Council Summary - Feb. 4 and 18, 2025

Individuals and media outlets are encouraged to contact the City Administrator for additional details or clarification on the following material. Regular meetings of the Crete City Council are held on the first and third Tuesdays of the month at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers on the second floor of City Hall; Council Standing Committees may meet prior. View a list of City Officials and current council and committee meeting agendas.

The next Crete City Council regular meeting will be on Tuesday, March 4

Summary for Crete City Council regular meeting - Tuesday, Feb. 18
View this Meeting Agenda and attachments.

Council member Dale Strehle was absent.

The council approved the Consent Agenda items:

• Minutes of the following meetings: City Council Feb. 4, Legislative/Community Development Committee Feb. 4, Personnel Committee Feb. 4, Public Safety Committee Feb. 4, Public Works Committee Feb. 4
• Treasurer’s Report
• Payment of claims against the City 

The Council voted 5-0 to table indefinitely the Rezac Addition Administrative Subdivision. City Administrator Tom Ourada said this is regarding two large properties, one of which is just outside the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction. The one outside is the one under consideration. The council does not need to take any action.

The Council voted 4-0 (Papik abstained) to approve the claims in the amount of $2,281.75 from Crete Ace Hardware.

The Council voted 5-0 to authorize an application for the AARP Community Grant.

• Crete resident Sarah Brown shared her discussions with the city and local groups at the Legislative/Community Development Committee held prior. She proposes using this grant to bring city and community organizations together in promoting available activities for senior citizens. Interested parties include Crete Parks and Recreation, Crete Public Library, Crete Area Medical Center, Saline County Aging Partners, and the Isis Theatre.
• Mayor Dave Bauer said a lot of good could come out of this grant opportunity.

The Council voted 5-0 to approve the DTR (downtown revitalization) increase from $34,000 to $38,857.68 for Elle's on Main. ($4,857.68 increase). Legislative/Community Development Committee chair Ashley Newmyer said they recommended the council authorize these four increases from extra DTR funds on hand.

The Council voted 5-0 to approve the DTR increase from $10,200 to $11,196.80 for Scott Skala. ($996.80 increase).

The Council voted 5-0 to approve the DTR increase from $9,000 to $10,990.11 for Edward Jones. ($1,990.11 increase).

The Council voted 5-0 to approve the DTR increase from $48,000 to $48,910.32 for New Beginnings. ($910.32 increase). 

The Council voted 5-0 to approve airport hangar grant estimates and project scope and fees to be submitted. Ourada said this grant project has been discussed and through negotiation on the scope and fees, it is on track to be submitted for approval from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Petition - Communication - Citizen Concern:

Officer Reports:

Reports may be given by Officers, Departments, Committees, or Council members concerning the current operations of the City. No action can be taken on matters presented under this title except to answer any questions or to refer the matter for further action.

• Gary Young, Police Chief:
  • thanked Parks and Recreation Director Liz Cody for arranging CPR training for the department and Parks staff has been doing a great job with snow removal at the station;
  • a story in news the few days involved a Crete man; this gentleman was lured to Milford thinking he was soliciting juveniles for sex; he was assaulted on his arrival in Milford; Milford Police reached out to us with the case details and phones with potential evidence; Sgt. Lincoln Morehouse was able to help ID the suspect in Crete; agencies were able to bring felony changes on the man for soliciting juveniles and the parties in Milford were charged on the assault; there was nothing actionable until Morehouse got hold of the phones to collect data.
• James Yost, Assistant Fire Chief:
  • Crete hosted an incident command training with an outside instructor, Dan Ripley; we opened it up to our mutual aid partners and Hallam and Wilber first responders attended with Crete members; this training helped our neighboring departments, as well as our newer people who need to be prepared for NIMS (National Incident Management System); Saline County Communications has been listening in on dispatch and they like our style of incident command;
  • CVFD’s annual banquet is Saturday, Feb. 22;
• Jessica Wilkinson, Library Director:
  • January report included circulation increase of couple hundred items over last year; $44,000 was saved by patrons checking out materials; other numbers: over 100 computer uses, 2,368 visitors, 1,069 Libby (digital) checkouts, 27 new library cards, added 276 items, over 70 drive thru uses, 114 items sent out for inter-library loan;
  • 1,000 Books before Kindergarten program has 47 readers enrolled;
  • 25 onsite, 3 off-site programs with a total of 275 in attendance;
  • Flights of Fantasy book club members went to a midnight book release at Chapters Books & Gifts in Seward;
  • Youth Librarian Maridza Vasquez attended LibLearnX conference in Arizona;
  • Crete Reads! first round of voting on a community book is out now for online voting;
  • additional ongoing events/programs: book clubs, diamond painting class, puzzle race, paint by numbers, dog food drive in preparation for puppy palooza event in March, seeds and sprouts, 2025 reading challenge, teen programs, VITA (volunteer income tax assistance) program, story times, etc;
  • Jessica was nominated by someone in the community for a librarian award;
• Liz Cody, Parks and Recreation Director:
  • CPR first aid training - mutual thanks to the police department; we used the station classroom;
  • AARP grant application - looking forward to those possibilities, Exmark grant application for equipment;
  • Youth Soccer and Micro Soccer programs are coming up and we are also recruiting coaches;
• Trent Griffin, Building Inspector:
  • Nerud apartments at 16th and Ivy are looking at final occupancy; all units may be leased already; they are getting the commercial building on Hawthorne finished up - Dominos is looking at their permitting needs;
  • nuisance and dilapidated buildings is ongoing work;
• Tom Ourada, City Administrator:
  • Downtown Business District - hasn’t started to move their own snow - they need to put together a budget and solicit snow removal contracts;
  • Sent council members a city statement on ICE and immigration - we have different people who do different things; the Police Department does public safety and the Community Assistance Office assists anybody that needs assistance in Crete; we are reinforcing that’s what the city does and we don’t enforce federal law unless we are called in to assist;
  • Dawn Jonas was promoted to Lieutenant, effective Feb. 17; she will be at the next council meeting to receive her gold badge - gold for police administration;
  • The city budget is on track across departments;
  • Trent and I are going to a planning meeting with Crete Public Schools on their new complex; their planner asked about city requirements regarding power line clearance. Ourada also discussed a traffic study (turn lanes, etc), lighting study, and drainage study;
    • Mayor Bauer asked if a lighting study was done for Apace’s new parking lot (formerly Region V); there may be issues going forward with new houses in that neighborhood.

Meeting adjourned.

Summary for Crete City Council regular meeting - Tuesday, Feb. 4
View this Meeting Agenda and attachments.

Council members Kyle Frans and Ashley Newmyer were absent.

The council approved the Consent Agenda items:

• Minutes of the following meetings: City Council Jan. 21, Public Works Committee Jan. 21, Legislative/Community Development Committee Jan. 21, Public Safety Committee Jan. 21, Personnel Committee
• Treasurer’s Report
• Payment of claims against the City 
• Mayor’s appointment of the following to the Board of Adjustments: Colten Mach, Chris Kirkpatrick, Randall Shelton, Blaine Spanjer, Jay Quinn, Jeff Wenz

The Council voted 4-0 to table indefinitely the following four items; the request for a zoning change was withdrawn. City Administrator Tom Ourada also said this request originated with the Planning Commission; those board members made motions, 3-3, not to make a recommendation and wanted the City Council to be aware of the board’s action.

• Public Hearing on proposed Zoning Change Request Crete PRCT PART SE 1/4 NW 1/4 SEC. 33-8-4 1 ACRE Commonly known as 675 Arizona Ave C3 to R3.
• Public Hearing on Proposed Zoning Map Amendment Crete PRCT PART SE 1/4 NW 1/4 SEC. 33-8-4 1 ACRE Commonly known as 675 Arizona Ave C3 to R3.
• Proposed Zoning Map Amendment Crete PRCT PART SE 1/4 NW 1/4 SEC. 33-8-4 1 ACRE Commonly known as 675 Arizona Ave C3 to R3.
• Proposed Zoning Change Request Crete PRCT PART SE 1/4 NW 1/4 SEC. 33-8-4 1 ACRE Commonly known as 675 Arizona Ave C3 to R3.

The Council held a Public Hearing to hear testimony in favor of and in opposition to and to answer questions in relation to the review of the C-2 Special Exception request at 1575 Blue Acres Drive, Crete, NE to allow individuals to use the space as a church. 

• Mayor Dave Bauer said a church is allowed as a special exception use of property in this zone.
• Patel, owner of the Crete Inn and restaurant properties adjacent to the property for sale, asked about future alcohol sales at his properties if the property in question is allowed to be used as a church.
• Mayor Bauer said the Public Works committee discussed this issue of further alcohol sales and recommended the special exception be contingent on the buyer/church issue a waiver that they would not oppose alcohol sales.
• Ourada said the city will also ask them to create a screening border to create a separation between the church property and Patel’s property.

The Council voted 4-0 approve the C-2 Special Exception request at 1575 Blue Acres Drive, Crete, NE to allow individuals to use the space as a church. The council went through eight points of findings required of the Special Exception and made additional conditions: screening/border, notification of future sale, waiver to not oppose future alcohol sales on adjacent property.

The Council voted 4-0 approve the S&L Anderson Addition Administrative Subdivision. Ourada said this administrative subdivision meets all city requirements.

The Council voted 4-0 approve the Emergency Dispatch Services Interlocal Agreement. Ourada explained this agreement as been reviewed by himself and the following city and county personnel: Saline County Sheriff Al Moore, Crete Police Chief Gary Young, City Attorney Anna Burge, and County Attorney David Solheim; it was also approved by the Saline County Board of Commissioners.

The Council voted 4-0 approve the CAMC Backup Paramedic Agreement. Ourada said this agreement comes from a desire to provide additional paramedic services to Crete Volunteer Fire and Rescue on an on-call basis or extra duty events where multiple paramedics would be needed.

The Council voted 4-0 to waive three readings and adopt Ordinance 2234 amending historic preservation committees. This includes a change in the city’s ordinance asked for by the National Parks Service communicated from the Nebraska State Historic Preservation Office regarding the city’s application to become a certified local government. It changes that ‘all certificates of appropriateness may have a public hearing,’ to ‘all will have a public hearing.’ 

The Council voted 4-0 to waive three readings and adopt Ordinance 2235 amending salaries and wages in Ordinance 2214, 2215, and 2223. Ourada said this included small changes: 1) custodial support position was amended to current minimum wage; 2) Power Plant Operator wage was changed as the city will soon advertise for this position and that wage was never addressed in the last comparability study.

Petition - Communication - Citizen Concern:

Officer Reports:

Reports may be given by Officers, Departments, Committees, or Council members concerning the current operations of the City. No action can be taken on matters presented under this title except to answer any questions or to refer the matter for further action.

• Gary Young, Police Chief:
  • official switchover for communications is at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, March 19 - from Southeast Communications in Beatrice to Saline County Communications; training starts that week;
  • resignation from a current officer who will have their last day on Feb. 14; they are leaving on good terms;
  • meeting Wednesday on operational issues;
• Liz Cody, Parks and Recreation Director: 
  • printed 2025 recreation program schedule; Youth Soccer registration is open and Micro Soccer registration opens Feb. 10; forms use a QR code for signup on RecDesk, English and Spanish versions;
  • summary of Tree City award -  incorporates items from tree work, growth in community forestry program, tree grants, tree plotting, bilingual tree care materials; supporting partners - Crete Public Library, Friends of the Crete Public Library, Doane University, Nestle Purina;
• Wendy Thomas, Finance Director, introduced new Human Resources Coordinator Jody Fiehtner.
• Trent Griffin, Building Inspector, 
  • submitted a building permit log - $37,000 in permit fees - with buildings valued at $23.5 million (includes Doane University with a $22,000 permit on a $20 million building);
  • Crete Senior Villas was granted final occupancy;
• Council Member Dan Papik
  • had a question about railroad crossings; City Attorney Anna Burge said she has been working on the railroad crossing issue by meeting with officials; questions and issues with right of way and maintenance; Council Member Dale Strehle said he calls the number on the crossing sign regularly to tell them the issues;
  • nuisance property on 8th and Pine; Anna said the owner was fined through the court system and there are some questions moving forward on what will happen with that judgment;
• Tom Ourada, City Administrator:
  • all grants are on hold and all grant agencies are waiting until they get guidance; the city received a little info from the U.S. Department of Transportation through contacts; grant conditions have changed immensely;
  • there is a proposed 9% wholesale power increase; NMPP, MEAN, haven’t had a rate increase in 7 years; NMPP annual meeting is in March;
  • League winter conference is the last week in February for city officials;
  • ‘Our Town Crete’ recognition is coming from channel 10/11 News;
  • recent Department head meeting: talked about what the new presidential administration is doing for immigration and if city staff are approached; police will do what they do and they don’t enforce immigration law - they are required to assist if ICE comes into Crete; we talked about the Community Assistance Office and what can be provided through that position; we wouldn’t participate in anything that could be construed as illegal; ICE has not been here and we will continue to operate for the benefit of the individuals in the community; there is nothing the city does that would cause any fear to anybody;
• Mayor Dave Bauer said as a city it’s important that we work well together; tonight we passed a couple things to that effort - the dispatch switchover and the paramedic agreement with CAMC - we accomplished what we all wanted.

Meeting adjourned.