Council Minutes - Oct. 6, 2026

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.

• Questions about agendas or meeting minutes should be directed to the City Clerk.
• Meeting minutes are published in The Crete News (local newspaper)
• Each regular city council meeting agenda also contains the minutes of recent council, committee, and board meetings

The next Crete City Council regular meeting will be on Tuesday, Oct. 20.

Condensed Minutes for Crete City Council Special meeting - Tuesday, Oct. 6:

View this Meeting Agenda and attachments, entire copy of minutes available at the office of the City Clerk.

Mayor Bauer called the meeting of the City Council to order at 6:00 p.m. Answering roll call were the following Council Members: Frans, Newmyer, Strehle, Papik and Fitzgerald Absent: Crisman

The following actions were taken at the meeting:

Approved the Consent Agenda items: Unanimous

• Meeting Minutes: September 28 City Council Special Meeting
• Treasurer’s Report 
• Claims against the City $1,390,431.31

Approved the Crete S&A Pay Estimate No. 4 from JEO Consulting Group Inc. for NLC LLC 2024 Crete Street and Alley Improvements. Unanimous 

Tabled the Special Event Permit (Street Closure). Unanimous 

Enacted Ordinance 2283 Setting Salaries and Wages for FY26-27. Unanimous 

Enacted Ordinance 2284 Amending 3-1102 ambulance service rate schedule adjustment. Unanimous 

Adopted Resolution 2026-25 Master Fee Schedule. Unanimous 

Approved the CentralSquare (Zuercher) Interlocal Agreement. Unanimous 

Tabled until next meeting approving the DANKO Bid for Emergency Equipment Apparatus Medix AL 171 mounted on a Ford F-550 4x4 Diesel in the amount of $361,015.20. Unanimous 

Officers’ Reports 

• Human Resources Coordinator Jennifer Torres introduced Sonia Ochoa as the City of Crete’s new Bookkeeper. 
• Chief of Police Jon Pucket stated the following:
  • Explained that he has been in communication with Emergency Manager John McKee.
  • The Crete Police Department did not get the overtime grant for the FY26-27.
  • Waiting to hear on the Taskforce grant for DUI that the Nebraska State Patrol applied for. 
• Library Director Jessica Wilkinson stated that the Crete Public Library has received a Silver Accreditation
• Parks and Recreation Director Liz Cody stated the following:
  • Assessing the flood damage at Tuxedo Park and brief closures
  • Campgrounds are now open
  • Co-ed softball games will be played this Sunday, October 11^t.
  • FoodBank of Lincoln will be at Tuxedo Park Thursday, October 22
  • The “Kickin’ It” Martial Arts program registration is now open until October 23. 
  • Girl Scouts helped with weeding at the Crete Public Library 
  • Council member Anthony Fitzgerlad asked City Administrator Tom Ourada if there would be a possibility to advocate for FEMA funds to help with new restrooms at Tuxedo Park due to the flooding. 
• Building Inspector Trent Griffin provided the August 2026 Building Permit Log.
• Council members Kyle Frans, Ashley Newmyer, and Dale Strehle thanked everyone who helped with the Great Pumpkin Festival. Council member Anthony Fitzgerald thanked the Public Works Department for all their work after the flooding. 
• City Administrator Tom Ourada stated the following:
  • The walk bridge at Tuxedo Park is damaged. 
  • The cemetery bridge is all cleared up.
  • The Tuxedo Park bridge has some large debris that need to be cleared up. 
  • Saline County Emergency Manager John McKee informed us that he has made a Disaster declaration.
  • There will be a City of Crete staff meeting on Wednesday, October 7^th, 2026 to cover the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and what each person’s responsibility and role is, making sure to clean that up and work on proficiency going forward. 
• Mayor Dave Bauer thanked all the departments for working together during the Great Pumpkin Festival and helping with the flooding. 

The meeting adjourned at 6:24 p.m.