August 5, 2024 at 7:00 PM - Beatrice Regular City Council Meeting

Discussion:  Ruh - are these no longer in business?  within CIty?  if within city & still own property, what are we doing about other utilities.

TT - some are businesses no longer in business, work through court system.  within city limits, allows to turn off electricity, will go down that path if possible, similar to BPW, some outside limits, would have to go through court system.
Fralin - do we pick up the waste containers?  TT - yes, trash container gets picked up, follow up with CDD or health dept to make sure no health, will follow up with other procedures.

Doyle - havent' seen before, TT - 1st time, will conitnue

Discussion:  working with Hoppe, CRA & P&Z all has passed, looking at $5 completion, when done 34 units may fluctuate & commercial use on 1st floor.

DOyle - time?  TT _ submitted for historic tax credits, hope construction in early 2025.  Late 26?  TT - possibly when completed.
Fairbanks - regulations to require parking lots?  TT - central business district, working with local businesses in the area, before was assisted living, employees/visitors, working to find solutions.
Doyle - working with this & something we have taken into consideration 

Discussion:  no further discussion

Discussion:  had public meeting linocln school, seems to be design everyone has landed on.  adopt master plan.  is this set in stone?  No, as do design work, if significant change will be brought back to this body.  general concept, this is how it will be built out.  KErr - plan shows roundabout, we decided on a 4 way stop.  TT - not in plan, it is there to show where.  
Fralin - school equipment?  TT - not us, school may auction, will take inventory & determine what to do with what is left.  not ours at this time
gary - some not ADA compliant?  TT - yes, from what our insurance requires, it would not be ADA
 

Discussion:  paddock, general concept, if eginenering & design changes, major will be brought forward, stormwater detention

TT - ted had asked about connection sidewalks?  they are shown in this plan, wasn't in lincoln.

Terry - yellow space designated as duplexes, would like to have us consider if any should be condos.  gain somethings with condos, would like to put out there someplace need to discuss if bid to contractors or not

 

Discussion:  Master PLan, start design work, contract with JEO, will look at traffic analysis, plat help, san sewer, water, SWPPP, help with bidding of utility installations.  contract for $93,000 linocln; $103,000 Paddock, not to exceed contrat.  complete by Feb 2025.  will look to bid out paving, sewer, storm sewer - water & electricity would do in house

Ted - street light?  TT _ had to have bagged & turned off - will then physically take down.
 

Discussion:  TT _ last meeting brought several changes.  missed this one.18th to 22nd, will be changed from 25 to 35, rest of Lincoln is 35.  traffic committee recommendation.

Kerr - 35 to new school?  TT - yes, will have sidewalks, center turn lane  Kee

Discussion:  designate new school site.  selling drugs, etc., watch for traffic etc.  Mike - speed limits within school zone?  TT - at this time, but can come back

Discussion:  discussion regarding new housing development at 25th & Scott.  concern with parking along Scott, prohibit parking from 19th to Hwy 136, effective immediately.
Mayor - not alot parking now, so best time to do so.

Discussion:  Loaned money to Sam Nixon to redevelop 6th & Monro, secured permanent financing, bank asked us to give up 1st, repay $35,000, asking us to subordinate, appraisal $1.6, bank wants 1st position, bank takes first $1.3?? very typical of other loans we have supported.

Terry - wasn't supposed to start til next January, moving on it.  Mayo r- have done before nothing new

Discussion:  put budget together, large $1.____; $__________ for CCCFF, $825,000 left - 3 use to help pay for 33rd & Lincoln, LIncoln 25 to 27th, or #3 back to Lincoln/Paddock School sites.  in effort to get off dead center, contract with JEO, get movement.  REason a change order, have contract under 33rd & Linocln.  $106,482 - road design by Jan 10, 2025.  look to bid winter & construction Spring/Summer work with school, same construction?  May not...will be done & offsite, hard to say.  different paving contract than 33rd & Lincoln. this will be closer to 13th Street, move around to still provide access to homes.

Gary - other 2 will be bonded?  TT - no.  PRoject #1 - what happens with #2 & #3.  Lincoln STreet, probably don't do until development on ____ side.  #3 school sites, highway education bonds??  would qualify, could use syllable lots, 
Gary - if something other than school sites, how long before we can get this done to move fowrad?  TT - would look to get moving this spring.  Hired JEO for design, should be ready to bid out next spring/spring summer construction either with cash or TIF money.

Eskra - 21st to 27th,, section that is mill & overlaid.  majority traffic will travel on LIncoln Street.would like to see Lincoln street done.  think best use of money now, get it done, huge amount of traffic.  agree with Terry on what we want to do with school sites, need to have discussions with developer.

Mike - this project best option, need to move school sites to move forward
Kerr - include sidewalks?  TT $921,000 includes 4" sidewalks for 7200 feet, will have several kids walking.
Gary- willing to compromise, good to move forward

Doyle - hard to pick 1. all need to be done.  how do we do all 3, instead of splitting council or prioritize.  why can't we do all?  33rd & Lincl, $_____; $2.1 million left to do all three, work a bond issue out to knock all these projects out & get done, get lots done quicker, tax rolls quicker, lock in costs, not going to get any cheaper, consider.

Mayor - already are considering all.  33rd & Lnk, 
Doyle - do we have to use Hwy allocation bonds?  TT - no, choose option 2, you would do all 3 projects next year.

Option 1 - being paved, short cash, borrow from utilities as an option, or pay with cash in street
Option 2 25-27 - use this cash, still borrow from utilities & bond option 3
Option 3 - use cash on school site, borrow utilizes for 1, option 2 delayed until further funding

$1.1 in street - Terry wants to do that.  TT _ that $ not there, spread out over a number of years.
Ted - agree with Doyle, not big fan of robbing from utilities, not sure how long it will take to rebuild.  would like to see us do 25-27, before school were gonna do 4-22, were gonna do some of the updates, bond money to fix at 19th & Lnk to do roundabout, just do at phases, absorb without  moving any funding.  would like to spend a little more money & get more done  Ted - talking about it for 4-5 years, now our priorities changed to suit the school's needs.  if not when?

TT - can explore option, if issue bond, such hwy allocation bonds from future years, #2, working on a safe streets for all grant, plan coming out fairly soon, next phase is implementation to implement safety features, which will include some areas.  TEd - if no decision tonight, would like to discuss Terry's proposal.  Mayor - budgeted money, what is best use, but does get 25-27 done.  TD - please ask to use bonds, not just Hwy ALlocation.
KErr - 1 bond?  TT - fire, sales tax - sanitation - BPW - water has SRF; baswa has 1 will be paid off  Terry - lots of stuff coming up...

Discussion:  these ordinances go together, property at 25th & scott.  first vacates existing lot 6, next replays parcel into 7 lots, where each of the bldg will sit, for TIF project approved at last meeting.

Discussion:  no discussion

Discussion:  3rd quarter much busier than last 2.  Downtown property strategy working with Downtown & CIty on facade
bakery, decor, assistance to entrepreneur, finished & held 5 week social media event
E3 grant, made lots of progress.  more information on our community strengths, improvement areas, and recommendations.  having a singular document with resources, construction, networking, all have access to so any entrepreneur has same infomraiotn, getting help & same level from all

marketing strategy, finished blueprint.  social media huge success, partnered with Chamber, had 30 diff owners for the course.  heard from business leaders what other courses they would like to have, working on 2nd courses
began airing on KWBE using Be@ - to shop downtown.

began old neighborhood's club, brought together to start 
breweries, wineries, 9 beer, 2 wine, ribest, 1800 at ribfest, believe most attended.
attended main street national in AL
opened farmers market, working with NE mural, all registered.able to pilot for free.  NE Arts council will be holding here 1st week in SEptember.  will be presented BITSY Award during annual confernece.  Taste of downtown & Fall Family FEstival.  Fall favorite night of great pumpkin.

Terry - congratulate on being ________, 

Discussion:  Herb ______  WIth Neapco
neapco established in 1981, 275 sq ft.  220 employees specialize in turning metal, C&C equipment make metal projects. customer base pretty diverse.  routinely evaluate skill set. realtionsihp with the CIty.  easiest way is we like relationship, glad to be here,  great contacts, resourceful in timely need, work with us.  over years, multi-million in investments over 200 organizations donated to & Gage county.  something also very important.  infrastructure - look at facility & community- happy with relationship.  for themselves - punchlist:  bury all electrical lines, last year cemented north lot, have south budgeted. looking at improvements & beautification on north side of property.  Soft side - talk with Rachel & SCC recently toured new welding center, both have desire to grow business in Beatrice, will do that with people.  availablitily of people to come to town - concerns - 220 on site, 15 under age of 30; know need to make improvements on that.

gary - how many other plants & where?  Components group in SC, based in MI, New Mexico, Belevile, Germany, Poland, Turkey & china.
Kerr - ratio issue - need housing, we are trying to eluviate some concern & hope housing will become available
Ted - do you have hard time replacing employees when retire?  Couple paths - had 370 attendees in 2016; through automation reduced & ddn't get backfilled, covid hit, drove more retirement & turnover; 2021-22 hard years.  since then, looked at automation, other ways to process to make up for lack of labor.  more robotic in facility, instead more interested in the challenge that comes with robotics.  Ted - assumed doing more with less, is facility something that requires a degree?  Most positions do not require degree, have tuition assistance, etc. some salary positions - many were students at UNL, most not need a college degree.
Kerr - do you go to HS for career days?  Rachel - yes, NGage partners with BPS - NGage has Manufacturing Day where kids go onsite.  Herb - 2 sessions 120 students

Tim - worked for 23 years - biggest challenge was age of workforce, 60% over 50, still close?  Yes - talk about housing, has to be exciting #1 factory to work at in Beatrice.  hope that housing attracts additional employees & expansion.
Terry - nostalgia, he was CA when NEapco came.  thank you for partner with our community.
Herb - budget money to support different organizations, what we don't support in money, we support in time/volunteering

Mayor -shows softside - helping employees to be a success.

Rachel - Callie SMith- started in APril, MEgan left for marketing.  background of community will be great knowledge.  workforce needs.  attended 6 region economic development based off SCC 15 counties, Herb & staff member, got to talk about ED strategies regionally appropriate.  workforce development, housing, childcare, all came up.  something got ot look at was data behind each county  education, infrastructure - 22% either Gage or Beatrice - only completed some form of college education.  working so hard with businesses & Gage county to assess what education doing for those businesses & how to maximize.  how to leverage to develop pipelines moving forward.  more entry & exit points to get job need/want.  get job & stairstep.  figure out how to attract young adults & future , help grow them  & retain them longterm
siteplanning - marketing - ebb & flow - local starting new businesses, partnering with Morgan/Angie.  childcare at top of list - 3-5 months NGage Board developed a non=profit to spearhead putting together sustainable Gage COunty Chlidcare Collaborative.  7 & rachel.  NGage has worked on capacity needs - now shifting  - cost vs expense.  figure out how to bridge that gap - submitted to be Big GIve Gage, raise to help offset those costs - sustainability.  stepping stone to move forward, will be grant funding.  large increase of calls to bring businesses here.

Mayor - working with SCC, is there someone based out of Beatrice?  PRetty much all out of LIncoln or Milford.  Working towards that.
Terry - keep open mind, new non-profit can work through this, needs to be a partnership, NGage, CIty COunty, business/industry.  - if $ or building at some point. needs to be resolved, can be leader in state.