Minute Record

HOLDREGE CITY COUNCIL September 6, 2016

Holdrege City Council met in regular session Tuesday, September 6th, 2016 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, Larry Marvin, Jeff Nantkes and Randy Aldrich. 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 Sisson to approve the Consent Agenda including:

a. this agenda,

b.payment of claims as submitted

was seconded by Councilmember Urbom with all members present voting aye. Motion carried.

Claims: September 6th, 2016
Acct / Fund / $ Claim
11.01 / General Administration / 16,604.47
11.02 / Fire / 1,850.12
11.03 / Health & Sanitation / 670.22
11.04 / Community Development & Promotion / 78,510.66
11.05 / Public Buildings / 5,352.04
11.06 / Auditorium / 276.30
11.07 / Park / 137,690.37
11.08 / Pool / 6,635.92
11.09 / Library / 25,833.37
11.10 / Emergency Communications / 21,232.96
11.11 / Police / 19,565.34
11.12 / Street / 53,260.63
11.13 / Bond Fund / 0
11.14 / Equipment Maint. & Replace. / 6,222.63
Total: / *373,705.03
13.16 / Special Assessments Dept 16 / 0
31.15 / Prairie Hill Landfill / *28,112.40
41.17 / Electric / 199,944.61
42.18 / Water / 81,060.84
43.19 / Sewer / 32,622.27
Total: / *313,627.72
44.20 / Keno / 0
53.27 / Economic Dev. Revolving / 81,192.13
*Complete Total: / 796,637.28

A motion to approve the minutes of the August 16th, 2016 regular Council meeting was made by Councilmember Simpson and seconded by Councilmember McDermott. All members present voted aye. Motion carried.

Motion to approve the minutes of the August 22nd, 2016 special budget meetingby Councilmember Gibbons, second by Councilmember Marvin with all members present voting aye. Motion carried.

No one appeared for Public Forum.

Holdrege High School Student Council President Rebecca Schulz asked Council members to approve the annual Parade route and Pep Rallyblockade on 5th Avenue in front of the courthouse for the Dusters Homecoming on September 23rd. Councilmember McDermott motioned to approve the request with a second by Councilmember Urbom. All members present voted aye. Motion carried.

Tom Schrock requested Council approval for a permit to shoot fireworks during the Duster Homecoming football game; stating that fireworks would be used as they had in past homecoming games with Ryan Kroll as the licensed shooter. Motion to approve the Application for a Homecoming Fireworks Display on September 23rd, 2016 by Councilmember Simpson, second by Councilmember Nantkes with all members present voting aye. Motion carried.

South Platte Youth Athletic Club representative Laron Rooks told members that the club would like to sponsor another Glow Run after the September 16th Holdrege Duster football game using the same route as last year. A motion to approve the run route for the September 16th SPYAC Glow Run was made by Councilmember Marvin and seconded by Councilmember Sisson. All members present voted aye. Motion carried.

Travis Hunter explained that the Trinity Church would be undertaking several community clean-up projects on Sunday, September 25th and asked Council members if they would consider opening Prairie Hill Landfill from one until four p.m. for the disposal of grass , weeds and tree branches collected from the projects. Mr. Hunter stated that one of the properties was on the City’s nuisance abatement list and that they would not be hauling in any household or construction debris to the landfill. Members confirmed that the church would be willing to pay the City for wages incurred by the employee at the landfill on that Sunday and a motion to approve a special opening of the landfill from one to four p.m. on Sunday, September 25th for the Trinity Church Cleanup Project was made by Councilmember Gibbons and seconded by Councilmember Simpson. Roll call aye: Marvin, Nantkes, Aldrich, Simpson, Sisson, McDermott, and Gibbons; abstain: Urbom. Motion carried. Municipal Services Director Kim Parsons requested that the church provide a list of properties that yard waste would be coming from and Councilmember McDermott commended Mr. Hunter and the church for being good neighbors to the community.

South Central Economic Development District Housing Consultant Lori Furgeson reminded members that there were Community Development Block Grant funds remaining in the Community Investment and Stabilization project accounts that could be used for transportation infrastructure improvements, acquisition and demolition of nuisance properties in the 13 and 14 CIS Target Areas or could simply de-obligated and returned the funds to the Department of Economic Development. Members discussed four properties which Ms. Furgeson advised may benefit from an acquisition and demolition effort. She explained that acquisition attempts would not include any attempts at eminent domain but that a letter would be sent to property owners inquiring as to their interest in selling their property. Councilmember Aldrich commented on the dilapidated state of several properties in the three hundred block of Tilden Street and requested that an additional property be included. A motion by Councilmember Simpson tomove forwardusing the balance of CDBG-CIS funds to make offers for the acquisition of the suggested properties as well as the additional property mentioned by Councilmember Aldrich (412 4th Ave, 127 Burlington Street, 310 Tilden Street, 311 Tilden Street and 321 Tilden Street) was seconded by Councilmember Aldrich. All members present voted aye. Motion carried.

At 7:43 p.m. Mayor Young opened the Public Hearing to receive comment on the City of Holdrege 2016/17 Fiscal Year Budget. With no comments to be heard Mayor Young closed the Public Hearing at 7:44 p.m.

At 7:44 p.m. Mayor Young opened the Public Hearing to receive comment on the City of Holdrege 2016/17 Fiscal Year Property Tax Request. With no comments to be heard Mayor Young closed the Public Hearing at 7:44 p.m.

City Administrator Bob Rager told Councilmembers that the City’s valuation increased by less than three percent from last year’s and that Tax Increment Financing subsidies for several projects had ended, resulting in a Property Tax Request of $1,161,629.28. He asked members to approve the request by adopting Resolution 2016-14. Motion by Councilmember Aldrich, second by Councilmember Urbom with all members present voting aye to adopt Resolution 2016-14; setting the City’s property tax request for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2017 at $1,161,629.28 with all members present voting aye. Motion carried.

Mr. Rager also reminded members that State allowed municipalities a two and one half percent increase in spending each year and that, with a super majority approval from the Council, the City could add an additional one percent. Councilmember Marvin motioned to authorize an additional one percent increase in Restricted Funds to the City of Holdrege 2016/17 Fiscal Year Budget with a second by Councilmember Sisson. All members present voted aye. Motion carried.

While requesting approval of this year’s budget, Mr. Rager commended City Treasurer Mary Magill for her assistance and helping him find ways to stay under the spending lid. A motion to approve the City of Holdrege 2016/17 Fiscal Year Budget was made by Councilmember Simpson and seconded by Councilmember Gibbons with all members present voting aye. Motion carried.

Clerk Jensen gave the first reading of Ordinance 2384: appropriating monies for the various funds of the City of Holdrege for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2017. Councilmember Urbom motioned to approve the first reading of Ordinance 2384 with a second by Councilmember Marvin. All members present voted aye. Motion carried.

Motion to suspend the rules and continue with the final reading of Ordinance 2384 by Councilmember Sisson, second by Councilmember Simpson with all members present voting aye. Motion carried.

Clerk Jensen gave the final reading of Ordinance 2384. Councilmember Aldrich motioned to approve the final reading of Ordinance 2384; appropriating monies for the various funds of the City of Holdrege for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2017 with a second by Councilmember Nantkes. All members present voted aye. Motion carried.

Motion by Councilmember Gibbons, second by Councilmember McDermott with all members present voting aye to adopt Resolution 2016-15 establishing the depositories of City monies for the various funds of the City of Holdrege for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2017. Motion carried.

Council members considered extending the 2-hour parking regulation, observed in the downtown area north of Fourth Avenue, to the 300 Block of West Avenue between 2nd and 3rd. A vigilant discussion of current parking utilization in the area resulted in the request being set aside until the Melton Business Plaza was occupied and parking requirements for the businesses on that block could be more accurately identified.

Local business owner Joe Melton told members he would like to construct a fifty foot wide drive in front of his recently acquired commercial enterprise at 224 West Avenue. He explained that his request for a variance allowing a drive wider the thirty six foot had been approved by the Board of Adjustments with the condition that Council members approve the elimination of two public parking stalls in front of the building allowing for the extended service drive width. Members discussed the site plan and layout of parking stalls as well as the improvement in appearance that it would make to the area. Mr. Melton told members that the parking stalls would be available for public parking when businesses occupying building were closed. A motion to approve the elimination of two public parking stalls at 224 West Avenue was made by Councilmember Gibbons and seconded by Councilmember McDermott. Roll call aye: Urbom, Marvin, Nantkes, Simpson, Sisson, McDermott and Gibbons; abstain: Aldrich. Motion carried.

Municipal Services Director Kim Parsons told members that the City had received only one bid for the Recycling Center Storage Building. He observed that the bid of $67,348.00 from Weisheit Construction was comparable to the cost of similar buildings that had been recently built in the area. After verifying that funds had been budgeted for such a project andconfirming that part of the building could be used for storing City equipment, a motion to approve the bid from Weisheit Construction for $67,348.00 plus Alternate #1: Approach Concrete Freight and Labor for $750.00 was made by Councilmember Simpson and seconded by Councilmember Marvin with all members present voting aye. Motion carried.

Director Parsons also explained that the City had recently received a water rate survey from the Nebraska Rural Water Association show that Holdrege water rates and meter fees were well below the average charged by communities of a similar size in the state. City Administrator Bob Rager also told Councilmembers that several of the City’s wells had been taken offline or were being blended to manage nitrate levels, indicating the need for new wells or the construction of a well field. Mr. Parsons proposed a two-step implementation of rate increases that would affect all users of the City water supply and stated that he would bring a resolution for new rates to the next meeting for Council approval.

In Open Discussion:

Local agricultural property owner Ron Johnson expressed his concern for the effect of increased tax rates on the local Ag economy.

Joe Melton distributed pictures of a locally constructed “pallet fence” and said he felt this type of fence should not be allowed in town.

Councilmember Sisson observed the absence of an access aisle for a handicapped parking stall on the east side of the hospital.

City Attorney Rod Osborn brought Council members up to date on the TCW v. City of Holdrege lawsuit and said he would soon begin negotiations with the International Brother of Electrical Workers Labor Union representatives.

Municipal Services Director Parsons explained that the North Park Tennis Court Project was substantially complete but would like the general public not to use it until the sidewalks were complete and also made a request for no skates, skateboards or bicycles to be used on the new surfaces.

With no other discussion to be heard Mayor Young adjourned the meeting at 8:51 p.m.

Regular meetings of the Council 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 unless otherwise advertised. 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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