The public hearing opened at 6:02 p.m. Shaylene Smith with the Blue River Arts Council explained that they are applying for a Class I liquor license for special events. 
The public hearing closed at 6:03 p.m.
 

Mayor Bauer explained that they are making a recommendation to the Liquor Control Commission, and they are the ones that give out the Liquor License. 

Opened the Public Hearing at 6:04 p.m. 
City Administrator Tom Ourada explained that ten years ago the City of Crete and Planning Commission voted to have a Blighted and Substandard declaration for the downtown area. The Blighted and Substandard Area (SBA) designations are valid for 10 years before they need to be either revised or renewed. This will need to be renewed prior to the City being able to apply for 2024 DTR grant funding. 
Closed the Public Hearing at 6:06 p.m.

City Administrator Tom Ourada explained that this is more of a re plat of an existing subdivision. This involves four lots if it would have been three it would have been an administrative subdivision. This is moving the cul-de-sac and moving and shortening the roadway. By City code and state law they have to do a re plat. The preliminary plat meets all the requirements and went to the Planning Commission and they did vote to recommend it to the City Council. 

Chief of Police Gary Young stated that they would like to apply for the Special Traffic Enforcement Programs (STEP) grant. Last year they applied for the first time and it allows them to do a lot of other activities such as safety messages during the pumpkin festival and during the Cinco de Mayo event. It enhances their ability to be out there and covers the overtime. 

City Administrator Tom Ourada stated that this is for reimbursable expenses and the owners intend on rebuilding. 

City Attorney Anna Burge explained that the hearing date will be Tuesday, August 20th 2024 at 6:00 p.m. and the Mayor and City Council will sit as a Board of Equalization and Assessment to equalize, levy and assess the costs of construction and improvement in each of such projects. 

City Attorney Anna Burge explained that this is to adjust City code to what the state has already done. 

City Administrator Tom Ourada stated that we recently became eligible for community development block grants with the low to moderate income designation. This changed from 48% to 56% a couple weeks ago. This became available and suggested to the Public Works committee that they allow us to apply for CDBG grant for 2024-2025 gap and petition paving projects. 

City Administrator Tom Ourada stated that this is a proposal that JEO submitted for design and engineering and construction administration work for the gap paving projects that are likely due in 2025. Ourada stated that he thought it was high but it is in the range of what you would see from different engineers. 

Shaylene Smith with the Blue River Arts Council provided current financial information to the Mayor and City Council and City Administrator Tom Ourada. Smith stated that the last time she was there they were about $350,000 over and at this point they have it at about $308,000 over. Smith also added that they would not have be able to be where they are able to open without the City's assistance with the seats. Smith stated that they purchased used seats about 4 years ago and sat in storage and had to be individually cleaned. 
Smith added that these change orders are less than $2,000 in total and are from things that were necessitated by the Fire Marshall. 

City Administrator Tom Ourada explained that this is a change due to current ordinance that allows deposits to be returned in two years regardless of the standing of the account. There are people that have had delinquent accounts that have had their deposits returned and then don't pay and have to pay another deposit. It can be very time-consuming to do this. This did go to the Public Works committee to consider just one delinquent account. 

City Administrator Tom Ourada explained that this grant application for the Crete Carrier Room is for the Southern 7 Association meeting. City Clerks from other towns will come for a meeting and will be having a meal catered in from a local restaurant. 

City Administrator Tom Ourada explained that this is for a proposed archery event that was going to conflict with the car races. They submitted a permit application and altered where it would take place. It would still go on at the same time but in a different place, and they submitted a plan. This went for review to several offices, including Parks and Recreation and the Parks and Recreation committee. 

City Administrator Tom Ourada stated this is the third extension request. There are several projects that are just finishing up and there is a little bit of money left over, and they would like to request to have it extended from August to October. They do have to have the project closed out before they apply for another round of Downtown Revitalization. 

 

• Chief of Police Gary Young stated the following:

• The Saline County Fair is in town this week.
• Some of the funding they are using for highway safety is adding an other officer to the concert at the fair on Friday night.
• Mayor Bauer asked Chief Young about permitted UTVs and prohibited recreational vehicle use in town. Chief Young stated they are finding mini bikes, four wheelers, three wheelers and it is a concern.

• Library Director Jessica Wilkinson stated the following:

• Provided a monthly program report to the council members.
• There are three new patron computers and the Friends of the Crete Public Library will be funding three staff computers.
• They replaced heads on the soft water system and they had no water for a brief period.

• Assistant Fire Chief James Yost stated the following:

• Introduced the six new members: Jordan Kwiatkowski, Dalton Steelman, Jeff Downs, who is a nurse practitioner, Ethan Henrichs, Elijah Clarke, and Matthew Bakker, who is coming back on after a break and has maintained his EMT certification
• There are 42 total members. 38 live in the fire district and there are 4 associate members. There are 6 paramedics.
• The department’s annual BBQ and raffle is this Saturday, July 20^th 2024 at the Saline County Fair.
• They completed the pump testing of apparatus and then an outside company comes in to test specifications on five trucks at a cost of $250 per truck.
• The department responded to a fire on an attached garage on Doane Drive on Sunday, July 14^th 2024. One firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion as a precaution and is doing well.
• They are getting the Gary Sinise Foundation grant ready which they hope to use to replace rescue air bags for a total of $8,900.

• Parks and Recreation Director Liz Cody stated the following:

• The City of Crete and Crete Public Schools applied for the inflation reduction act funding and were approved. There are 1,000 trees logged into the database.
• The deadline for Coed softball registration is July 19^th, 2024
• Interviewed a candidate for the groundskeeper position.
• The pool staff would like to look at keeping the pool open an extra week past August 4^th, 2024.

• City Administrator Tom Ourada stated the following:

• The Public Works committee made a motion to not put the East 15^th Street project back on the 1 and 6 year street improvement plan; the city sent two letters to property owners along the proposed route and 19 residents reached out opposed to a potential cost assessment plan. He suggested researching other ways to take on the needs of the street improvement.
• The next budget cycle should allow the Community Development Block Grant to be available and he will work with the committee to move forward.
• The City’s electric load has not peaked yet and water usage is stable and we are not near capacity yet.
• The west solar farm construction work is starting soon and the city’s new west water well should also start soon.
• Had a budget discussion with City department heads and presented the Finance Committee with current and projected budget data tonight.
• The water well repairs at 13^th and Iris took about two weeks and it is back to capacity.
• They are looking for another date for the community event in September.

• Mayor Dave Bauer welcomed the six new firefighters.

 

Meeting adjourned at 6:40pm