City of Blue Springs, Nebraska

 September 1, 2020


    The 2020-2021 Budget Hearing of Blue Springs,  NE. was held at 7PM on September 1, 2020, in the Blue Springs City Hall
    
PRESENT:  Mayor Meyer, Council members Neumann, Sedlacek. Seeman
    
ABSENT;    Council member Reedy                     
    
OTHER ATTENDEES:   Jennifer Busboom, Employee Mike Pike, Connie Mewes, Tim Hanson (and family members), Derrie Seeman
    
Notice of the 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.  Proceedings hereafter shown were taken while the convened hearing was open to public attendance.
    
Advanced notice of the 2020-2021 Budget Hearing was posted in three places (Security First Bank, Post Office, City Hall) on August 20, 2020, and published in the Wymore Arbor State on August 27, 2020.

2020-2021 BUDGET HEARING/ Resolution 2020-1

    Motion  (Sedlacek) and second (Neumann) to open the Budget Hearing:  (Vote:  3-0 affirmative).
    Summarization by  Blobaum of the Budget Notes (herein included) :  
    2020-2021 Budget Notes:  The City appears to be continuing to produce revenues in excess of regular operating expenditures. The General All-Purpose Fund is producing roughly $40,000 per year (nearly the same as the last year), and the Keno Fund is producing roughly $20,000 per year (an increase from the previous year).  These funds produced are held in reserve available for capital outlays (paving, new equipment, water lines, etc.)...  It is estimated that as of October 1, 2020, you will have cash reserves of about $300,000 General and $70,000 Keno. This compares to the prior year amounts of $275,000 General and $250,000 Keno.…  For the year 2020-2021, proposed budget property tax has been left at the levy limit of 45 cents, which increases the tax request from $30,329 to $31,409.  This increase (of approx. 3.5%) is due to higher total assessed valuation for the City from $6,739,894 to $6,979,871  All of the increased valuation of $239,977 is attributable to new growth…   Other operating revenues have been estimated conservatively at $100,000 based on the prior year amounts for the general funds.  $360,000 has been included in other operating revenues based upon prior years’ estimated Keno game gross proceeds...  $331,000 has been budgeted as potential capital outlay in the General All-Purpose Fund and no capital outlay has been budgeted in the Keno Fund beyond your normal operating expenditures.  However, $124,000 has been budgeted to be transferred from the Keno Fund to the General All-Purpose Fund to assist in financing potential capital outlay projects. Normal operating expenditures have been budgeted liberally at $330,000 for the General All-Purpose Fund and $306,000 (includes game winner payoffs) for the Keno Fund at 85% payout... The budget process and document perform two legal functions:  1.  Sets the property tax request-budgeted at $31,409.   2.  Establishes an overall expenditure limit-budgeted at $1,091,000.... The budget must be adopted by September 20. The property tax requested in the budget will be final; however, the expenditure limit may be amended, if needed, throughout the year...The expenditure limit included in the proposed budget allows for expenditure of nearly all cash reserves which are expected to be available. Since some cash reserves will be necessary, we don’t expect, nor do we recommend, that the full amount budgeted of $1,091,000 be spent.  GENERAL BUDGETING NOTES:   The lid law is assigned to limit the growth of non-utility government revenues to inflationary increases.  Exceptions are allowed for revenues required to pay off bonded debt, real estate improvement capital outlays, and interlocal agreements...  Due to the Lid Law restrictions, it continues to be advantageous to pay real estate capital outlays, pay off of bonded debt, and participate in interlocal agreements from funds where property tax, sales tax, and state pass-through revenues are deposited (i.e. General and Street). This will help keep this law from limiting your non-utility source revenues...The lid law has become a significant factor for future budgets. Although you have adequate unused budget authority at this time, this is a factor that should be monitored.
    Call for questions/comments.  None
    Motion (Sedlacek), second (Seeman ), vote: Neumann -Yes,  Sedlacek - Yes, Seeman - Yes, to approve a 1% increase in 2020-2021 Restricted Funds Limitation (On lid computation LC-3 Item 3, included in budget.)
    No changes were required to the Budget:   motion (Neumann) second (Seeman ) to accept the 2020-2021 Budget: (Vote: 3-0 affirmative = Neumann - Yes,  Sedlacek - Yes; Seeman - Yes) .
    Motion (Seeman) and second (Sedlacek) (vote 3-0 affirmative) to open a Special Budget Meeting within the Budget Meeting.
    Resolution #2020-1 was read (Busboom )--- (WHEREAS, Nebraska Revised Statute 77-1601.02 provides that the Governing Body of the City of Blue Springs, passes by a majority vote a resolution or ordinance setting the tax request, and  WHEREAS, a special public hearing was held as required by law to hear and consider comments concerning the property tax request; NOW, THEREFORE, the Governing Body of the City of Blue Springs resolves that: 1. The 2020-2021 property tax request be set at $31,409.00.   2.  The total assessed value of property differs from last year’s total assessed value by 4%.  3.  The tax rate which would levy the same amount of property taxes as last year, when multiplied by the new total assessed value of property, would be $0.434521 per $100 of assessed value.  4.  The City of Blue Springs proposes to adopt a property tax request that will cause its tax rate to be $ 0.449994 per $100 of assessed value.  5.  Based on the proposed property tax request and changes in other revenue, the total operating budget of City of Blue Springs will exceed last years by -37%.  6.  A copy of this resolution be certified and forward to the County Clerk on or before October 13, 2020.  Motion by Sedlacek, seconded by Seeman to adopt Resolution 2020-1, Voting yes were Neumann, Sedlacek, Seeman/   Voting no were ___None__.  Dated this lst day of September 2020.
    Motion (Sedlacek), second (Neumann) (vote 3-0 affirmative) - to close The Budget Hearing  at 7:14 PM.

The minutes of the Budget Hearing were read and approved September 15, 2020.

Mayor:  Lonnie D. Meyer  (Budget Hearing)
City Clerk:  Katherine A. Roche (Budget Hearing)



September 1, 2020

    The Regular Meeting of Mayor and Council was held on September 1, 2020, in the Blue Springs City Hall, Blue Springs, NE.
    
PRESENT:  Mayor Meyer, Council members Neumann, Sedlacek. Seeman
    
ABSENT;    Council member Reedy                     
    
OTHER ATTENDEES: City Attorney Andy Carothers (available by telephone),  Employee Mike Pike, Connie Mewes, Tim Hanson (and family members), Derrie Seeman, Chris Cullison

    
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 7:15 PM (following 2020-2021 Budget Hearing), Mayor Meyer called the Regular meeting to order and roll call was taken.  
    
Motion (Neumann), second (Sedlacek) and vote (3-0 affirmative) to approve as sent minutes for the August 18, 2020 Regular meeting.
    
After review -- motion (Neumann), second (Seeman), and vote (3-0 affirmative) to approve claims per:  Bank Direct - Internal Revenue Service Center (941) - $1,982.99; Payroll $4,106.29; Abbott Portable Toilets - $125.00; Blobaum & Busboom (Preliminary Budget) - $1,380.00; Constellation Energy - $2.83; Display Sales - $156.00; NE Dept. of Revenue (501N) - $271.11; NE Public Health Environmental Labs - $15.00; Norris Public Power - $1,128.93; Milton Pike (Tel. Comp.) - $25.00; Security First Bank - (Pike/IRA) - $55.00; Milford Woutzke (Tel. Comp.) - $5.00;  Wymore Oil Company - $94.95; TOTAL CLAIMS: $9,348.10.

DEMOLITION PROJECT/AND RELATED CLEAN-UP ISSUES/ORD. ENFORCEMENT OFFICER AGREEMENT:  Tim Hanson, Ordinance Enforcement Officer, will be meeting with Attorney Carothers (Thursday) to go over City nuisance ordinances, nuisance order, and sample letter for properties  to be addressed first : (“worst properties” as determined by Rex Adams/Andy Carothers after ride-around inspection).  The two houses up for demolition-related inspection will be inspected shortly, with a 90-provision for owners to demolish structures.  Provisions are also built in to enable City demolition in the event owners sign-off on the properties prior to the end of the 90-day period (as inquired by Sedlacek).  After 90 days, demolition by the City may be scheduled.

PLANNING AND ZONING: An application submitted by Josie Cary for a “portable building” was discussed, with Connie Mewes of the Planning & Zoning Commission bringing forward the opinion of the P & Z panel --that a building permit application would not be needed.  Mayor and Council were in agreement.

BURN PILE - LEASE AGREEMENT: A proposed Lease Agreement between Wymore and Blue Springs was introduced.  By phone, Carothers described the document per: North side of existing burn pile, 5 year term, not an interlocal agreement, rather - a simple lease.  No rent.  Blue Springs is to keep a clear pathway (snow removal) for the access to Wells 7, 8, and 9.  Compliance to rules/regs/permits, etc. Borgman has agreed to monitor the site daily for dumping of non-permitted materials.  A trail camera was suggested to identify offenders.  Mayor Meyer stated that a limitation of  3” in diameter limbs was not sufficient.  Pike suggested 6”.   Sedlacek suggested that the statement be stricken and diameter issue be addressed, as needed, later.  Item 2 of the agreement (per consensus of members) will set the term of the lease at 10 years.  Items 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 will remain in the agreement as described.  Item 7 will be modified to remove the diameter constraint on tree limbs.  Items 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 will stand as originally drafted.  The City of Wymore will review a corrected agreement at the 9/2 meeting, and it is anticipated that approval will be achieved, and the document returned for acceptance/approval of Blue Springs at the next Regular meeting.   A copy of the original draft of the Lease Agreement will be attached to the office copy of the minutes for reference purposes.

EQUIPMENT, AS BACKHOE: The newer City backhoe was described as being too large for easy maneuverability for grave digging (Pike/Sedlacek), and as not being a best choice since primarily selected by someone other than the equipment operator (Sedlacek), and also due to: having to keep both backhoes due to conditional needs, also --  increased operational/repair costs (Sedlacek/Pike) , and a definite disadvantage (very tight situation) for housing both.

PROFESSIONAL FIREWORKS SHOW - MEMORIAL SERVICE AT SOFTBALL FIELD (TIFFANY HENRICHS):  Chris Cullison addressed members, outlining a plan to use fireworks September 20th  for a Celebration of Life for a deceased family member.  He shared his professional experience with fireworks and pyrotechnics.  The display was requested to be at the Ball Field, complying with all State permits, and conducted by a trained team -- for a performance timeline of 5-10 minutes long.  The property owned by Wymore garnered no prohibitive comments from Wymore personnel in attendance, but it will be addressed at the September 2nd Wymore meeting, under General Discussion, and Mr. Cullison will be notified if there are any resulting prohibitive factors.  No Blue Springs objections to the display were stated by Mayor Meyer, or Council members Neumann,  Sedlacek, Seeman.  

OTHER:   Armor coating was briefly discussed.  Reflecting on the recent considerable expense for Walnut Street, determination was made to address the issue next Spring/Summer, with Sedlacek suggesting that Topkote be requested to put it on their next year’s calendar.  Pike will be doing crack-sealing this fall (October/November), as per optional weather conditions.  


NEXT AGENDA  
DEMOLITION PROJECT/AND RELATED CLEAN-UP ISSUES/ORD. ENFORCEMENT OFFICER     AGREEMENT
PLANNING AND ZONING
BURN PILE - LEASE AGREEMENT



Motion to adjourn    -   Sedlacek  -   7:50   PM.  No objections.

The minutes of the Regular meeting were read and approved September 15, 2020.


Mayor:  Lonnie D. Meyer  (Regular Session)

City Clerk:  Katherine A. Roche (Regular Session)