September 3, 2024 at 6:30 PM - 1st Council Regular Meeting

1. The City of St. Paul Council will hold two (2) meetings on Tuesday, September 3, 2024; the 1st Council meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. regarding: (1) 2024-2025 City of St. Paul "Notice of Budget Hearing and Budget Summary" ; and (2) the Regular Council meeting will commence immediately upon adjournment of the budget hearing. 

2. Council President Charles "Chuck" Schmid calls the Special City Council meeting to order, with the "Pledge of Allegiance" and the "Open Meeting Statement" as required by NE State Statutes 84-1407 through 84-1414; Council President Schmid also states that the City Council may vote to go into Closed Session on any agenda item as allowed by NE State Statute 84-1410. 

3. Per Nebraska State Statute 13-506(1): Each governing body shall each year conduct a public hearing on its proposed budget and budget statement.  Such a hearing shall be held separately from any regular scheduled meeting of the governing body and shall not be limited by time.  After such a hearing, the proposed budget and budget statement shall be adopted, or amended and adopted as amended at a separate and distinct meeting, and a written record shall be kept of such hearing.

Public Hearing regarding the City of St. Paul's proposed 2024-2025 Budget and Budget Statement
a.  Council President Schmid opens the public comment period regarding the City of St. Paul's proposed 2024-2025 Budget and Budget Statement.
b.  Council President Schmid closed the public comment period.

4. Council President Schmid adjourns the special meeting regarding the proposed City of St. Paul's 2024-2025 Budget and Budget Statement.

5. Council President Schmid calls the Regular City Council meeting to order. 

6. Submittal of Request for Future Agenda Items

7. Reserve time to Speak on an Agenda Item

8. PUBLIC HEARING: Council President Schmid opens public hearing regarding the consideration of adopting a long range 2024 One (1) and Six (6) Year Street Improvement plan.

9. Discuss - Approve / Deny City of St. Paul Transfers for Fiscal Year End 2023-2024 = $523,907.84:
Light to Police $178,000 (operating); Light to Park $66,800 (operating); Light to General $21,019 (US Wage); Water to General $21,019 (US Wage); Water to Parks $7,000 (operating); Water to Cemetery $10,000 (operating); Sewer to General $21,019 (US Wage); Landfill to Park $10,000 (operating); Street to General $21,019 (US Wage); Street to VP Bond $44,419.34 (assessments) and Sales Tax to VP Bond $123,112.50 (Fire Station Bond Payment).
NOTE: The 2023-2024 Sinking Funds transaction was approved on July 1, 2024. 

10. Discuss - Approve / Deny the proposed 2024-2025 Budget and Budget Statement.

11. Discuss - Approve / Deny the 2024-2025 Budget's ADDITIONAL one percent (1%) increase regarding the total allowable growth restricted fund authority. 

12. Discuss - Approve / Deny Resolution #2024-14, whereas the 2024-2025 property tax requests be set at $736,946.50 for the General Fund and $151,500.00 for the Bond Fund.  The total assessed value of property differs from last year's total assessed value by 10.54 percent.  The tax rate which would levy the same amount of property taxes as last year, when multiplied by the new total assessed value of property, would be 0.466463 per $100 of assessed value.  The City of St. Paul proposes to adopt a property tax request that will cause its tax rate to be 0.475105 per $100 of assessed value.  Based on the proposed property tax request and changes in other revenue, the total operating budget of the City will (decrease) last year's budget by -13.84 percent.  A copy of the resolution will be certified and forwarded to the Howard County Clerk on or before Tuesday, October 15, 2024.

13. Discuss - Introduce "Annual Appropriation Bill" Ordinance #1052 for the operation of the General and Utility funds of the City of St. Paul, in Howard County, NE, appropriating the sums of money deemed necessary to defray all expenses and liabilities for the fiscal year commencing on the first day of October 2024 and ending the last day of September 2025.  The following sums are hereby appropriated to defray the necessary expenses and liabilities of the City during the fiscal period commencing October 1, 2024, and ending September 30, 2025, to wit: (1) Operating Expenses $6,147,138; (2) Capital Improvements $5,274,474; (3) Other Capital Outlay $248,800; (4) Debt Service $3,053,072; and (5) Other & Transfers $940,243; of which $888,446.50 is to be raised by property taxation. 
***Introduce Ordinance, with NO second or roll call
***Waive three (3) readings of Ordinance, with a second and roll call
*** Final Passage of Ordinance, with a second and roll call

14. Discuss - Approve / Deny Consent Agenda Items: (1) Council Minutes August 19, 2024 (regular); (2) Disbursements September 3, 2024; (3) American Legion Post #119 Manager David Rosenquist (NE Liquor Control Commission); and (4) appoint City Zoning Board of Adjustment member Glen Killion as the one (1) mile extraterritorial zoning jurisdiction representative.

15. Council President Schmid opens a public comment period regarding the 2024 One (1) and Six (6) Year Street Improvement plan;
a.  Closes public comment period;
b. Approve the City's 2024 One (1) and Six (6) Year Street Improvement plan;
c. Approve Resolution 2024-15; whereas the City of St. Paul has conducted a public hearing in accordance with the requirements of the Board of Public Roads Classification Standards.

16. Discuss - Approve / Deny Elsbury Construction, LLC Pay Request #6 (Middle Loup River Subdivision Project #023-00398) for the amount of $265,942.40.  The pay application consisted of the installation of a sanitary sewer main, services, and manholes; installation of a water main, and dewatering. 
a. Approve City Clerk Beck transferring $265,942.40 from the City's Street, Water, and Sewer Insured Cash Sweep (ICS) accounts and deposit into the City's #100027 Street, Water and Sewer account to pay for Drawdown #6. 

17. Discuss - Approve / Deny the 2024 Municipal Annual Certification of Program Compliance to the Nebraska Board of Public Roads Classification and Standards (NBCS); 
a. Approve / Deny Resolution 2024-16, whereas the governing body authorizes the signing of the 2024 Municipal Annual Certification of Program Compliance by Council President Schmid.

18. Discuss 1st of the month City of St. Paul's nuisances per the Nuisance Committee (Chief of Police Dan Howard to report) - Possible Action.

19. Discuss - Approve attendance to the League of NE Municipalities Annual Conference on October 2-4, 2024 (Wednesday through Friday) at the Lincoln Cornhusker Marriott Hotel.

20. Discuss - Approve / Deny St. Paul Police Dept. hiring part-time Police Officer Jonathan Lawrence, St. Paul, NE; Jonathan Lawrence is fully certified. 
NOTE: Former Police Officer Grady Robinson will no longer be a part-time Police Officer for the City of St. Paul. 

21. Utilities Superintendent Helzer updates

22. Chief of Police Howard updates:
a.  Police Activity Report;

23. Council President Schmid updates:
(1) September 5, 2024 (Thursday) at 11:00 a.m. St. Paul Fire Station Construction Progress meeting;
(2) September 19, 2024 (Thursday) at 1:30 p.m. Middle Loup River Subdivision Progress meeting;

24. Public Announcements

25. Closed Session: Pending Litigation; Strategy Session with respect to real estate purchase; and prevent needless injury to the reputation of an individual

26. Council President Schmid adjourns City Council meeting.

27. Informational Items:
(1) Library Board Meeting Minutes July 10, 2024;

28. This agenda, including supporting documentation, is available for public viewing during normal business hours at the City Office, 704 6th Street, St. Paul, Nebraska.

The City of St. Paul abides by the Nebraska Open Meetings Act in conducting business.  A copy of the Nebraska Open Meetings Act is on display in the meeting room as required by Nebraska State Law.
The Mayor and City Council reserve the right to enter into an Executive Session at any time during the meeting, in accordance with the Nebraska Open Meetings Act, even though the closed session may not be indicated on the Agenda.
It is the intention of the Mayor and City Council to take up the items on the agenda in sequential order.  However, the Mayor and City Council reserves the right to take up matters in a different order to accommodate the schedules of the City Council members, person(s) having items on the agenda, and the public.  The City of St. Paul reserves the right to adjust the order of items on the agenda.
Anyone wishing to speak may be limited to three (3) to five (5) minutes per person.  Please utilize the podium and clearly state your name and address for the record and the agenda topic you wish to speak upon in a professional manner.