Minute Record

HOLDREGE CITY COUNCIL February 21, 2017

Holdrege City Council met in regular session Tuesday, February 21st, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall at 502 East Avenue in Holdrege with Mayor Doug Young presiding. Council members present were Doug Simpson, Mike Sisson, Mary McDermott, Larry Gibbons, Troy Urbom, Jeff Nantkes and Randy Aldrich. Councilmember Larry Marvin was absent. City Staff also present were Rod Osborn, Kim Parsons, Dennis DaMoude, Bob Rager and Dane Jensen. Media was represented by Tunney Price of the Holdrege Daily Citizen.

Notice of the meeting was given in advance by publication in the Holdrege Daily Citizen; the City’s designated method for giving notice, and by announcement from radio station KUVR/KMTY. The Mayor and Council received notification of the agenda in advance.

Mayor Young called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. City Clerk Dane Jensen announced “State Law requires this body to announce at this time that a copy of the current Open Meetings Act is posted at the back of the room where it is accessible to the public” and took roll. Mayor Young began the meeting with a moment of silence and the Pledge of Allegiance.

A motion by Councilmember Simpson to approve the Consent Agenda including:

  1. this agenda,
  2. the payment of claims as submitted,
  3. the City Treasurer’s Report for January 2017 and
  4. an Application for Special Designated Liquor License from Shauna Stevens dba the East Avenue Pub to serve alcohol in the Holdrege City Auditorium from 4:00 p.m. until 12:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 18th, 2017 for the Turkey Federation Banquet.

was seconded by Councilmember Urbom. All members present voted aye. Motion carried.

Councilmember Simpson motioned to approve the minutes of the February 7th, 2017 regular Council meeting with a second by Councilmember Gibbons. All members present voted aye. Motion carried.

Claims: February 21st, 2017
Acct / Fund / $ Claim
11.01 / General Administration / 5,648.90
11.02 / Fire / 3,738.46
11.03 / Health & Sanitation / 5,213.90
11.04 / Community Development & Promotion / 3,800.0
11.05 / Public Buildings / 220.79
11.06 / Auditorium / 161.04
11.07 / Park / 22.71
11.08 / Pool / 145.00
11.09 / Library / 0
11.10 / Emergency Communications / 1,468.15
11.11 / Police / 1,510.58
11.12 / Street / 18,491.65
11.13 / Bond Fund / 0
11.14 / Equipment Maint. & Replace. / 9,459.45
Total: / *49,880.63
13.16 / Special Assessments Dept 16 / 0.00
31.15 / Prairie Hill Landfill / *2,660.55
41.17 / Electric / 694,534.04
42.18 / Water / 7,964.25
43.19 / Sewer / 20,111.52
Total: / *722,609.81
44.20 / Keno / 0
53.27 / Economic Dev. Revolving / 0
*Complete Total: / 775,150.99

No one appeared for Public Forum.

Holdrege High School Junior Class Officers Caitlin Piening, Madyson Hamling, Caitlin Dahl and Jordan Hilyard requested the blocking off of streets around the auditorium and use of the City parking lot at 5th and Grant Street during the Junior – Senior Prom on March 25th, 2017. A motion by Councilmember Simpson to approve the Junior Class prom requests was seconded by Councilmember McDermott with all members present voting aye. Motion carried.

Mayor Young informed Council members that Doug Stevenson was unable to attend the meeting due to a scheduling conflict and would give an update on the Swedish Days Ribfestat a future meeting.

A motion to approve Ryan Kuss as a new member of the Holdrege Volunteer Fire Department was made by Councilmember Urbom and seconded by Councilmember Sisson. All members present voted aye. Motion carried.

Police Chief Dennis DaMoude summarized discussions of the Public Safety and Municipal Services Committees’ on placing a stop sign at the 12th and Logan Street intersectionand explained reasons for their recommendation not to add a stop sign. Chief Damoude did suggest that the Police Department could step up patrols around the All Saints Elementary School and identified several measures school officials could take to protect the welfare of students crossing the street at that intersection as well as indicating that the City would work towards making all of the sidewalk aprons ADA compliant and paint crosswalk lines on the streets. Councilmember Simpson acknowledged the provisions were the same that were used at the former Washington and Franklin elementary school crossings. All Saints Catholic School Board of Directors member Paul Tedesco told members he would communicate their recommendation to the board at their March 27th meeting. Councilmember Simpson motioned to approve the Committees’ recommendation to not place an east-bound stop sign at the 12th and Logan intersection. Councilmember Sisson seconded with all members presentvoting aye. Motion carried.

Members discussed tie bids and the lack of credentials supplied in bid packets for mowing the East and West Avenue Islands, Well Houses, Power Plant and Wastewater Treatment Plant. On advise from City Attorney Rod Osborn, requesting time to consider the underlying documents, a motion totable agenda items eight and nine considering the bids for mowing the various City propertieswas made by Councilmember Aldrich and seconded by Councilmember McDermott. All members present voted aye. Motion carried.

Municipal Services Director Kim Parsons told Council members that Ordinance 2392 had been initiated by an individual complaint of a pallet fence in town. Members discussed the need for restricting the use of pallets and other materials not specifically designed for fence construction as well as the City’s fence permitting process. City Clerk Dane Jensen gave the first reading of Ordinance 2392. A motion by Councilmember Gibbons to approve the first reading of Ordinance 2392; designating construction materials and characteristics of fences within the jurisdictional boundaries of the City was seconded by Councilmember Nantkes with all members present voting ayes. Motion carried.

A motion to suspend the rules and continue with the final reading of Ordinance 2392 by Councilmember Sisson was seconded by Councilmember Urbom. Roll call aye: Gibbons, Urbom, Nantkes, Aldrich, Simpson and Sisson; nay: McDermott. Motion carried. However, on further discussion of how many fences in town are out of code and the possibility of limiting unique fencing ideas, members decided to consider the final reading at a later date;allowing time to determine whether existing fences would be “grandfathered in” and if the permitting process could authorizedistinct fence construction materials.

Director Parsons also told members that he would like to purchase three new four wheel drive pickups for the Water and Wastewater Departments getting rid of smaller, older units. Mr. Parsons explained that staff considered four wheel drive an important feature for getting to well sites and work areas during inclement weather and that the state bid for the pickups was in the twenty five to twenty six thousand dollar range. Councilmember Urbom motioned to approve the Specifications and Contract Documents for three pickups with a second by Councilmember Simpson. All members present voted aye. Motion carried.

In Open Discussion:

City Administrator Bob Rager told members that City Treasurer Mary Magill’s father was in the hospital.

City Clerk Dane Jensen told Council members that the first meeting in July would fall on July 4th and asked for their opinion on changing the meeting date.

Councilmember Aldrich inquired about a nuisance property at 7th and Morton.

Councilmember Simpson inquired about contacting the owners of two houses that had suffered fire damage.

Mayor Young thanked Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Carol Rapstine for and excellent job on the Flying Ranchers and Farmers convention.

Councilmember Aldrich inquired about Weed and Litter Assessments.

There being no other business to discuss Mayor Young adjourned the meeting at 7:59 p.m.

Regular Council meetings are held at 7:00 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of each month in the Council Chambers of City Hall at 502 East Avenue in Holdrege, Nebraska. An agenda, as well as any Ordinance, Resolution or Agreement of the City, is kept on file, constantly current and available for public inspection at the Office of the City Clerk, 502 East Avenue in Holdrege.

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Doug Young, Mayor

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Dane C. Jensen, City Clerk

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