Regular City Council Meeting                                                                                   January 17, 2007

City Council Chambers                                                                                                         7:00 p.m.

 

Present:  Mayor –                     Joyce Hudson                           Absent: Police Chief Randy Olson

               Council members       Jeff Kennedy                                       

                                                Jim Aden                                                         

                                                Roger Dudley

                                                Jeff Whiting

                City Administrator  Bruce Clymer

                City Clerk                Connie L. Dalrymple

                City Attorney          Mike Bacon

 

Press:  Gothenburg Times - Beth Barrett                                  

 

Also present:  Shane Gruber, Reed Miller and Travis Mason of Miller & Assoc, Eppie Sisneros, Ken Christensen, Joe Payne, Matt Buesing, Ron Brockevelt

 

Mayor Hudson opened the meeting and the One & Six Year Road Program hearing at 7:00 p.m.  Advance notice and a copy of the agenda were given to the Council and members of the press.  City Council meetings are conducted in accordance with the Open Meetings Act, a copy of which is available for public inspection on the north wall of the Council Chambers.

 

Travis Mason of Miller & Associates reminded Council that the hearing is a planning tool required for the receipt of highway allocation funds.  As proposed, the 1-year plan is maintenance of existing roads.  The 6-year plan includes:        Gravel – 27th Street from Lake Ave west to the corporate limits

                                                Paving – 23rd Street between Avenue G and Avenue H

                                                Paving – 22nd Street between Avenue G and Avenue H

                                                Paving – 18th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B

                                                Paving –17th Street between Avenue L and Avenue M

                                                Paving – 22nd Street between Avenue H and Avenue J

                                                Paving – Avenue I from 22nd Street north to the alley

                                                Paving – Avenue K between 19th and 20th Streets

                                                Concrete – 6th Street between Hiway 47 and Cottonwood Dr

                                                Drainage – Lakeview Dr across the Gothenburg Irrigation Canal.

                                                Paving – 2nd Ave west to corporate limits

 

Ron Brockevelt presented a petition of property owners requesting paving on 22nd Street between Ave I and Ave J.  The traffic to and from the wellness center makes it very dirty and impossible to open windows or be outdoors. The road also is very rough and gravel doesn’t stay well.

 

Administrator Clymer had contacted hospital administrator John Johnson since the entire south side of the street would be assessed to the hospital and Johnson had no objection to the paving.  It is not feasible to pave one block leaving gravel streets on either side.  If paving is extended to Ave H, Crestview Senior Housing would be affected.  Housing Director Jeanne Janssen pointed out that Crestview housing is rent controlled for frail elderly and is HUD restricted.  They could not handle a $28 - $30,000 assessment for paving.  Paving would also affect a large parcel owned by Robert Raymond that is currently unoccupied and for sale.

 

Discussion was had and all agree that gravel roads are problematic to maintain but the Raymond and Crestview properties are an issue in paying for paving.

 

Joe Payne asked Council to consider finishing the paving on 6th Street east of the overpass.  There is a lot of truck traffic making dust a problem and the gravel catches in the tires and damages the paving on the west.

 

Ken Christensen discussed the condition and narrowness of 13th Street by the school.  The street has become uneven and rough and with school children being dropped off on the east side of the school it has become very congested.  If 13th Street and Ave H is going to be a drop off point, the street needs to be widened.

 

Matt Buesing also expressed concerns with the student drop off policy and traffic issues at the school, the condition of Avenue I, and hay mill dust. 

 

It was pointed out that the City has a street maintenance program and that the constant thaw / freeze and snow removal of winter is hard on streets.  Chief Olson will be asked to monitor traffic at the school.

 

There being no further comment, questions, or input, the hearing was closed at 7:30 p.m.

 

Kennedy moved, Dudley seconded, to approve the 1-Year and 6-Year Road Program as presented, with the addition of paving on 23rd Street east of Avenue I, and repair and possible widening of 13th Street between Ave H and Ave I, to the one-year program.  Roll call vote: Yea – Aden Whiting, Dudley, Kennedy.  Nay – none.  

 

Dudley moved, Whiting seconded, to approve the consent agenda that included:

            City Council minutes – January 2

            Police Report – December

            Treasurer’s Report - December

Roll call vote: Yea – Kennedy, Aden, Whiting, Dudley.  Nay - none.

 

Dudley moved, Kennedy seconded, allowing payment of the claims against the City, $37,574.02, except #1047; Public Works Division $260,554.60; and the January 11 payroll of $29,595.69.  Roll call vote: Yea – Whiting, Aden, Kennedy, Dudley.    Nay - none.

 

Kennedy moved, Whiting seconded, allowing payment of claim #1047 to the Animal Hospital.  Roll call vote: Yea – Aden, Kennedy, Whiting.  Nay – none.

 

-         Atty. Bacon reported the Community Redevelopment Authority had executed a purchase agreement with Mann Hay Co.  The business will cease operations by June 1, 2007 and will clear the site by September 1, 2007.  The Authority will own the Union Pacific Railroad lease held property and switch areas on both the east and west facility and will own the bin site.

-         Chief Olson is attending the City Council meeting in North Platte regarding consolidating Gothenburg dispatch service with North Platte.

-         We are waiting for approval of the facility recovery charge agreement with Rural Ag Energy before approving a bid for the transformers for the ethanol plant.  Bids are valid until February 2 so it will be necessary to have a special meeting on January 30 at 7:00 p.m.

 

Dudley moved, Kennedy seconded, to pass Ordinance #812 on third and final reading.  The ordinance increases trash rates 50 cents per month.  Roll call vote: Yea – Whiting Aden, Kennedy, Dudley.  Nay – none.

 

Kennedy moved, Aden seconded, to advance Ordinance #813 to third and final reading.  The ordinance changes the zoning of the ethanol site from AG to I-2.  Roll call vote: Yea – Dudley, Whiting, Aden, Kennedy.  Nay – none.

 

Aden moved, Dudley seconded, to approve the Mayor’s recommended committee and personnel appointments:

 

            Cemetery Board                                   Keith Block, Gerald Jobman

            Library Board                                       Janice Gonzales

            Planning & Zoning Commission Lawrence Wendelin, Rod Franzen, Eppie Sisneros

            Recreation Committee              Craig Haake, Curtis Ostendorf

            Redevelopment Authority                      Greg Viergutz

            Tree Board                                           Dan Frerichs, Kim Slack, Nate Baker, Sally Dalrymple

 

Personnel:         City Attorney                            Mike Bacon

                        City Prosecutor                        Willard Weinhold

                        City Clerk / Treasurer               Connie L. Dalrymple

                        Police Chief                              Randy Olson

                        Police Sgt                                 Matthew Langley

                        Police Officers              Ryan Randolph, Joe Humphrey, Dustin Cullen

                        Fire Chief                                 Dale Franzen

                        Electrical Inspector                   Mike Libich

                        Building Inspector                     Shane Gruber

                        City Physician                           Dr. Craig Bartruff

                        Municipal Engineer                   Miller & Assoc.

 

Roll call vote: Yea – Whiting, Kennedy, Dudley, Aden.  Nay – none.

 

Dudley moved, Kennedy seconded, authorizing signature of the updated interlocal agreement with West Central Nebraska Development District.  Roll call vote: Yea – Aden, Whiting, Kennedy, Dudley.  Nay – none.

 

In the past, an elected official of the community and an at-large appointee represented entities on the WCNDD Board.  Due to a change in the by-laws, required by the Economic Development Assoc, both representatives must be an employee or elected official of the city. 

 

Dudley moved, Aden seconded, appointing Bruce Clymer to be the local representative.  No alternate was named.  Roll call vote: Yea – Whiting, Kennedy, Aden, Dudley.  Nay – none.

 

Ordinance adopting the Fire Code and Life Safety Code will be available at the February 6 meeting.

 

Posting signs at public areas regarding concealed weapons will be discussed at the February 6 meeting.

 

Dudley moved, Whiting seconded, giving Mayor Joyce Hudson authority to request Community Development Block Grant funds.  Roll call vote: Yea – Kennedy, Aden, Whiting, Dudley.  Nay – none.

 

The Employee Relations Committee met recently and asked Council to consider the Friday before Memorial Day as the 2007 floating holiday and the employee recognition dinner for January 25 at the shop.

 

No action was taken on the employee dinner but Kennedy moved, Aden seconded setting the 2007 floating holiday on Friday, May 25.  Roll call vote: Yea – Whiting, Dudley, Aden, Kennedy.  Nay – none.

 

Kennedy moved, Whiting seconded, to adjourn the meeting at 7:55 p.m.  The next regular meeting will be February 6 at 7:00 p.m.  Roll call vote: Yea- Aden, Dudley, Whiting, Kennedy.  Nay – none.

 

 

 

 

 

___________________________________                               _________________________________

Joyce Hudson, Mayor                                                                                 Connie L. Dalrymple, City Clerk