September 3, 2024 at 7:00 PM - Beatrice Regular City Council Meeting

Discussion:  Mayor Morgan presented Dee _____, Executive Director of Gage County Foundation, appreciate the opportunity 88 non-profits.  excited for the day.  Terry - 6 years ago hope over $400,000 this year.

Discussion:  item e - Terry give change to explain tire amnesty first time CIty served as ________, grant 100% funded.  Paid Butler, will be reimbursed.  County didn't want to serve as political agent so CIty stepped up this year.

item i - TED - reduction of $10,000 smaller?? TT - added & removed

Discussion:  TT - anotehr application to LWCF with DED, for Astro Park.  last year denied, questions regarding a contractor had already been selected.  SENND wrote last year & this year.  Sertoma fundraising for their portion as well.  hope goes through & complete next year.

Discussion:  middle of 2 year budget cycle.  talk about what we see with changes in next year's budget.  now online.  budgeting software instead of old packet.  
revenue - FY24 - graphs & spreadsheets - est $1.8 million higher than budgeted - of taht, water up $3.6 budgeted due to SRF loans.  thought would all come in FY23, results in revs higher than budgeted. FY25 - $71.3 million up 13.5 million - largely due to grant & _____ ; street - 33rd & Lnk - $1 mill ; AIrport up $8.9 mill from 24-25  grants for 8.3 mill & ____ bonds.  Had Taxiway project, not Hangar project.  Capital up in 25 -spending lodging/cares/reserves - to be spent in FY25.  ED fund - why up $780,000 always budget for $1 million bond issuance, if not budgeted, can't borrow from that account. looks like it's down, next year down, budget to issue bonds in FY24, budget have in FY25, but if not in budget, can't do - Ted - state statute.  Electric up $2 million from bonds; Water down $3.1 mill from SRF funds ; WPC up $2.3 grants $2 mill & bond issuance for $500,000 most bond money coming through.

Funding sources - many think comes from property taxes.  property & sales - $9.2 - just under 13% from sales/prop.  general fund - $_____ to fire/police, $900 to street, $1.2 fire station bonds (sales tax).  overall tax levy - BPS 56%; CIty 19%; County 16%??  table tax levy - since 2020 lowered levy every year.  proposing lower tax levy again this year.  2 years no debt.  don't get info until late August to approve budget within 30 days.  CARES - public safety debt.   valuations since 2012, hasn't always increased, which is when concerns of LB___; largely to police & fire, which are excluded.  

Expenditures - General Funds FY24 - down $245,000 from budget - largely with police dpet.  have been tring to fill spot, dispatcher has also been down 1 employee
FY25 increase $1.3 mill - interfund transfer for capital improvement -   Ted - 911 surcharge?  TT - as you loose landlines.  not who we dispatch.

Sanitation - FY24 revenue/expenditures where budgeted, no significant; loss in FY24 from budget finance forklift, paid cash, instead
FY25 in line from today, no sign changes

Street - FY24 expenditures down $1.3 from budget, project delays - won't get completed until FY25.  33rd & Lnc, budgeted some in FY24 & some in FY25, depends upon how much completed in FY24/25
FY25 revenue up in $1 mill; bond & cccff, interfund transfer for 33rd & Lnk, Expenses - up $2.3  33rd & LNk finished; Lnk 25-27 & Ella 2nd-3rd - CCCFF completed in FY25
Terry - nothing for RAISE grant, mainly because no contract signed yet, final design, row acquisition - no reason to budget - on positive Ella, 2nd to 3rd, through Downtown to give guidance for Market, 4-5th.  TT - if RAISE grant administered by STate, do we put in our budget?  Or not since we are not administering

Electric - FY24 in line with projections, FY25 - revenues up $2.1 mill bond $1.8 bond capital up $1 mill to do capital projects  did add an electric lineman to operating

Water - FY24 rev up $3.6, due with SRF loans - expenditures up due to SRF projects.  pretty steady otherwise FY25 - rev back down with no SRF funds.  bond issuance for vac truck - $______

WPC - FY24 in line with budget. FY25 rev up $2.4 bond 500 & grant $2 mill.  increase in $2.7 capital projects. grit removal & vac truck - $3.8 mill.  Eskra - permit?  TT - still good, no changes at this time.  congressman smith - funds & infrastruture funds with cash.

BASWA - FY24 in line; FY25 see increase in rev bond issuance $6.2 mill for new landfill.  under design now, engineers hope to bid out construction in Oct, bldg later in Nov/Dec.  bldg &equip, otherwise

Capital - not as clear, working on building it out.  FY25 $26.9 million projects scheduled.  TED - reinvested in community.  TT - school sites - design & grading work - not previously budegeted.  general design under general fund. will be recouped as project moves forward.  Airport $8.9 mill large portion of capital projects.  today on taxiway project 10% $560,000; most are 90/10 splits.  Hangar - $3.3 project  fisher got $2.8 mill.  $165,000 applying for state aid.  applied for 0% intretest loan, if all comes through, may need $21,000.

LIbrary - $10,000 furnitre

PP - ballfield improvements - Girls softball & YRI.  Forestry management plan $140,000 applied for forestry $ finally here, management plan now budgeted slowly making through.  TEd - what does it entail?  TT - mapping of all trees, inventory, make/species, condition, etc., removing & replacing, new trees a big part.  Ted - can we hire someone to maintain trees?  TR - not that far reaching, if on ours, we will maintain, not enough to hire additional staff to care for.    Water Park - $250,000 to start design study for new water park.  vote of people as forestation bonds roll off, current project 20-30 years old.  Playrougnd $250,000???  number listed.  Chautauqua park road moved forward due to contractor intown overall $ same.  Terry - Sertoma working hard to raise money for their project.  Ambulance - $450,000 911 amblance.  buy one every 3 years; transfer cheaper but time for 911 ambulance.  FIre suppression - new hoses $1_______, AFG grant thanks to MM, $126,000 for hoses, nozzles, etc.  Street - 33rd & Lnk, est $1mill for FY25, number may not be correct, depending upon timing of project completion.  beautification 4th to 5th market to Della - street, Ella 2nd to 3rd $500,000 Lnk transition 25-27th, $900,000 under design.  new road at paddock/lincoln school sites, est $1.3 mill - bond proposed.  Sanitation - new truck.  WPC - 3.3mill grit removal, $2mill cong smith & infrastructure.  Water/WPC - school buildouts - $287,000; both $500,000 for vac truck.  about only way to dig, too much stuff in the ground.  own 2 & will own 4 soon.  $350,000 will be refined as design/budgets back from JEO.  Electric Sub#2 - industrial park - exmark - rebuild $1.8 mill, proposing bond issuance for project.  Eskra - allow for larger need?  TT - yes, build out to help serve additional loads in future.  Eskra - question on streets, state on hwy - portion of project is ours, is it far enough away we don't include.  136 not billed for, 77 do get billed for.  still in survey process on hwy 77 - certainly not 25, maybe FY28-29.  state been good to work with so we are not surprised with the timing of projects. 

Debt - city side - only debt is fire station trhoguht 2029  $5.4 mill; sanitation through 2031 $1.9 mill bonds
FY25 - looking at several bonds - BASWA $6 mill in winter 24 for construction of new landfill airport $6000??? taxiway; public safety debt - new fire truck, sometime within 1 year  utilities $2.8 with all 3; street $1.3 mill in spring25 for streets.  TED - fire truck on order, takes multiple years & takes long to build.  other comment - fire station bonds, paid off in FY29 ahead by ??  HB - 1 year ahead, each year revenues coming in better.  TED - been good steward, going to where promised & will pay off early if we can.  TT - 

TT - no rate increases proposed. tax levy lowering in FY25 for 5th straight year.  Fund Balances - committed is CARES fund; spent in FY25 & gone; assigned lodging & EMS reserve fund - always a few; restricted- gas plant - cleaning up - unassigned unrestricted fund

green line unrestricted cash reserves.  red 3 months, orange 6 months - proposing further spend down on cash reserves side.

Mayor - appreciate TT, HB, Dept HEads, looking into future, sometimes drive nuts, but talk about equipment, new water park, want to make sure reaching our goal without over taxing.  appreciate


 

Discussion:  TT - approved conrat for design Paddock/Lincoln - talk about demo & under state law required to have SWPPP - did not have accounted for.  JEO to help  up to $5,000 for each site, more than 1 acre of ground, required to have a SWPPP

Discussion:  TT - recently DeWitt went out for bids, 3 responded, we ended up being awarded contract  start January 1, 2025, 5 year residential $16.50; commercial same as Beatrice.  same contract as others.

Ruh - problem with this - #9, no increase for 3 years.  we pay $20 in Beatrice, 2 years ago increased $2.00.  other towns only gone up $1.00 .  not fair for citizens of Beatrice to pay $3.50 more monthly.  others are increases.  want to amend. TT - if at $20.00/mo wont get contract;  already have truck in area & this will fill, rural customers in that area paying $23.00/month, supplement.  TT - also have cost savings, bill village - bill 1 person, the village, rather than billing 220 housing, $1.00 per labor, print, manually stuff, mail.  $1.85 saved.  $5,000 savings + what we are charging, around $18.35 - close to other villages.  220 households increase $1.00 additional $2,064 year on budget.  TED - pay rural trash in another state, $49.00.  bargain.  Mayor - also MARS is revenue generating business, having to make sure profitable, part of winning bid.  TD - rate at $16.50.  Ruh - why 3 years?  TT - when bids were opened, locked in price for multiple bids, bill village - no bad debts; this is a new customer for BASWA as well, benefits MARS & Landfill win/win for Beatrice.  TED - doesn't become flush, at what $ does it make i, where argument is?  RUH - one more, understand more customers, seems competing against private businesses, shouldn't be competing.  we have advantage.  Cortland signed, but we lost them. not fair to Beatrice other towns charging less.  TT - state of NE proud of public power, lots have private water/sewer, but we are ok with public here, others have toll roads, all public streets, others have private landfill, not understanding why trash not being ok the same way.  GB - appreciated fact with MARS, streets look better with totes & they do a good job, we can control over that.  RUH - not putting MARS down, not fair to citizens Fralin - process for flood, who replaces?  TT - if ours, we would replace. Fralin - steal?? TT - replace but go after.

Discussion:  working on clean up after school sites changed.  Monroe Street, enter on 6th Street says 35 mph, 19th says 25th, recommend to make MOnroe 35 mph 6-19th, will leave stop sign at 14th STreet for time being.  Tim - complaints on speeding of 7th & 8th Street.  not sure those will be complaining about speeding on the street.  TED - 19th & Lnk?  Jay - no issues

Discussion:  David Rayburn, 100 West Mulberry Avenue, want CIty Council to understand SUP have to apply for SUP.  live on edge of town.  Nov 2022 SUP for add to CIty, replanted to city, not annexed, no city sewer/water, but gentleman applied for bldg permit for storage bldg, in Sept 2023 last year, commercial lawn mower business,  complained about business in AG, Feb 2023, complained again.  sent letter to Mayor, 2 council,  business operating under AG zone, as tree trimming business.  asked to show ordinance, finally sent 4 weeks later, with SUP, business still in commercial as dedicated lawn service, greenway.  question to CC, why is he able to continue 1 year later operating out of ordinance as commercial lawn care, know have family in business.  Mayor & TT - went to P&Z mtg, was told by City Attorney why SUP was pulled.  big stretch of things going on that he does not understand.  SUP was filed, however, was pulled.  not sure where to go.  if we have ordinances within City, and City rigorous of upholding oridnances, why not.  Rayburn - applied to have on agenda in April, gave to me??  he was not notified don't understand why no notice, how does that work.

TED - public forum, not allowed to respond & have conversation, not allowed. David-  CC reach out, would like to get resolved.

Discussion:  Terry - Hoppe 3 different ideas of what will look like.  can let Terry know & he will pass along.
floor plans - basement, multiple above.  Ngage will likely move - conference rooms, numerous other offices, 36 units, 9 studio, 15 2 bedroom, 2nd floor - 3rd 2 studio  will update ballroom area & update.  4th & 5th  - dangle??  latest from Hoppe, been trying to do something for housing, have Irving Flats, new by water tower, partnerships with HOppe, Kensington & Stoddard, discussing East Scott STreet apartments, next year Lincoln/Paddock single family lots & townhouse/duplexes as well, have made dent in housing need.  thank for everyone to lead in this direction.  Mayor - think Hoppe will work hard & it's their project, have done good examples with what they can do with both properties, very fortunate to partner with Hoppe.  TT - timeline historic tax credits November 2024, closing Dec/Jan, construction after that.