Council Summaries - March 5 and 19, 2024

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.

The next Crete City Council regular meeting will be on Tuesday, April 2 

Summary for Crete City Council regular meeting - Tuesday, March 19
View this Meeting Agenda and attachments

The council approved the Consent Agenda items:

• Minutes of the following meetings: City Council March 5, Finance Committee March 5, Legislative and Economic Development Committee March 5, Parks and Recreation Committee March 5, Personnel Committee March 5, Public Safety Committee March 5, Public Works Committee March 5
• Treasurer’s Report
• Payment of claims against the City 
• Building Permit Log

The Council voted 6-0 to approve a straight lease option for City property, newly purchased on the south end of town. City Administrator Tom Ourada said there were options for crop share or a straight lease; the straight lease is more in line with the way the city prefers to handle these situations.

The Council voted 5-0 (Papik abstained) to approve payment of claims to Crete Ace Hardware in the amount of $1,507.62.

The Council voted 6-0 to approve the East Ridge 4th Addition Administrative Subdivision. This lot subdivision and the following agenda item are lots where the developer intends to build two-unit townhomes to be sold separately. The lots should be subdivided prior to building.

The Council voted 6-0 to approve the East Ridge 5th Addition Administrative Subdivision.

The Council voted 6-0 to approve the write-off of miscellaneous accounts receivable.

• Ourada said these are accounts that have not been able to be collected; City Attorney Anna Burge advised these are uncollectible and the city’s collection agency will not take these on.
• Kyle Frans, Finance Committee chair, agreed the city has exhausted all avenues for collection.
• Mayor Dave Bauer said in the past these were handled differently by the city, however because of the age on these accounts, we don’t have a lot of options. The city will have a newer procedure moving forward to lessen the number of accounts reaching this point.

The Council voted 6-0 to approve the Master Fee Schedule amendment. Ourada said this amendment includes changes and the addition of current fees on city property and airport property.

The Council voted 6-0 to approve the minimum sale bid of $356,0000, a recent appraised value, for the City Farm property. Ourada explained the Public Works Committee considered this item and it was suggested to set a minimum bid for the sale by considering a recent appraisal and the county’s assessed value.

The Council discussed altering street right-of-way on Block 27. Ourada explained the city received a request to alter this right-of-way due to some future work in this area; no formal action is required on this item.

The Council voted 6-0 to approve the City Engineer prepare City Park bathroom specs. Ourada explained the city sought local bids and received none and would like to move forward on this project with the city engineer.

The Council voted 6-0 to approve a request for a beer garden at Cinco de Mayo to be held within the blocked street area to be worked out with the organizations involved.

• Ourada explained Xochtil Boughtin came to the city for this request and it was also discussed in the Parks and Recreation Committee meeting prior.
• Ashley Newmyer, Committee chair, said they discussed with members and the mayor and recommended to continue discussion with full council and possibly allow a permit for a beer garden on the street and keep the actual beer garden out of the park due to historical reasons and traditional use of the park by kids on a frequent basis.
• Mayor Bauer said the city is looking at doing more with City Park for the kids as far as playground expansion and other projects. He would worry about setting a precedent for requests to allow alcohol use in the park for other events that are held in the bandstand etc. He would like the council to consider keeping the park a place without alcohol saying the city does allow alcohol events to be approved for Tuxedo and would recommend looking to that park for those uses. As far as downtown, the city has allowed beer gardens on the street for festivals, etc. and thinks that is more the direction the city should be going. Boughtin said she could adapt to that situation.
• Dale Strehle, Council Member Ward 2, liked the idea of keeping alcohol out of the park and use the space on approved closed streets.
• Anthony Fitzgerald, Council Member Ward 1, said he doesn’t want the city to discourage these types of festival uses, but wants to be consistent in how the council approves these requests.

The Council voted 6-0 to authorize to apply for the LARM Safety Grant. The city requested to apply for this grant to purchase first aid kits.

The Council voted 6-0 to authorize to apply for the Walmart Spark Good Local Grant. The city requested to apply for this grant to purchase an AED; it is a matching grant.

The Council discussed a hiring timeline for a police sergeant.

• Ourada explained they originally talked about not filling this position due to budgetary constraints and other factors. The last time the position opened there were no viable applicants. With the upcoming retirement of Sgt. Ron Koch, it opens a position and outside candidates are interested in applying. We have identified funding sources and the department’s union, the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) has stepped up and offered two key concessions in next year’s contract negotiations to make this possible; Captain Jon Pucket was quite helpful in that discussion. This is a civil service position and appointed by the appointing authority, however, he wanted to discuss the issue with the council before moving forward.
• Mayor Bauer said our police department is very busy and with some changes for the FOP and Chief Gary Young with next year’s budget, this could work out at the right time and be good for the city.

Petition - Communication - Citizen Concern:

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.

• Jon Pucket, Police Captain, said he appreciated moving forward on the sergeant position.
• Liz Cody, Parks and Recreation Director: 
  • she attended water instructor training last week;
  • HR is still accepting applications for seasonal pool and parks staff;
  • we did not receive the pool shade grant, which had a 93% rejection rate;
  • Youth Soccer has started with 190 kids on 18 teams; Micro Soccer registration finished with 125 participants and Recreation Coordinator Dan Dunaway would like another couple coaches before the April 3 start;
  • Swim Team registration will open April 1;
  • “A Tree Grows in Crete” program at Crete Public Library on March 12 was a success;
  • Tuxedo campgrounds open April 1;
• Savannah Anderson, Human Resources Coordinator, introduced new Water Operator Brenden Hooper.
• Tom Ourada, City Administrator:
  • we sent letters to 9th and Quince adjacent property owners, who both expressed interest in purchasing their halves of a vacated street;
  • last week was the inaugural meeting of the Crete/Saline County Railroad Transportation Safety District; 
  • utility plans developing for the northeast Crete area annexed last year; developers are planning on more projects;
  • paving projects - the Public Works Committee and Council will make some decisions; slated are several gap paving projects, an alley that was petitioned in, north side projects that were asked for where intersection costs will be assessed; East 15th Street will be a hard decision - the council can create a paving district which could be protested out with 51%; other projects on the 1 and 6-year street improvement plans are not viable without federal funding, such as the Iris roundabouts and pedestrian walkway;
  • Mayor Bauer and I met with Jason Maly on a decorative, functional wall to separate City Park from the highway;
  • the City Park fountain will start up soon; always a joint project with Parks and Recreation and Public Works;
  • this week are NMPP meetings in Lincoln;
  • Nancy Tellez will be at clerk school the rest of this week.
• Mayor Dave Bauer welcomed Crete Scout Pack 212 to the meeting and invited them to stay afterward for any questions they might have.

Meeting adjourned.

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

The council approved the Consent Agenda items:

• Minutes of the following meetings: City Council Feb. 20, Legislative and Economic Development Committee Feb. 20, Public Works Committee Feb. 20, Airport Advisory Board Feb. 8, Economic Development Advisory Board Feb. 22
• Treasurer’s Report
• Payment of claims against the City 
• Accept the findings from the Risk Manager on claim against the city on Longwood Ave.

The Council held a Public Hearing for Liquor License for new Manager for VFW. City Administrator Tom Ourada said the application is for a change in the manager and is required by law.

The Council voted 6-0 to approve a recommendation to the Liquor Control Commission on the Liquor License for new Manager for VFW.

The Council held a Public Hearing for a Retail Liquor License from Smokin' Liquor LLC 1229 Main Ave, Crete, NE 68333.

• The store owner spoke about her new store selling liquor and tobacco products.
• City Attorney Anna Burge explained the location and zoning; the location is south of an existing smoke shop and in a former dry-cleaning storefront. According to the application, the store will sell primarily liquor, off-sale, some snacks and tobacco, which would be allowable under the C-1 zone for food and beverage stores. She said the council is only approving a recommendation on the liquor license and further issues would depend on what primary products are being sold.

The Council voted 6-0 to approve a recommendation to the Liquor Control Commission on the Retail Liquor License from Smokin' Liquor LLC, 1229 Main Ave, Crete, NE 68333. 

The Council reviewed the Airport 2024 Project list. 

• Ourada said the Airport Advisory Board wanted the council to see the list of projects.
• Dale Strehle, Public Works Committee chair, said this was their wishlist and not an action item for project approval here; it is mostly for information.
• Will White, Airport manager, said some things were on the list when he started in this position last year.

The Council voted 6-0 to approve a move to Saline County 911 communications.

• Ourada explained the discussion topic recently was to whether to stay with Southeast Communications 911 Center in Beatrice or go with Saline County communications; City officials and the Public Safety Committee studied this and heard information.
• Dan Papik, committee chair, said they talked with Chief Gary Young and Captain Jon Pucket and after months of discussion and research they wanted to find what works best with the community and police force; the committee’s recommendation is to move forward with a switch to Saline County dispatch communications.
• Ourada said the city would have to provide notice to Beatrice.
• Mayor Dave Bauer said he is pleased with the way both departments worked on this project and engaged in discussion with county commissioners to work things out; this will be a big plus for the city moving forward.

The Council voted 6-0 to approve selling the city farm by sealed bid. 

• Ourada said this item refers to 72 acres to the northwest of town the city has had for a number of years; the city had previously traded with a family for other city farm property to acquire this ground. The city no longer has a need for this property and there are two interested parties who would like to purchase it.
• Strehle said the city does not look to get rid of property if it is of use, however this is of no use, and the Public Works Committee recommended using a sealed bid process with a minimum bid required.

The Council voted 6-0 to approve purchasing a new phone system. Ourada explained this has been studied for over a year regarding using onsite or cloud options; IT staff Mike Kalkwarf and Emerson Aschoff have worked on this and prices have come down significantly.

The Council voted 6-0 to waive three readings and enact Ordinance No. 2195 To Amend Section 10-127 of the Crete Municipal Code to appoint both the City Administrator and City Clerk as agent for the City in making a recommendation and approval or denial for Special Designated Licenses in the City of Crete, Nebraska.  Mayor Bauer said we already have the City Clerk working these and this item would provide another person available to sign these licenses in the event one person is out of the office.

The Council voted 6-0 to adopt Resolution 2024-03 Master Fee Schedule. This item reflects updates to the master fee schedule, primarily in Parks and Recreation program fees.

The Council voted 6-0 to approve the Saline County Ag Society Lease for Tuxedo Park.

• Ourada explained City Attorney Anna Burge primarily overhauled this document, which was created in 1976 and amended in 1990s; the older document seemed largely geared toward what the ag society wanted. This new lease makes it a more workable document for the city and reflects those changes.
• Ashley Newmyer, Parks and Recreation Committee chair, said they recommend this lease as drafted.

The Council voted 6-0 to approve the Medical Utility Hold form. 

• Ourada said this formalizes a process laid out in state statute; the city does follow this process now. He explained in the Public Works Committee meeting prior there are ways people can get a doctor’s note and not pay their utility bill and the city has honored those letters, however the city’s approach is open-ended. Anna researched LES and state statute, etc. The  doctor’s note allows non-payment of the utility bill for 30 days for life-threatening or serious health reason in which the resident would need the electricity on. LES disconnects utilities in these instances on day 31 if the bill has not been paid. The doctor’s note can be used once a year and the city has one or more who are approaching 90 days of non-payment. We work with people on waivers and payment plans, and this item is formalizing the process in a specific form. This information has also always been on every disconnect notice.

The Council voted 6-0 to approve the Ricoh IM C2510 with eGoldfax & (RSI Software) Proposal. Ourada explained this lease is for a library printer and fax on a contract the city enters into for the library.

The Council voted 6-0 to approve forwarding to the city’s risk manager this claim for sewer back-up on 15th St. 

The Council voted 6-0 to amend the Crete Infrastructure Material Specifications and Testing Requirements. This item adds Kennedy hydrants and valves, which were previously not part of the specifications; in the past some firms would be excluded from the bid process because of limited types of products available to them that were not in the city’s specifications.

The Council voted 6-0 to waive three readings and enact Ordinance 2196 Amending Salaries and Wages In Ordinance 2177, 2189, and 2193. Ourada said these changes were driven by the Parks and Recreation Department and include a training rate and amending the assistant pool manager and swim team assistant coach wage scales.

The Council voted 6-0 to approve the LB840 Loan Guarantee application for $300,000.00 for the Blue River Arts Council. Ourada explained BRAC needs what amounts to a letter of credit and the city’s LB840 loan guarantee is like that; the Economic Development Advisory Board and council’s Legislative and Economic Development Committee recommended this item.

Petition - Communication - Citizen Concern:

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.

• Joy Stevenson, Library Director shared the library’s upcoming program on Sunday, March 10 at 2 p.m. in the Crete Carrier Community Room, “A Tree Grows in Crete,” with Justin Everton, Assistant Director of the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, and Crete Tree Board member and longtime local arborist Rick Brown; they will speak about trees, shrubs, and landscaping. All attendees will receive a free tree/shrub sapling.
• Liz Cody, Parks and Recreation Director: 
  • was also excited to welcome the speakers for the library’s program on Sunday;
  • Micro Soccer registration ends on March 15 and Youth Soccer games will start soon;
  • snow days effected the hiring/interview schedule for pool staff, but there are many applicants coming in;
  • she is out next week for pool training
  • Crete Public Schools staff helped to share Parks and Rec programs at recent parent/teacher conferences;
• Gary Young, Police Chief, awarded two citations to officers
  • Officer Dawn Jonas received a Meritorious Service Medal for her work with the Fraternal Order of Police in organizing Operation Under the Tree for many years now. She is the “driving force” behind the program, which in 2023 grew to serve 168 families and 612 kids with toys and necessities like clothes and shoes.
  • Officer Noah Zach received the Life Saving Medal for his actions on Jan. 15 after he responded to calls of a distressed individual sitting on the railing of the Blue River Bridge on Highway 33. As he engaged the person in dialog, Zach believed they were moving to jump and quickly grabbed them and pulled them to safety.
  • Mayor Bauer said it is an honor to interview officers for positions in Crete and we have seen many good candidates; these two officers are excellent examples of who works for us and our department.
  • Ashley Newmyer, Dale Strehle, Dan Papik, and Anthony Fitzgerald, all echoed their thanks to all in appreciation of their efforts for the department and residents of Crete.
• Tom Ourada, City Administrator:
  • said Crete Public Schools wants to work on a community calendar;
  • on Friday they have a meeting with a developer for new businesses; there is a purchase agreement for a new subdivision, about 72 acres;
  • he would like to apply for a grant, $100,000 for a dc charger, which can charge an electric vehicle in 20 minutes, faster than the two currently in place on Linden Ave.;
• Mayor Dave Bauer reminded employees about the Mayor’s Chili Feed on Thursday, from 4-7 p.m. in the Community Room at the library.

Meeting adjourned.