Council Summaries - March 7 and 21, 2023

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 Tuesday, April 5.

Summary for Crete City Council regular meeting - Tuesday, March 21
View this Meeting Agenda and attachments

Council members Kyle Frans and Travis Sears were absent.

The council approved the Consent Agenda items:

• Minutes of the following meetings: City Council March 7, Public Works Committee Feb. 7 and Feb. 21, Legislative and Economic Development Committee March 7, Finance Committee March. 7, Public Safety Committee March 7, Personnel Committee March 7,
• Treasurer’s Report
• Payment of claims against the City 
• Mayor's appointment of Dan Papik to the Public Works Committee.

The Council voted 4-0 (3 Council members and Mayor Dave Bauer) to approve payment of claims to Crete Ace Hardware in the amount of $3,161.37.

• Note: Council member Dan Papik intends to abstain from voting on this item due to his business conflict. With only three other council members present at this meeting, a quorum is not present to vote on this item for passage or denial. The Mayor may cast a vote as a member of the council.

The Council accepted the resignation of City Council member Travis Sears and authorized the publication of a City Council vacancy in Ward 1. Mayor Bauer explained this was due to Sears moving out of Crete; the resignation is effective April 1.

The Council voted 4-0 to approve on its third reading and enact Ordinance 2164: An ordinance to annex Area #6 into the corporate limits of the City of Crete. (parcel located east of Jasmine Ave and south of East 13th Street)

• second reading and public hearing on March 7; first reading on Feb. 21

The Council voted 4-0 to waive three readings and enact Ordinance 2167: An ordinance amending wages and salaries. City Administrator Tom Ourada explained this item will change the Recreation Swim Team Coach to align with the Pool Manager wage scale. This item was recommended by the Personnel Committee.

The Council voted 4-0 to authorize the Police Department to apply for a Highway Safety Grant for a computer.

• Police Chief Gary Young explained this grant will purchase two each of a computer, printer, and scanner to replace the Data911 system in a current patrol car and set of equipment for a new patrol car. Young said the department has had major problems with the Data911 system despite much effort to find solutions from the department and city IT Director Mike Kalkwarf and IT Assistant Emerson Aschoff. This item was recommended by the Public Safety Committee.

The Council voted 4-0 to approve an agreement with JEO for services related to Solar Farm development at a cost of an estimated $23,000.

• Ourada explained this will cover basic services with a small engineering contract between the city and JEO relating to the Sandhills solar array; to include power load studies for Nebraska Public Power; preliminary designs for switchgear and a transformer.

The Council voted 4-0 to approve a lease agreement with Allo to store equipment and materials on the City property at 9th Street and Pine Avenue.

• Ourada said the city offered a secure space and Allo provided a draft lease agreement, which was revised by city attorney Allison Borer.

The Council voted 4-0 to table the following action until further communication from the parties involved: property owner's request to vacate Locust Street.

The Council approved a combined Planning Commission and City Council meeting on April 18, 2023 in the Library Community Room at 6:00 p.m.

Petition - Communication - Citizen Concern: 

Citizen testimony may be limited to 3 minutes per person. Please do not repeat testimony that has already be heard. No action can be taken on matters presented under this title except to answer any questions or to refer the matter for further action.

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, answered a question about current donation collections going on at the library through March: 1) long sleeve shirts for migrant farm workers; and 2) diaper drive.
• Wendy Thomas, Human Resources Director, introduced two new city employees, Marilyn Schacht, who will be acting Community Assistance Director, and Paul Lopez, who is the new Wastewater Superintendent.
• Police Chief Gary Young said he is proud of each and every individual officer, the department’s administrative assistant, and code enforcement officer for the work they do each and every day. He then read a narrative explaining the lifesaving efforts of Officer Jeff Kramer while on duty in December. Kramer responded to a minor vehicle accident where he was flagged down by two children who lead him to a woman having an apparent seizure. The woman stopped breathing and Kramer began chest compressions; soon, she began breathing again and had a pulse. She had another seizure before additional first responders arrived. As medical personnel attended to the victim, Kramer cared for the children and arranged transportation for them. “Officer Kramer’s actions are in keeping with the highest traditions of law enforcement and reflect great credit on himself, the Crete Police Department, and the City of Crete,” Young said.
  • Mayor Dave Bauer presented Police Officer Jeff Kramer with a Life Saving Award, stating, this is what it’s all about and these types of events tell him the the right officers are in place. “You all never know what you’re going to come into and I am very honored to have the people that we have serving in the City.”
• Tom Crisman, Council Member Ward II, asked about Burlington trains blocking every crossing at times through town.
  • Ourada said this is an issue the city communicates to Burlington often; the police department has experience with issuing tickets with no results,
  • Mayor Bauer said the city has checked on it and made many calls; Burlington has also told the city they will fix their other crossings and still hasn’t. The city will continue to relay the issues to Burlington.
• Tom Ourada, City Administrator:
  •  there is an outstanding City Park project bid; Mayor Bauer referred it to the Park and Recreation Committee for review;
  • railroad crossings - Saline County Commissioners did pass the RTSD (Railway Transportation Safety District) - the new county attorney is about ready to work on it from a county level. This can benefit not only the county, but crossings in the city as well, and it may help give a voice to the residents in dealing with extended crossings blocked. He also shared the frustration other city administrators have in dealing with this issue in their communities.
    • (Note: The RTSD is a political subdivision created by the Nebraska Legislature in 1971 to help cities and counties together provide funds for railway safety related projects. Crete, as the only first class city in the county (cities with populations over 5,000) will have representation with three City Council members joining three County Commissioners on this new board.)
  • there is one LB840 application for the Legislative and Economic Development Committee. We will work on it and meet with the committee.

Meeting adjourned.

Summary for Crete City Council regular meeting - Tuesday, March 7
View this Meeting Agenda and attachments

Council members Kyle Frans and Travis Sears were absent.

The Council voted 4-0 to pass a motion from Council member Tom Crisman to remove the appointment of Liz Cody out of the Consent Agenda and postpone it two weeks until the next council meeting.

The council approved the Consent Agenda items:

• Minutes of the following meetings: City Council Feb. 21, Public Works Committee Feb. 21, Finance Committee Feb. 21, Public Safety Committee Feb. 21,
• Treasurer’s Report
• Payment of claims against the City 
• Approve the corporate manager liquor application for Casey's Retail Company. 
• (removed from consent agenda) Mayor’s appointment of Liz Cody as Parks and Recreation Director.

The Council held a public hearing on the annexation of Area #6 into the corporate limits of the City of Crete. (parcel located east of Jasmine Ave and south of East 13th Street)

• Alison Borer, Cline Williams attorney for the City, explained this parcel is contiguous to the city on three sides and meets all statutory requirements under state law for annexation. Current owners plan to develop it in the future, however, those plans are not part of the discussion for tonight. It is adjacent to other facilities that are urban in nature and the city has prepared a plan for the extension of services, although this parcel is already accesses city services.
• Lynn Forrester, resident at 1225 Jasmine Ave., raised concerns there are not adequate roads or streets into that area and the city would open a new street, which she felt would make the area a racetrack for drivers. She also expressed concerns about the look of potential structures in the new development, not liking the idea of ugly apartment buildings in her neighborhood, comparing it to the area on East 20th Street. She also questioned the need for additional developed areas for housing.
• City Administrator Tom Ourada explained that when the developer creates the plan for developing the area there is ample time for public input. He also clarified there is no current plan to connect Jasmine around to Iris Ave.
• Mayor Dave Bauer added that with other subdivisions in town, there is an increase in traffic, but not with the issues she stated. He said with the local growth happening, housing is the number one concern and we need development as recent subdivisions have filled quickly. The city is also still considering additional annexation areas. He acknowledged her concerns and said there will be ample time to consider them; depending on the plans that are submitted, the city will consider the merits of the plan and allowable uses in city code.
• Council member Dan Papik said the development is needed, but there isn’t anyone here that wants to make developments that look ugly or cause other problems for existing neighborhoods.
• Ourada reminded the Council that this hearing deals strictly with the annexation only. Mayor Bauer asked if there were any more comments on the annexation. There were none.

The Council voted 4-0 to approve Ordinance 2164 on its second reading: An ordinance to annex Area #6 into the corporate limits of the City of Crete.

The Council voted 4-0 to waive three readings and enact Ordinance 2165: An ordinance creating gap paving Street Improvement Districts. Ourada said this action reaffirms the action the council took last year and this year in terms of gap paving plans; additional information was shared from the bond council.

The Council voted 4-0 to waive three readings and enact Ordinance 2166: An ordinance authorizing the issuance and sale of bond anticipation notes, series 2023, of the principal amount not to exceed $2,300,000. 

• Scott Keene, from Piper Sandler, explained now that the city’s projects need to be financed, state statute does not allow cities to fund these types of expenses utilizing bonds upfront. Instead, they issue bond anticipation notes and in this situation, they cannot exceed $2.3M with a maturity no later that April 2026 and are callable after 1 year. The city is designating them bank-qualified, which lowers the borrowing rate. This also requires the city does not issue more than $10M in debt this calendar year; this includes other entities that would ask the city to lend its bank-qualified status to borrow.
• Ourada clarified an earlier question from Crisman, who asked about room in the budget for these eventual payments; the city did evaluate that before the projects proceeded last year when they brought from the public works committee to the council.

The Council voted 4-0 to authorize the Police Department to apply for the 'Drug Impaired High Visibility Enforcement Mobilization' Grant. Police Chief Gary Young explained this is another grant that subsidizes the department’s overtime for traffic enforcement initiatives; this grant specifically focuses on drug impaired driving, while most other grants focus on both drunk and drug impaired driving.

The Council voted 4-0 to table following item: payment of claims to Crete Ace Hardware in the amount of $1,645.24. (Note: Council member Dan Papik intends to abstain from voting on this item due to his business conflict. With only three other council members present at this meeting, a quorum is not present to vote on this item for passage or denial.)

Petition - Communication - Citizen Concern: 

Citizen testimony may be limited to 3 minutes per person. Please do not repeat testimony that has already be heard. No action can be taken on matters presented under this title except to answer any questions or to refer the matter for further action.

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.

• Wendy Thomas, Human Resources Director, introduced Pete Fiumefreddo, new Wastewater Operator. Ourada said the city has also hired a Wastewater Superintendent who starts later this month and Pete will start on Monday.
• Joy Stevenson, Library Director:
  • VITA program is chugging along, with Doane professors and students working with residents on tax preparation until April 16; 
  • Karen Gettert Shoemaker will present on the story behind her book "The Meaning of Names," in the first speaker series on March 26;
  • the 2023 Crete Reads! book selection is a work of historical fiction, “The Orphan Collector;” the author, Ellen Marie Wiseman, will give a virtual talk on Oct. 22;
  • Joy filled out a 200+ questionnaire for the Nebraska Library Commission to remain accredited;
  • Library annual report highlights: it has been a very strange five years, but next year we can equally compare more typical years now that covid restrictions have lessened; the library’s hours increased by 18%; patrons saved over $500,000 by checking out books and materials; library visits were up over 45%; computer use is down, but true with all cohorts as people are working off their own devices, often using library wifi; meeting rooms were used over 600 times; the number of library programs was up 96% (an increase post-covid). The library’s full annual report is attached with this meeting’s agenda.
• Gary Young, Chief of Police:
  • the mayor and council authorized the department to invest in some software and services that help with investigations; today the department resolved a sexual assault case from 2011 due to Sgt. Lincoln Morehouse’s work and use of that software; the victim left the state and was located due to those efforts. Thank you for your trust in us in this process.
  • Officer Audrey Arbuckle and K9 Hunk spent their first day on the Interstate as part of interdiction activities; in one bust, they recovered two types of drugs, including 2 pounds of fentanyl. She also seized $390,000. This has shown what we can do and thank you for allowing us the chance to do this; Homeland Security is paying for her time and expenses to get there, operate, and return. Ourada asked of the impact to the community since it is assumed that not all drug transportation goes straight through the state? Gary noted that one of her drug stops was going to Omaha and the department has arrested people bringing drugs to Crete from Omaha, so that shows we can make a difference in the amount of drugs coming into our town. Audrey also brings her expertise to train our other officers; she is doing well with it and the city is benefiting from her efforts. He also commented on the professional contacts being made and the expertise and interaction between the other agencies and our force and what an impact it is having here.
• Tom Ourada, City Administrator:
  • ALLO fiber is coming into Crete as announced last month; they want to locate a storefront downtown and I have talked to property owners downtown who might be able to help them with that.
  • Airport Manager, Shaun Krzycki, came in Friday to inform us he’s leaving for a terrific opportunity at a larger airport; it was difficult the last time to find somebody for the position that was both manager and fixed base operator. Tom has also notified the Airport Advisory Board;
  • Talked with engineer Keith Gilmore about the park project beside City Hall, which was estimated at $140,000. Bids came in last year at about $225,000 and were rejected in hopes of prices coming down. He discussed prices with one contractor and has a bid at $185,000, which the city could accept. We can think about that and pursue it if the council is so inclined.
  • The City hasn’t yet executed our interlocal agreement with Denton; Tom sent it to Alison for review. Also, Denton’s wastewater person is wanting to advance his certification and asked if he can put in some hours at a more complex plant to accomplish this. We are agreeable, and that would also fall under our interlocal agreement.
  • We hired a Wastewater Superintendent, who has a grade 4 license and is local.
  • We will want to review our wastewater rates in the near future.
  • NMPP annual conference is in Lincoln at end of the month; they want elected officials to attend and will pay registrations.
  • We have been working on our succession plan as we normally do and do not want to miss a beat when City Clerk/Finance Director Jerry Wilcox retires at the end of November; Currently the plan is that Wendy will move to Finance Director and current Community Assistance Director Nancy Tellez is going to be the new City Clerk; she’s very capable and has a Masters in Business; the mayor was very supportive of Tom making that move; it leaves a position open and we already have a commitment from someone who will start this month as our new Community Assistance Director. She will be introduced at the next council meeting.'
  • talked with HHS about a large grant and loan for the water system; the funding won’t be available until October which should work out fine with our planning and design; we want to finish off the water remediation project that addresses some of what people talked about with water quality issues and adds a new water well that doesn’t require filtration or treatment.
  • Thanked Scott Keene and Mike Rogers, the bond counsel with Gilmore Bell, who helped quite a bit with the gap paving financing work you approved tonight.
• Mayor Dave Bauer shared the progress on bringing back a Meals on Wheels program in Crete; partners have met, including the himself, Tabitha, and Saline County Aging Partners. A recent ask for delivery volunteers yielded five calls. “We want to get that going; it’s been something needed in the community for a while.”

Meeting adjourned.