Regular City Council Meeting                                                                                    October 7, 2008

City Council Chambers                                                                                                         7:00 p.m.

 

Present:  Mayor –                     Joyce Hudson                           Absent – Council member Tim Strauser

               Council members       Jeff Kennedy                                           City Attorney Mike Bacon

                                                Jim Aden                                                         

                                                Jeff Whiting

                City Administrator  Bruce Clymer

                City Clerk                Connie L. Dalrymple

  

Press:  Gothenburg Times - Beth Barrett                                  

 

Also present:  Shane Gruber, Eppie Sisneros, Delvin Seil, Louis Bovitz, Bertha Daharsh, Doug & Regis Swanson, Travis Mason

 

Mayor Hudson opened the meeting 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.

 

Aden moved, Kennedy seconded, to approve the consent agenda that included:

            City Council minutes – September 16

            Police Report - September

Roll call vote: Yea – Whiting, Kennedy, Aden.  Nay - none.  Absent and not voting - Strauser

 

Kennedy moved, Whiting seconded, allowing payment of the claims against the City, $65,733.96; Public Works Division $96,351.26; the September 18 payroll of $29,768.15 and October 2 payroll of 529,512.69.  Roll vote: Yea – Aden, whiting, Kennedy.    Nay - none.  Absent and not voting – Strauser.

 

OPEN FORUM:         

-         Bill Crouch, former Public Works Director, passed away in Albany, MO.  Services will be October 9.

-         We have received notification from the Department of Economic Development that the City has been awarded a $236,000 Community Development Block Grant for Owner Occupied Rehabilitation.  The grant anticipates 10 homes at $20,000 maximum for energy efficient updates such as windows, doors, etc.  The grant targets home owners 62 years of age or older.  There will be no City money involved in the project.  Match funds will be provided by USDA and energy assistance.  Application will be made to West Central Nebraska Development District and loan funds will be available December 1.  WCNDD will review applications and verify qualifications of contractors, and administer the grant.

-         The new graphic on the west wall of the Council Chambers was designed by Moe’s Graphics, made in Kearney and painted by Travis Coe, the high school art instructor.

 

Although the requests for bids was published and sent to several companies, only one bid was received for construction of Street Improvement Districts #114, #115, #116, and #118.  Paulsen’s Inc submitted a bid of $394,212.25.  The engineer’s estimate of cost was $461,141.25.

 

Administrator Clymer indicated the bid contains an eight-foot sidewalk along the south side of 22nd Street between Avenues H and J.  The City can decide just prior to construction whether or not to include it.  The proportionate cost is approximately $34,000 and would not be assessed to the property owners.  It could be a part of a future trail system.

 

Aden moved, Kennedy seconded, to accept the bid of Paulsen’s Inc for Street Improvement Districts, #114, #115, #116, and #118.  Roll call vote: Yea – Whiting, Kennedy, Aden.  Nay – none.  Absent and not voting – Strauser.

 

Paulsen’s Inc also submitted the only bid for Street Improvement District #117, 5th Street between Avenue D and Lake Avenue.  The bid is 94,799.50.  The engineer’s estimate was $114,473.75. 

 

Kennedy moved, Whiting seconded, approving the bid submitted by Paulsen’s Inc for Street Improvement District #117.  Roll call vote: Yea – Aden, Kennedy, Whiting.  Nay – none.  Absent and not voting – Strauser.

 

Work on all the street projects is set to begin May 1, 2009.

 

Bertha Daharsh received a special use permit for a six-foot fence on her property at 110 West 16th Street.  A misunderstanding occurred when she thought the fence could be placed in her front yard on city right-of-way.  There are no utilities in the space.

 

Discussion was had and a motion made by Kennedy, seconded by Aden, approving a License to Maintain improvements on public property, allowing Mrs. Daharsh to install the fence as desired.  Roll call vote: Yea – Whiting, Aden, Kennedy.  Nay – none.  Absent and not voting – Strauser.

 

Doug Swanson has agreed to the part-time position of Building Inspector / Zoning Administrator.  He will be in the office on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. and available by cell phone Monday thru Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Shane Gruber will continue to assist the inspector duties because Swanson is also in the construction business and cannot inspect his own projects.

 

Whiting moved, Aden seconded, approving Mayor Hudson’s recommendation appointing Doug Swanson the Building Inspector / Zoning Administrator.  Roll call vote: Yea – Kennedy, Aden. Whiting.  Nay – none.  Absent and not voting – Strauser.

 

We have received a grant of $6900 on a $13,800 project for trees in the Cemetery.  There will be a joint meeting of the Tree and Cemetery Boards on October 9 to discuss species and placement of the trees.

 

Aden moved, Whiting seconded, authorizing signature of the project agreement for the ReTree Nebraska Grant.  Roll call vote: Yea – Kennedy, Whiting, Aden.  Nay – none.  Absent and not voting – Strauser.

 

Aden moved, Kennedy seconded, allowing payment of Drawdown #1 for $2550 to JEO Consulting Group for work on the downtown revitalization project.  Roll call vote: Yea – Aden, Whiting, Kennedy.  Nays – none.  Absent and not voting – Strauser.

 

The downtown business surveys are complete.  Results of the 30 surveys that were returned will be tabulated for meetings on October 21 and 22 with the various groups.

 

Kennedy moved, Whiting seconded, to approve Change Order #1 on the Jefferson Street water / sewer project.  The order is a deduction of $3376.70 on the total contact.  Roll call vote: Yea – Aden, Whiting, Kennedy.  Nay – none.  Absent and not voting – Strauser.

 

Aden moved, Kennedy seconded, allowing final payment of $18,473.47 to Van Kirk Bros Construction for water and sewer installation on Jefferson.  Roll call vote: Yea – Whiting, Kennedy, Aden.  Nay – none.  Absent and not voting – Strauser.

 

Whiting moved, Kennedy seconded, to accept the Certificate of Substantial Completion for the Jefferson Street water and sewer project.  Roll call vote: Yea – Aden, Kennedy, Whiting.  Nay – none.  Absent and not voting – Strauser.

 

Kennedy moved, Whiting seconded, to adjourn the meeting at 7:26 p.m.  Roll call vote: Yea – Aden, Whiting, Kennedy.  Nay – none.  Absent and not voting – Strauser.  The next regular meeting will be October 21 at 7:00 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

___________________________________                               _________________________________

Joyce Hudson, Mayor                                                                   Connie L. Dalrymple, City Clerk