Library Park.

Brown, of Chicago, and King, who lives in Crete and serves as the Library Advisory Board President, spoke in character about their backgrounds, while at the same time teased each other about wealth and lifestyles. Compatriots in real life, the audience learned more about these great men during a lively performance. A question and answer period followed, and each man demonstrated his breadth and depth of the men they portray.

Over 30 donated quilted items, including throw quilts, crib quilts, table runners, and wall hangings, and related items were snapped up in a silent auction that was held during the evening. A total of $7,500 was raised from ticket sales and auction proceeds.

One of the biggest surprises of the evening occurred when two anonymous donors together outbid everyone for the quilt, “Ode to Libraries.” They decided the quilt needed to remain in the library to be on display. 

The library hopes to have the park instruments installed by Spring 2022.

Crete Public Library
1515 Forest Ave.
Crete, NE 68333
Phone: 402.826.3809

The City of Crete Department of Public Works, in partnership with its wholesale electric power supplier, the Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska, is continuing to provide five energy efficiency programs to assist in lowering energy costs for local utility customers through energy efficiency improvements.

With cooler temperatures of fall upon us, now is a good time to make energy efficiency upgrades for the upcoming colder months.

The Attic Insulation Program provides cash incentives of $0.15/per square foot with a maximum incentive of $300 per existing residential dwelling for attic insulation. The high efficiency heat pump program provides cash incentives to commercial customers to help cover the cost of installing a heat pump system in residential homes.

All five programs offer cash incentives to make energy efficient upgrades in the areas of insulation, cooling systems, home thermostats, high efficiency heat pump, and commercial lighting. Here is a rundown of the four programs:

• New in 2021: High Efficiency Heat Pump Program: The program provides cash incentives to upgrade or convert to a high efficiency residential heat pump. Cash incentives vary depending on the type of heat pump installed. 
• Smart Thermostat Program: Provides a cash incentive of up to $100 paid directly to residential customers to help cover the cost of installing a qualifying smart thermostat. 
• Attic Insulation Program: Provides cash incentives of $0.15 / per square foot with a maximum incentive of $300 per existing residential dwelling for attic insulation. 
• Cooling System Tune-Up Program: Provides a $30 cash incentive to residential homeowners who have their cooling system tuned up by a HVAC contractor, regardless of what type or age of cooling system (air conditioner/air or water source heat pump).
• Commercial LED Lighting Program: Provides cash incentives paid directly to commercial customers to help cover the cost of interior lighting upgrades and replacements.

These programs are available to customers of the City of Crete through its wholesale power partnership with the Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska. For more information on these programs, contact the Utility Office at City Hall, 402.826.4312, or go online to download program guidelines and application forms.

City Hall - 243 East 13th Street
(Utility Office main entrance on south side)
Crete, NE 68333
Phone: 402.826.4312

Individuals and media outlets are encouraged to contact the City Administrator for additional details or clarification on the following material. Regular meetings of the Crete City Council are held on the first and third Tuesdays of the month at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers on the second floor of City Hall; Council Standing Committees may meet prior. View a list of City Officials and current council and committee meeting agendas.

Summary for Crete City Council regular meeting - Tuesday, Oct. 5
View this Meeting Agenda and attachments

Council member Kyle Frans was absent.

The council approved the Consent Agenda items:

• Minutes of the following meetings: City Council Sept. 21, Legislative and Economic Development Committee Sept. 21, Public Safety Committee Sept. 21 
• Treasurer’s Report
• Claims against the City 
• Approve the Mayor's appointment of Greg Hier to the Airport Authority for the term ending 12/01/2024.

The Council renewed the City's membership with Southeast Nebraska Development District. City Administrator Tom Ourada clarified this is an annual membership and each year the city reviews the value of being a member. 

• Ward II Council Member Ryan Hinz explained the Legislative and Economic Development Committee looked at this and discussed how SENDD helps with applications for grants and could contribute as the city looks at adding housing program components. This  membership is still valuable and frees up city staff to do the things they need to do.

The Council entered into an agreement with gWorks to develop a redistricting map for the City's election wards.

• Ourada explained after each 10-year census political subdivisions have to look at redistricting and it will be quite different because of how COVID affected people last year, including Doane University. Ward 1 was 600 people short of what they were in 2010. He has talked with city officials and Mayor Dave Bauer about how there may have to be a radical realignment of Crete’s Wards due to population shifts and having an outside party create a redistricting proposal would be highly advisable. He explained that if we were to engage gWorks, after their initial work was completed, a recommendation will come back to the city for committee and city council vetting before any official action. Ourada said the public has to have confidence that the process was done objectively and without political influence.
• Mayor Bauer agreed this process could get political and having a third party make a recommendation would be the best course of action.
• Hinz said the Legislative and Economic Development Committee agreed that given the fact that gWorks specializes in this and Crete may have a dramatic redraw of the Ward lines, having an outside party seemed like the best idea.

The Council waived three readings and enacted Ordinance 2141: An ordinance relating to accessory buildings in the A-1 Agricultural District.

• Ourada explained this action would amend the ordinance on accessory buildings in the A-1 zone, which had previously limited the size of accessory buildings to the size of the principal residence, mainly affecting acreages in the city’s extra-territorial jurisdiction. City Attorney Kyle Manley rewrote the ordinance that the Planning Commission and city staff then discussed. The Planning Commission and Legislative Economic Development Committee both recommended this change, which basically exempts the size of accessory buildings in the A-1 zone, but all other compliance articles for those buildings stay.

The Council approved Black Hills Energy's new tariff rate and Small Volume Interruptable contract. Ourada said this was presented in August the first time and generally provides new terms for the interruptable rate. This is revenue neutral as the city leases the power plant to MEAN and is reimbursed when it is called to generate; all fuel costs are passed through to MEAN.

The Council waived three readings and enacted Ordinance 2140: An ordinance relating to the management and operations of the electric department.

• Ourada said these ordinance changes dovetail with changes two weeks ago relating to the Public Works Director job description and adds flexibility for the city administrator and council; this gives latitude to either have the Public Works Director take on electric department duties or not depending on the candidates that would be considered to fill the position. Traditionally, public works directors oversee water, wastewater, usually streets and rights of way, and sometimes parks, but only occasionally include electric utilities.

Officer Reports:

Reports may be given by Officers, Departments, Committees, or Council members concerning the current operations of the City. No action can be taken on matters presented under this title except to answer any questions or to refer the matter for further action.

• Jack Oelschlager, Ward III Council member, asked about any communication with Burlington about the Hawthorne crossing work by their crew, which has not yet started after it was announced in August. Tom said there was no new information; Burlington had also announced work on the Main Ave crossing would start in October. Tom reminded the Council that Burlington’s timelines are almost never accurate. Mayor Bauer recalled the West 13th Street crossing timeline was months to over a year off from their original timeline.
• Tom Ourada, City Administrator
  • Behlolavy Estates is paved and dirt work needs to be done before the next phase;
  • he is nearly done with the electric substation RFP;
  • the city is currently looking at zoning, with an eye to the rewrite of comprehensive plan for which RFP solicitations will go out in October; discussions with the building inspector and city attorney have included new styles of housing and annexation, with more information to come;
  • box culvert at 22nd and Ivy - this project is still in the design phase; Tom has a meeting Wednesday with adjacent property owners on property acquisition for a lift station and recreation possibilities;
  • Wendy Thomas, Human Resources Coordinator, is working with the Civil Service Commission on the new police officer hire;
  • a meeting of the city’s non-profit housing corp. included an application which proposed using housing grant money the city had applied for; the application was rejected because it did not include a payback provision;
  • Public Works Director job is posted and a position in the Public Works Office will soon be posted;
• Mayor Dave Bauer offered his appreciation to people from the city on down for their efforts during Crete’s Great Pumpkin Festival, saying it takes a lot of people to put that on and their work was very much appreciated by himself and the community. Tom added that in the City makes substantial investments in labor and City resources in all departments to help make these events successful.

Meeting adjourned.

Access to the library collections and meeting rooms is open to the public with increased capacity limits. Read more about current library services.

Preschool Story Time at Crete Public Library runs during the school year, starting in in the fall and includes stories on each week's theme with activities or songs and a craft. Story time craft kits are available at the library, inside or at the pickup window at 15th and Forest Ave.

2021-2022 Start Dates:

Thursday Preschool Story Time begins on Thursday, Sept. 2, at 10:30 a.m. (view/download the registration form or fill one out at the library)

Bilingual Spanish-English Preschool Story Time is on Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. (New in 2021, starting on Aug. 7)

Special story times are held weekly during the Summer Reading program in June.

Crete Public Library
1515 Forest Ave.
Crete, NE 68333
Phone: 402.826.3809
crete.library@crete.ne.gov

NEW RELEASE COURTESY OF NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:

Support for downtown development and efforts to create new housing in the city of Crete (pop. 7,247) have led to recognition from the State of Nebraska. The Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) this week announced Crete’s recertification in the Economic Development Certified Community (EDCC) program. DED Business Relations representative and Nebraska Diplomats Executive Director, Lori Shaal, honored local leaders with a special presentation during the regular City Council meeting on Sept.21. Mayor Dave Bauer accepted the recognition certificate on behalf of the City Council and the City.

Crete is one of 40 Nebraska communities to earn status in the EDCC program, sponsored by the Nebraska Diplomats and administered by DED. State officials established the program in 2005 to recognize communities for preparedness to attract new industries and expand existing businesses. As part of the certification process, qualifying cities and villages must identify a well-defined program that engages with their existing business community to offer a supportive environment for economic growth. This includes documenting available sites and buildings, developing local financing and incentive programs and creating ongoing strategic planning. The City of Crete received its original EDCC certification in 2016, and earned program recertification in 2021.

Since Crete’s previous certification, the community has celebrated several new and expanding business projects, including the completion of an 80-room Fairfield Inn and Suites. City leaders are also in the process of opening five new subdivisions, which has created more housing opportunities in the last five years than in the previous 15 years combined. The City recently partnered with local business leaders to implement a private, non-profit company, which served as a successful applicant for assistance from DED’s Rural Workforce Housing Fund. This success has generated even more interest from local businesses, as well as external development interest in workforce housing. City officials say the move will likely pave the way for construction of a sixth subdivision.

Find more information on City of Crete Community and Economic Development.

“It is an honor to be named one of Nebraska’s Economic Development Certified Communities,” said downtown business owner Tom Sorensen. “This recognition shows great commitment from community leaders to set some goals and improve our quality of life. We are fortunate to be growing, and this acknowledgement confirms that we are growing in the right way.

The City was one of five communities to qualify for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding for Downtown Revitalization (DTR) from DED. The $445,000 investment modernized buildings in Crete’s Downtown Historic District. The City is currently utilizing a second DTR grant with increased participation from local business owners.

“I am personally gratified by the interest and participation by our community in our projects,” said Mayor David A. Bauer. “As a fellow downtown business owner, I am amazed by the improvements taken on by many business property owners who are on board with our DTR projects. I don’t believe any of this would have been possible without our membership in Nebraska’s Economic Development Certified Community program.”

“Nebraska leaders who are focused on attracting development opportunities in their regions understand that growth depends on the overall culture of their business community,” said Nebraska Diplomats President Tim O’Brien. “The City’s initial $500,000 investment in the downtown area highlights overall efforts to show that Crete is open for business, which is an essential part of thriving as an EDCC.”

Crete leaders recently formed an innovative partnership with Crete Public Schools on recreation programs to offer expanded school programming. The collaboratively led project focuses on the transition from early childhood development to in-school programming opportunities.

Voters recently approved a bond issue for a new municipal library, which was completed through assistance from more than $3 million in local donations. In addition, the City committed $2 million to implement a redevelopment and expansion program for Crete’s parks, designed to retain and attract young families to the community.

Local business leaders said they appreciate recreational investments in their growing community and value regional and state relationships formed within Nebraska’s EDCCs. Crete Area Medical Center CEO Stephanie Boldt said earning certification and recertification has been an example of the City’s work in preparing for new development.

“Crete’s commitment to growth is reinforced by being an Economic Development Certified Community,” Boldt said. “With this certification and ongoing commitment from the City of Crete, the community will continue to be a Community in Motion. This is a great accomplishment.”

“Being an EDCC opens doors and brings a focus to the community that I don’t think can be matched otherwise,” said Crete City Administrator Tom Ourada. “The rate at which our community is growing and improving is accelerating day by day. I think we can directly attribute this to our certification and the ongoing efforts to remain a part of this important program.”

For more information on the Economic Development Certified Community Program, contact Ashley Rice-Gerlach at 308-655-0919 or ashley.gerlach@nebraska.gov, or visit https://opportunity.nebraska.gov/program/economic-development-certified-community-edcc/.