City Administrator Tom Ourada explained that state statute allows the governing body to vote on an additional 1% increase in restricted funds authority. It does not increase the amount of taxes levied, but gives the additional authority to do so if needed in the future. The cumulative 1% compounds every year and thereafter. The Finance Committee recommends approval of the increase.

Clerk-Treasurer Jerry Wilcox reported that state statute requires that if the property tax is different than in the prior year, a resolution is required. The resolution form is provided with the state budget forms. The Finance Committee recommends approval of the resolution. 

City Clerk-Treasurer Jerry Wilcox reported that Ordinance 2178 adopts the 2023-2024 Budget Statement as developed through budget worksessions and the Public Hearing held September 5th, as the Annual Appropriations Bill. The Finance Committee recommends enacting the ordinance.

Chief of Police Gary Young stated that the system allows other similar equipped vehicles to communicate through chat features. Young stated that this is a useful tool for officers. It would be increasing by $65 for a yearly total of $377.00

City Administrator Tom Ourada mentioned that this would be for 12th and Main to be repainted. This item went to the Public Works Committee. 

City Administrator Tom Ourada stated that this went to the Planning Commission and it meets all the City requirements.

City Administrator Tom Ourada stated this was on the Airport Advisory Board. The Airport Manager brought this up from people requesting to have this available.
One an FBO Fixed-Base Operator, occupies the maintenance hangar then the plane washing will be relinquished to them. 

City Administrator Tom Ourada stated that this is for the 4 ft of land to be annexed to the Belohavy Estates. 

This item also went to the Finance Committee. 

The Pumpkin Festival Children's Parade will be going from Main Ave to 12th street to City Park. There might be vendors where the gravel parking lot is located. East 12th to Linden Avenue will be closed. 

This item went to the Public Safety Committee where Chief of Police Gary Young stated that the plan for barricades is good and efficient and there are no problems there. City Administrator Tom Ourada reviewed the application and mentioned that the petting zoo would be on the street rather than in the gravel parking lot. Park and Recreation Director Liz Cody stated they have coordinated getting trash barrels. 

City Administrator Tom Ourada stated that this technically meets all the standards. 

This item also went to the Public Saftey Committee where Fire Chief Tod Allen stated that the intent is to get college freshmen with parental consent to join and volunteer all four years. Allen mentioned he would like to talk to the parents of potential volunteers and that they would also go through a 6 month training program. 
City Administrator Tom Ourada stated he checked with the insurance and labor laws. 

This item went to the Public Safety Committee where Fire Chief Tod Allen stated that this was an oversight on the application. City Administrator Tom Ourada mentioned that to be consistent with hiring practices in all other City departments, there would be the same requirements. 

This item went to the Public Safety Committee and there are some questions. 

City Administrator Tom Ourada stated that this is something they discovered earlier this year. When Union Bank took over the plan, the overtime calculations were wrong and the City owes $87,383.62 to hourly employees that were employed by the City from 2015 until the beginning of 2023. 

This item was voted on at the last City Council meeting on September 5th 2023. 

• Officers' Reports
• Library Director, Joy Stevenson stated the following:

• Crete Public Library applied for NASA at my library and is the only library in Nebraska that won the scholarship.
• Will be hosting a solar eclipse viewing on Saturday, October 14^th 2023 at 11:45am.
• The Friends of the Library have budgeted $1,200 to purchase items for the Library of Things.
• There will be a survey in Spanish and English people can take to help establish the Library of Things. Patrons can select items on the survey such as catering items, metal detector, and many more options. There are currently about 100 cake pans available for people to check out.

• Chief of Police Gary Young, mentioned the following:

• The Gray Key License that the council approved the Police Department to purchase has already been in use in a child sexual assault case. Normally they would have only been able to retrieve about 4 gigs from a phone and the Gray Key program allowed them to retrieve 25 gigs from a phone.  The technology has already paid off benefits in the last two weeks.
• Someone drove into a tree by the Police Station and tore up the newly installed sod. Jindra Irrigation will be providing an estimate.

• Parks and Recreation Director, Liz Cody commented on the following:

• Thanked the City Council for moving forward to allow the property acquisition for the sports complex.
• Thanked the City Council for allowing the City to apply for the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods (RCN) Program grant.
• Thanked City Administrator Tom Ourada for adding Parks and Rec on Special Event Applications and other Applications.
• Received an estimate for a metal roof for the bath house of about $67,000.
• They anticipate beatification efforts before Crete’s Great Pumpkin Festival
• Cody will be attending the 2023 Annual Nebraska Recreation and Park Association Conference ‘Spectrum of Opportunities’ in Papillion.
• Cody has been coordinating with Library Director Joy Stevenson and other Library staff to battle the bag worm infestation
• Programing continues to be busy with flag football, coed softball, races, and soccer. There have been bon fires and the camp grounds continue to be used.
• The Boy Scouts are working on trail restorations.

• City Administrator Tom Ourada stated the following:

• Thinking about small grant opportunities for the Community Room and how to structure that for economic development dollars. 
•  Community Assistance Director Marilyn Schacht collaborated with the Department of Labor and they had over double the vendors for job fairs this year.
• Had a meeting to see all the options for the county wide dispatch and everything went well. The Chair of the Public Safety Committee, Sheriff, Saline County Commissioner.
• There will be a walk through with the 22^nd Street Culvert
• The Annual League Conference will be in Lincoln, NE on September 27^th-29^th 2023.
• The City of Crete Employee Recognition Dinner will be on September 21^st 2023.
• Ourada thanked the City Council for passing the budget and wage ordinance.

• Mayor Bauer stated that the next City Council meeting on October 3^rd, 2023  at 6:00 p.m. will be at the Crete Carrier Community Room located at 1515 Forest Ave and will be a combined meeting with the Planning Commission for a presentation from Confluence about the Comprehensive Plan.

 

Mayor Bauer read the Support Citizens With Intellectual Disabilities Week Proclamation.