The City of Crete's LB840 Economic Development Plan is funded by an additional 1/2% local option sales tax approved by local voters in November 2010. Purposes of the LB840 program include: create high paying, quality jobs by generating employment opportunities and expanding the available work force within the labor market of Crete and Saline County; attract new capital investment to the community; sustain existing job opportunities; broaden the tax base to provide economic diversification and ensure economic stability and vitality for the community of Crete and surrounding area. The seven-member Economic Development Advisory Board representing local industries is appointed by the Mayor and City Council to oversee the plan.

Tom Ourada, City Administrator
Phone: 402.826.4312
tom.ourada@crete.ne.gov 

LB840 Program Documents

• LB 840 Plan 
• Housing Development Plan 
• LB 840 Application (fillable form) 

Qualifying Businesses

Any corporation, partnership, limited liability company or sole proprietorship that derives its principal source of income from any of the following: 

• The manufacturer of articles of commerce;
• The conduct of research and development;
• The processing, storage, transport, or sale of goods or commodities which are sold or traded in interstate commerce as distinguished from goods offered for sale at retail locally;
• The sale of services in interstate commerce as distinguished from services offered on a local or area basis;
• Headquarters facilities relating to eligible activities as listed in this section;
• Telecommunications activities;
• Development, sale and support of technology, hardware and soft-ware for information technology and telecommunications; 
• Retail business;
• Construction or rehabilitation of housing;
• Tourism-Related Activities.

Terms and Use of Funds

The program provides gap financing; no project will be 100 percent funded with LB840 funds. 

Funding awards may include project-specific performance requirements, including, but not limited to: submission of proof of expenditure of funds, submission of a summary report, continuous operation of the business without sale or transfer for up to seven (7) years, retention of an agreed-upon number of full time equivalent employees for a period of up to seven (7) years, and/or other terms as outlined in a conditional performance-based grant agreement. Funds are 0% interest, $0 repayment as long as performance requirements are met.

• Fixed assets, working capital, employee recruitment efforts, or any combination thereof.
• Grants or agreements for job training.
• Promotion or Tourism Related Activities.
• The  provision  of technical assistance to  businesses,  such  as  preparation of  financial packages,  survey,  engineering,  legal,  architectural  or  other similar  assistance  and payment of relocation or initial location expenses.
• Expenses for business or professional recruitment activities.
• Purchase of existing buildings or the construction of new buildings for commercial purposes.
• Rehabilitation of commercial buildings or potential commercial buildings.
• Construction or rehabilitation for sale or lease of housing for persons of low, moderate, or workforce income.

Find out more about Community and Economic Development in Crete.

Events from the Community Assistance Office and community partners: (click the gallery to view event flyers)

Dinner and Film "Nebraska Is Home: Through Our Neighbors' Eyes"

• Tuesday, Jan. 21, 6:30 p.m. at Public Health Solutions, 830 East 1st Street Suite 300
• Join community leaders from across Nebraska who are fostering inclusive spaces of connection and growth. Followed by discussions with the filmmakers and local Nebraska leaders. Event by multiple community and area partners. Please RSVP

Human Trafficking 101 - virtual presentation

• Wednesday, Jan. 22, 5-7 p.m.
• Presented by the Set Me Free Project. No RSVP needed. This Zoom link will go directly to a meeting launch

Crete Community Cafe: Community Members and Local Government

• Wednesday, Jan. 22, 6-8 p.m. at Crete Middle School, 1500 East 15th Street
• Have you ever wondered how to be better connected to the school board, city council, or other local governing bodies? Join us Wednesday, Jan. 22 from 6-8 pm for a conversation on creating connections between local government and community members. Planned and led by families living in Crete. Childcare and supper provided.

Employer Rights and Responsibilities webinar

• Friday, Jan. 24, 1 p.m.
• With evolving workplace policies, it's more important than ever for all employers to ensure that they are in compliance with existing regulations. The American Business Immigration Coalition (ABIC) invites members of the welcoming network to join this webinar that provides practical, actionable guidance to help you navigate today's regulatory landscape to ensure that you and your employees are able to create the stable workplace environment you and your team need and deserve. This training is designed for all employers, regardless of business size, number of employees, or sector, and will equip you with the tools to safeguard your business and employees. Register for the Zoom webinar.

Information Session: Preparing for the Road course

• Monday, Jan. 27, 6 p.m. at Community Room at Crete Public Library, 1515 Forest Ave.
• Information session for upcoming classes. The class will have lessons on road safety and traffic signs, the rules of the road in America, and Winter driving tips. A free emergency kit is available to those who complete the six-week course.(Note: This is not intended as an official Driver's Education Course.)
• For more information and to register, contact Community Assistance Director Marilyn Schacht.

Latino Leaders in Motion: Information Session

• Thursday, Jan. 30, 6 p.m. at Community Room at Crete Public Library, 1515 Forest Ave.
• This is an information session for a 12-week Latino Leadership In Motion Initiative class to provide an opportunity to engage and network with community leaders from diverse sectors, such as municipal, county, state, education and more. Topics covered include: Community Engagement, Civic Education, Career Pathways, Financial Literacy Education, Elevating Latino Voices. Attendees are aspiring Latino leaders age 18 and older. For more information contact Community Assistance Director Marilyn Schacht.

Program Note - Coach contact: Participants who are not contacted by their coach by the week prior to the first game, please call the Parks and Recreation Office at City Hall, 402.826.4315, to be connected to your team.

Registration forms and waivers are available during the registration dates below on RecDesk or at the Parks and Recreation office at City Hall. Participants must also have a current liability waiver signed. No late registrations will be accepted.

Registration Notes - Sibling discount and fee waiver for parent coaches: 

• Parents who coach will have the registration fee waived.
• Sibling discounts and coach fee waivers must be applied during program registration and will NOT be issued as a refund.
• Sibling discounts: You must pay the full registration cost for the first participant and select the sibling discount for additional siblings only.
• Coach fee waiver: You must commit to coaching the activity in which your child is enrolled.
• Contact our Recreation Coordinator BEFORE completing registration and checkout so they can complete the registration process with fee waiver.
• Please email Dan Dunaway at dan.dunaway@crete.ne.gov with the name, date of birth, grade level, and t-shirt size of your child or children.

Youth Soccer Registration open Jan. 27 - Feb. 28: 

The Youth Soccer program offers divisions for boys and girls in grades 1st & 2nd, 3rd & 4th, and 5th & 6th. Teams will play on Sundays from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. starting March 16 at Armory Park. (Dates: March 16, 23, 30 and April 6)

Micro Soccer Registration open Feb. 10 - March 14:

The Micro Soccer program offers divisions for boys and girls ages 3 & 4 and 5 & 6. Teams will play on Wednesday evenings starting April 2 at Rotary Park. (Dates: April 2, 9, 16, 23)

City of Crete
Liz Cody, Parks & Recreation Director 
Dan Dunaway, Recreation Coordinator 

City Hall - 243 East 13th Street
Phone: 402.826.4315
Fax: 402.826.6412
liz.cody@crete.ne.gov
dan.dunaway@crete.ne.gov

Crete Public Library is excited to start gearing up for our 2025 Crete Reads selection process! Do you have a book that you want to see be our next Crete Reads? If so, submit your recommendation at bit.ly/CreteReads2025 or by reaching out to the library!

Crete Reads is a community-wide, year-long series of events, activities, and learning opportunities related to the content and themes of one book chosen by the public. Community members are encouraged to read the book and participate in programming centered around themes of the book throughout the year.

There are two main goals for Crete Reads: 1) encourage reading among people of all ages; and 2) bring the community together through a shared, common experience. Multiple copies of each year's selected book will be available at the library in a variety of formats: regular print, large print, Spanish, AudioBook, eBook, and eAudioBook. If a book club would like multiple copies, contact the library and staff can reserve them.

Previous Crete Reads! Selections:

2024: No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister

2023: The Orphan Collector by Ellen Marie Wiseman

2022: This Tender Land by WIlliam Kent Krueger

2021: News of the World by Paulette Jiles

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

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.

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:

• High Efficiency Heat Pump Program: The program provides cash incentives from $400 to $3,000 to residential homeowners who are installing a new heat pump system to their residential single-family dwelling.
• 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 ground floor main entrance on south side)
Crete, NE 68333
Phone: 402.826.4312

Public Works reminders for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's:

• The Garbage Company, the city's franchised hauler, is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day - weekly collections will run one day behind AFTER the holiday during those weeks.
  • Thanksgiving Day: garbage and recycling collection will run one day behind after Thursday that week;
  • Christmas Day, New Year's Day: garbage and recycling collection will run one day behind after Wednesday those weeks.
• The Transfer Station will be closed on two Tuesdays, Dec. 24 and Dec. 31.
• Christmas Tree Disposal: The Department of Public Works provides a site for disposal of real Christmas trees; please remove all decorations/lights. The location is open Dec. 26 through mid-January on South Main Ave. (south of 3rd Street) on the east side of the road; please watch for the sign.
• Remember to recycle all your Christmas cardboard in curbside recycling. Clean cardboard is accepted in the city’s residential, curbside recycling program. Please break down cardboard boxes and shipping boxes. Other accepted recyclables include aluminum/tin, paper, and plastics 1-7. *Recycling collection will run one day behind the week of Christmas and New Year's.)

Find more seasonal information in the Winter Weather Guide. Contact the Public Works Utility Office with questions, 402.826.4312.

The City of Crete - Crete Fire Department issues open burning permits in accordance with the following:

• Nebraska Statute 81-520.01 states there shall be a statewide open burning ban on all bonfires, outdoor rubbish fires, and fires for the purpose of clearing land.
• The fire chief of a local fire department of his or her designee may waive an open burning ban for an area under his or her jurisdiction by issuing an open burning permit to a person requesting permission to conduct open burning.
  • Crete Volunteer Fire Department & Rescue Squad serves the Crete Fire District (pdf map) 

Permit information required: owner's name and phone number, person supervising the burn and phone number, burn location, person assuming responsibility in event fire comes out of control.

• Permit holders must contact the city before any burn: call 402.826.4312 (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.)
  • Burning is allowed on weekends, but permission must be obtained on the last business day of the week during business hours.
• Burns must not start before sunrise and all open flame must be extinguished before sunset on each day of the burn.
  • Burning is not permitted when the wind is expected to blow more that 15 mph (according to National Weather Service) on the day of the burn.
  • No burning is allowed during Red Flag Warnings in the area.
• Permit must be signed by the fire chief.

Submit a completed Burn Permit in one of the following ways:

• Copies are available in the Public Works Office
• View/Download the City of Crete - Open Burning Permit 
  • print and return to the Public Works office at City Hall
  • email a copy to the Public Works office

Crete Volunteer Fire Department
Burn Permits - City Hall Public Works Office: 402.826.4312  |  243 East 13th Street