City Administrator Tom Ourada stated that City Attorney Anna Burge created a vacant property ordinance. Burge explained that by City Code, business properties that are vacant have to register on the vacant property registry. The property located at 1215 Main Ave is out of compliance and there have been multiple opportunities given to the owners to respond. The scheduled hearing will be to levy the fine on the property. 

City Administrator Tom Ourada explained that this is signed every year to be in compliance with the state statutes and to get funding for the roads. 

Xochitl Boughtin explained that this Halloween Party Fundraiser is to help make upgrades to the Sokol building. Boughtin stated that she would let the property owners know about the event and make sure it is okay with them. 

City Administrator Tom Ourada explained that this application is coming to the City Council and is also going to be taken to the Airport Advisory Board. 

City Administrator Tom Ourada explained that this is a homecoming event at the airport. This application is also going to the Airport Advisory Board. 

City Administrator Tom Ourada explained that this bond ordinance is for the boxed culvert. Scott Keene of Piper Sandler explained that this is not to exceed $995,000 and is for a 15-year term until December 2039. 

City Administrator Tom Ourada explained that this resolution is to set the notice period to terminate participation in the League Association of Risk Management. The 180 day and 3 year commitment provides a 5% discount. 

Shaylene Smith of the Blue River Arts Council explained that this substantial completion document needs to be signed and submitted to the foundation to get paid. 

Shaylene Smith of the Blue River Arts Council explained that this change order goes along with other change orders that have already been submitted.

Shaylene Smith with the Blue River Arts Council explained that this change order is for the carpet tiles. Smith also explained that there will be one more change order coming in for the vent above the popcorn machine. 

City Administrator Tom Ourada explained that this item had been discussed two weeks ago during the Public Works Committee and their recommendation is to remove the 15th street improvement project from the 2025 1 and 6-year plan. 

• Chief of Police Gary Young stated the following:

• Jaden Acevedo will be graduating from the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center Academy next week.
• Council member Tom Crisman asked Chief Young how the new Sergeant is doing and Young answered fantastic, Matt Jonas is doing a great job.

• Library Director, Jessica Wilkinson stated the following:

• Summer Reading Program ended last week on Sunday, August 2^nd, 2024 with the pool party.
• Coming up there will be a family origami event.
• Planning Crete Reads event with the Friends of the Library.

• Park and Recreation Director, Liz Cody stated the following:

• The City will continue to keep the pool open until Sunday, August 11^th, 2024, the Pooch Pool Party will be 3:00pm-4:00 and Nestle Purina is helping to sponsor the event.
• New hire grounds person Trevor Nickel was not able to be at the meeting tonight but will be introduced at a later meeting.

• Finance Director, Wendy Thomas stated the following:

• She was filling in for Human Resource Coordinator Savannah Anderson to introduce new hire electric lineman George Schlotterbeck.

• Mayor Bauer stated the following:

• Thanked all City Departments for their work with the July 31^st, 2024 storm. He walked around town and saw trees that were knocked down on the roofs of homes and on the streets and saw how people were helping each other to remove the branches and cut down the trees. He learned about comments on social media about how the City was not picking up tree branches. Bauer mentioned he appreciated a community member voicing her opinion about thanking the City’s employees that went out to do dangerous work and were away from their families until late in the evening.

• Council member Tom Crisman thanked all of those who helped after the storm on July 31^st, 2024. Council members Kyle Frans and Ashley Newmyer also thanked everyone and said great job to the people helping with getting the Isis Theatre open. Council member Dan Papik and Anthony Fitzgerald also thanked all the city departments and for making the community aware that the transfer station would be open on social media.
• City Administrator Tom Ourada stated the following:

• Thanked Mayor Bauer and the City Council members for their comments and he would pass them along to the City Departments that were busy as a result of the storm. Ourada mentioned that, for example, the Electric Department worked until 2:00 am after the storm.
• Shared an email with the City Council members about Community Assistance Director Marilyn Schacht being appointed by the Governor to the Nebraska Commission on Latino Americans.
• The City budget is coming along.
• Ourada addressed the power outages and mentioned that one of the outages affected the entire county, with Nebraska Power District and we have no control over that. Several outages were localized by the storm with trees and broken poles. There were a few that dropped out  one of our large substation transformers. The issue was hard to identify but they did find out that it was the relay system which affected both substation transformers. To get to the reliability needed for the community, the City will be looking at total reprogramming or purchasing a new system.  

 
 

Meeting adjourned at 6:49 p.m.