Regular City Council Meeting                                                                               December 16, 2008

City Council Chambers                                                                                                         7:00 p.m.

 

Present:  Mayor –                     Joyce Hudson

               Council members       Jeff Kennedy                                       

                                                Jim Aden                                                         

                                                Tim Strauser

                                                Jeff Whiting

                City Administrator  Bruce Clymer

                City Clerk                Connie L. Dalrymple

                City Attorney          Mike Bacon

               

Press:  Gothenburg Times - Beth Barrett                                  

 

Also present:  Shane Gruber, Eppie Sisneros, Travis Mason, Jeremy Cole, Al Childers, Delvin Seil,

 

Mayor Hudson opened the meeting and One Year & 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 includes:

Paving - Jefferson Street between Ave J and Ave L for CROWN Housing

Paving - 23rd Streets between Avenue G and H

Paving - 22nd Street between Ave G and Ave J

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

A study of the storm sewer system. 

 

The 6-year plan includes:          Paving – Avenue J between 22nd and 27th Streets

                                                Paving – 18th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B

                                                Paving –17th Street between Avenue L and Avenue M

                                                Paving – Avenue L between 17th and 18th Streets

                                                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

                                                Overlay Lake Ave between 4th and 7th Streets

                                                Establish 3rd Street from Lake Ave t Cottonwood Dr

                                                Target survey for Community Development Block Grant north of Hiway 30

 

Kennedy moved, Aden seconded, to close the public hearing at 7:06 p.m.  Roll call vote: Yea – Whiting, Strauser, Aden, Kennedy.  Nay – none.

 

Whiting moved, Kennedy seconded, to approve the One-Year and Six-Year Road Program as presented.  Roll call vote: Yea – Whiting, Aden, Kennedy, Strauser.  Nay – none.

 

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

            City council minutes – December 2

            Police Report – November

            Cemetery Sexton report – November

            Treasurer’s Report – November

            Planning & Zoning Commission minutes – December 9

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

 

Aden moved, Strauser seconded, allowing payment of the claims against the City:$35,847.35, Public Works Division $299,183.92, and the December 11 payroll of $30,313.08.  Roll call vote: Yea – Whiting, Aden, Kennedy, Strauser.  Nay – none.

 

OPEN FORUM:

            There will be a budget meeting at the Chamber office at noon on Wednesday.

 

Aden moved, Kennedy seconded, to advance Ordinance 840 prohibiting the addition of fluoride in the community water system, to third and final reading.  Roll call vote: Yea – Whiting, Strauser, Kennedy, Aden.  Nay – none.

 

The 2008-09 budget includes a small skid steer loader; however, after looking at usage of the current skid steer, it seems a larger model would be more beneficial and fit our needs better.  Bids were received from Fairbanks, Husker Ag, and Nebraska Machinery Co.  and included options for large and small models, additional equipment, and lease or rollover options.

 

Discussion was had with each vendor including purchase, lease, or rollover programs.  Considering the equipment we now have for Bobcats and the rollover program, a motion was made by Kennedy, seconded by Whiting, to accept the bid from Fairbanks for a Bobcat S-250 skid steer with the cutting edge on the bucket for $32,582.90.  The quote includes a root grapple and a rollover trade after three years at $5.50 per hour and Roll call vote: Yea – Strauser, Aden, Whiting, Kennedy.  Nay – none.

 

Council member Whiting introduced Ordinance #841 entitled:

 

An ordinance vacating a portion of an alley in the Goshen Subdivision; describing the boundaries thereof; providing for reversion of title to said portion of vacated alley; repealing all ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict herewith and providing for an effective date

 

 and moved that the statutory rule requiring reading on three different days be suspended.  The motion was seconded by Council member Strauser and on roll call vote the following members voted “Yea”: Kennedy, Aden, Strauser, Whiting.  “Nay”: none.

 

Mayor Hudson declared the motion adopted by a full vote of the Council and the statutory rule suspended for consideration of said ordinance.  The ordinance was read by title whereupon Council member Kennedy moved for final passage and Council member Aden seconded the motion.

 

Mayor Hudson asked the question Shall Ordinance #841 be passed and adopted?”  On roll call vote, the following voted “Yea”: Whiting, Strauser, Aden, Kennedy.  “Nay”: none.

 

Mayor Hudson declared Ordinance #841 adopted and signed it in the presence of the Council and the Clerk attested the signature.

 

With the recent commercial construction in the Green Acres Subdivision of GIC 2nd Subdivision, and possible future construction, the surrounding low lying area is and will be subject to storm water that cannot drain away.  Travis Mason of Miller & Associates has provided two options for drainage at an estimated cost of $130,152.00.

 

            Option 1:  A 600 foot open channel ditch moving southeasterly from the west line of Avenue J south of 6th Street going into 560 feet of 36” storm sewer pipe that drains to Cottonwood Dr.

            Option 2:  A 600 foot open channel ditch moving northeasterly from the west line of Avenue J south of 6th Street to a manhole on 6th Street at Avenue I, then into 718 feet of 36” storm sewer pipe along the south right-of-way of 6th Street to Cottonwood Drive.

 

Discussion was had but no action taken other than to ask Miller & Associates to proceed with the necessary surveying on 6th Street.

 

Kennedy moved, Aden seconded, approving drawdown request #3 in the amount of $14,963 for JEO Consulting on the downtown revitalization project planning phase.  Roll call vote: Yea – Whiting, Strauser, Aden, Kennedy.  Nay – none.

 

Aden moved, Whiting seconded, allowing signature of the professional services contract with West Central NE Development District for administration of the owner occupied housing grant, CDBG 08-HO-3074.  Roll call vote: Yea – Strauser, Aden, Kennedy, Whiting.  Nay – none.

 

Council reviewed and discussed program guidelines for CDBG 08-HO-3074, Owner Occupied Housing grant. 

 

Aden moved, Kennedy seconded, to adopt Option 1 in Section IX, Subordination, and will not subordinate our loan position for refinance or reverse mortgages on any of the home loans made through the grant program.  Roll call vote: Yea – Whiting, Strauser, Kennedy, Aden.  Nay – none.

 

Kennedy moved, Whiting seconded, to adopt Option 2 in Section VIII of the Program Income Reuse Plan, and retain program income or recaptured proceeds to be placed in an escrow account and used as a revolving loan fund for future housing projects.  Roll call vote: Yea – Aden, Strauser, Whiting, Kennedy.  Nay – none.

 

Strauser moved, Whiting seconded, authorizing signature of all documents relative to CDBG 08-HO-3074 including:            Grantee Information Sheet

Environmental Review

Authorization to Request Funds

Financial Management Certification

Procurement Standards & Code of conduct

Excessive Force Certification

Statement Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing

Implementation Schedule

OOR Program Guidelines.

Mayor Hudson was further authorized to sign the Request for Release of Funds on December 30 if no adverse comments have been received by that time.  Roll call vote: Yea – Aden, Kennedy, Whiting, Strauser.  Nay – none.

 

Aden moved, Strauser seconded, authorizing signature of the Department of Environmental Quality’s CWSRF grant of $20,000 to conduct a study of the sewer system in the east part of town.  The study must be completed by March 31, 2010.  Roll call vote: Yea – Whiting, Kennedy, Strauser, Aden.  Nay – none.

 

Kennedy moved, Whiting seconded, approving Mayor Hudson’s recommended appointment of Dave Collins to the Airport Authority.  Roll call vote: Yea – Aden, Strauser, Whiting, Kennedy.  Nay – none.

 

Motion was made by Aden, seconded by Kennedy, allowing payment of $38,436.71 from sales tax funds to the Community Redevelopment Authority for payment of economic development loan interest at the Gothenburg State Bank.  Roll call vote: Yea – Whiting, Strauser, Kennedy, Aden.  Nay – none.

 

The Union Pacific Railroad has established a safety district with Dawson County.  The Dawson County Railroad Transportation Safety District is comprised of three County Commissioners and three Lexington City Council members.  The District has levied a county-wide tax to fund the estimated $60,000 cost of a transportation study.  An interlocal agreement with the District will allow the City to collect a maximum of $35,000 from District funds to aid in funding a Gothenburg transportation study.  Discussion was had and it was the consensus of the Council that the goals of the District fit within the scope of the transportation area of the Gothenburg’s Comprehensive Plan.

 

Kennedy moved, Strauser seconded, to approve the interlocal financing agreement with the Dawson County Railroad Transportation Safety District, subject to the approval of Atty. Bacon.  Roll call vote: Yea – Whiting, Aden, Strauser, Kennedy.  Nay - none.

 

Aden moved, Whiting seconded, to adjourn the meeting at 8:11 p.m. Roll call vote: Yea – Kennedy, Strauser, Whiting, Aden.  Nay – none.  The next regular meeting will be January 6, 2009.

 

 

 

 

___________________________________                               _________________________________

Joyce Hudson, Mayor                                                                   Connie L. Dalrymple, City Clerk