City of Blue Springs, Nebraska

March 4, 2014


The Regular Meeting of Mayor and Council was held on March 4, 2014, in the Blue Springs City Hall, Blue Springs, NE.


PRESENT: Mayor Meyer, Council members Mewes, Neumann, Reedy, Wolf



ABSENT:


OTHER ATTENDEES: City Attorney Andy Carothers, Employee Mike Pike, SENDD Representative Kevin Burnison, Gilmore Representative John Berry, Darcy Rownd, Connie Mewes, Gladys Cary



Notice of the meeting/hearing was given in advance by posting in at least three public places as shown by the certificate of posting placed on file. Notice of the hearing/meeting was simultaneously given to the Mayor and all members of the City Council and a copy of their acknowledgment of receipt and agenda are placed on file. Availability of the agenda was communicated in the advance notice and in the advance notice to the Mayor and City Council of the hearing/meeting. Proceedings hereafter shown were taken while the convened hearing/meeting was open to public attendance.



At 7:30 PM, Mayor Meyer called the Regular meeting to order and roll call was taken. A motion was made by Council member Wolf, seconded by Reedy, and followed by a 4-0 affirmative vote to approve as sent the February 18, 2014 Regular meeting minutes. After review of claims, a motion was made by Council member Mewes, seconded by Neumann, and followed by a 4-0 affirmative vote to approve claims as follows: Salaries: $2,457.06; Direct-Bank Payment - Internal Revenue (941) - $1,516.22; Black Hills Energy - $63.90; Constellation Energy - $225.37; Eldon Izer (Tel. Comp.) - $5.00; NE Dept. of Rev (501N) - $195.49; NE Public Health Environmental Labs - $15.00; Norris Public Power - $1,528.56; Milton Pike (Tel. Comp.) - $25.00; Milton Pike - (Health Ins. Comp.)- $500.00; Postmaster - $166.00; Security First Bank - (IRA-Pike) - $55.00; Security First Bank -(CD Purchase - Keno) - $26,042.85; Shell - $491.55; Wymore Arbor State - $99.57; Wymore Lumber Co - $26.02; Wymore Oil Co. - $484.00; TOTAL CLAIMS: $ 33,898.79 --- , (and) FROM: Keno Proceeds Account to City of Blue Springs (General Checking-Keno Fund) - $26,042.85.



CDBG ELIGIBLE/KEVIN BURNISON: First, Kevin Burnison thanked the City for paying membership. He provided handouts, and presented to-date results of Income Survey, per: 148 residential properties; 66 surveys returned from first mailing, 12 surveys returned from second mailing, for a total of 78 of the 138 needed. Sixty more returned surveys are required. Burnison gave options, which were: Third mailing, door to door solicitation of surveys, or acknowledgment that CDBG funds for Public Works is not in the City’s immediate future and study into other options (TIF/Paving Districts). After discussion and recommendation of Mayor Meyer, a third mailing was chosen as the course of action. Burnison will prepare materials and provide them to the City shortly.



ARMOR COATING/BOGUS/BERRY: Following Friday’s on-site inspection of streets, John Berry presented Gilmore recommendations, which were: Double armor coat does work, but is recommended for low volume streets with no drainage issues. Heavy vehicles (buses, garbage truck, other) are known to create damage, especially when turning. Working on ditches, widening streets, and replacing culverts was suggested as a good course of action after completion of the current Broad Street Water Main Project, and allowing time for compaction, prior to making plans for armor coating. After addressing these issues, there might be some advantage to encouragement of a potential local asphalt affiliation within a bid process. Council member Neumann asked about two inch overlay on Jefferson to A Street - on Broad, and Berry informed him that the estimate would most probably fall within the 40-50 thousand dollar range. Attorney Carothers refreshed City understanding of the bid process, indicating that the bid method is always a good idea, but work must be bid out for $30,000+ jobs only if work is to be assessed back to property.



FULL TIME EMPLOYEE HEALTH INSURANCE: Tabled to allow Employee Pike to determine if his current coverage under his wife’s policy falls in the category of “taxes prepaid.”



NO-FEE HALL RENTAL (DARCY ROWND - 12 & Under Girls - Softball Event): Darcy Rownd asked for consideration for free use of the hall for the Blue Springs Lightning - Potato Bake Fund Raising Event scheduled for March 28th. A motion by Council member Wolf, second by Mewes and a 4-0 affirmative vote waived rental charges.



PLANNING & ZONING: No new applications.



CABIN (INTERIOR REPAIRS ESTIMATE): No new business.


ANNUAL MFO AGREEMENT: A motion was made by Council member Neumann and seconded by Mewes to approve Resolution #2014-2, with Brad Robinson as representative and Tom Wolf as alternate. Resolution # 2014-2 was read by Attorney Carothers: (WHEREAS, the Nebraska State legislature has passed the Mutual Finance Assistance Act, which provides an opportunity for increased funding for fire districts, villages, and first-class cities: WHEREAS, in order to participate in an application for such funding, municipalities must join in an interlocal agreement with fire districts comprising at least 80% of the rural population of Gage County, Nebraska: WHEREAS, an agreement has been prepared that will meet the requirements of the Mutual Finance Assistance Act, and will result in specific state aid to Gage County for fire and rescue purposes, in addition to currently available funds: WHEREAS, the City of Blue Springs, Nebraska, is authorized to enter into such an agreement pursuant to the Interlocal Cooperation Act, and the Nebraska Mutual Finance Assistance Act; and WHEREAS, this Board or Council must appoint a representative and an alternate representative to sit on the joint board provided for in the reference agreement. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by this body that the City of Blue Springs, NE is authorized to execute the Interlocal Cooperation Agreement which accompanies this Resolution, providing for a uniform levy of three cents on each $100 of taxable valuation of a property subject to levy, and which distributes aid one-half on the basis of property valuation, and one-half on the basis of population. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Brad Robinson shall serve as a representative on the joint board for the Interlocal Agreement and Tom Wolf shall serve as an alternate representative to such board...)
The following vote on the motion to approve and accept Resolution 2014-2 and thereby the Interlocal Agreement was: Mewes - Yes ; Neumann -Yes , Reedy - Yes , Wolf - Yes.
It was noted within materials that the previous year’s MFA revenue was used toward the purchase of water hydrants within the Broad Street Water Main Project.

CLEAN-UP, CURRENT ISSUES: Attorney Carothers will continue with contact with Ronnie Rainey in reference to a fire-damaged property -- to assure that State guidelines are met. Carothers reported that legal action is underway for another fire-damaged property. Carothers indicated that, based of pictorial record, little can be legally addressed on Church-adjacent properties (older houses, dirt lawns, unattractive fences) however, he requested pictures for two properties, as well as pictures for another burned property for further evaluation and determination of subsequent action.



NEXT AGENDA:
FULL TIME EMPLOYEE HEALTH INSURANCE
PLANNING & ZONING
CABIN (INTERIOR REPAIRS ESTIMATE)
CLEAN-UP, INCLUDING DETERMINATION of SPRING CLEAN-UP DAY, AND OTHER



Motion to adjourn: 8:50 PM - Neumann - No objection.



The minutes of the Regular meeting were read and approved March 18 , 2014.


Mayor: Lonnie D. Meyer (Regular Session)



City Clerk: Katherine A. Roche (Regular Session)