City Administrator Tom Ourada explained that this would normally go to the Planning Commission and then the City Council. This was presented to the Planning Commission and advertised for both hearings. The Planning Commission voted to table this and look at what Shouses are and then take action on it next month. The City Council would go through with the Public Hearing and this did go to the Public Works Committee. Mayor Dave Bauer asked if when the Planning Commission does their final approval if there needs to be a second hearing. City Administrator added that first of all it has to go to the Planning Commission and then they can choose to do something or not do something with it. If they choose not to do something with it or no action you have six months that you can act and pull it from the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission does have to do something before the City Council is empowered to do something. 

City Administrator Tom Ourada explained that this is something that the City Council has dealt with in the last couple years. It has come to the point that JEO is ready to advertise and solicit bids. 

City Administrator Tom Ourada explained that his is a topic that the City Council took up at the last meeting. The Council asked for an Ordinance to officially vacate the easement on those two lots.  

Mayor Dave Bauer explained that this would be for a graduation ceremony for the parents that have gone through the Activate program. 

City Administrator Tom Ourada stated that this is for a Mommy & Me Dance and recruiting event for new members. 

City Administrator Tom Ourada explained that this is a rate update. 

City Administrator Tom Ourada stated that this item also went to the Legislative Development Committee. This is part of the Downtown Revitalization Program Process and all the requirements have been met for the review. 

 

• Chief of Police Gary Young stated the following:

• Got notified by the State Auditor that the Crete Police Department has passed for the crime reporting. This means that the department keeps good records. With the new software what used to take ten or twenty manpower hours is now done in ten or fifteen minutes and it saves the department time and money.
• Mayor Dave Bauer asked E-Bikes and E-Scooters and what is legal. Young stated that right now there is no legislation to counter that. The ordinance for mini bikes does not apply.
• Council member Anthony Fitzgerald asked if Chief Young could reach out to Crete Public Schools to ask about their policy on E-Bikes and E-Scooters. Young stated that the School Resource Officer can help with that.
• City Administrator Tom Ourada stated that the City has not only the right but the obligation to oversee the public right of way. People expect that the right of way will be regulated.

• Parks and Recraiton Director Liz Cody stated the following:

• Park concerns -addressing recent graffiti and vehicle use
• Campgrounds opened 4/1/2026
• Interview for seasonal staff  
• Open position for parks groundskeeper & facilities
• Rec programs ongoing for micro soccer, soccer
• Registrations for micro-t-ball, t-ball, and swim team
• Looking at recent changes in State legislation that may impact pool

Council questions:

• Street lights out at Tuxedo
• Trees removed at Tuxedo
• Removals with IRA UCF Grant funds paused until August for migratory birds

• Library Director Jessica Wilkinson stated that there is an opening for a summer intern that will be helping with summer reading. The library is partnering with Nebraska Vocational Rehab to have a student come and learn on the job library skills. They will be working with the summer intern on the summer reading program. City Administrator Tom Ourada added that the Nebraska Library Commission is providing the grant funds for the summer intern. Council member Dan Papik asked if there are opportunities for older children to volunteer and help read to younger children.
• Council member Anthony Fitzgerald asked about the Fire Department changing their requirements for EMTs and the percentage that have to be certified. City Administrator Tom Ourada stated that they are working on it and they have to change their bylaws which come to the City for ratification.
• Council member Ashley Newmyer asked if everything is going well with the Crete and CAMC paramedic contract. Ourada stated that the Fire Department is happy with it and Bauer added that the hospital is also happy with it.
• Council member Dan Papik shared that Apace has a concert that will be at the Crete Isis Theatre on April 8^th, 2026 at 1:30 p.m.
• City Administrator Tom Ourada stated the following:

• There was a discussion during the Finance Committee on the Municipal Equalization Fund and as it is now we were notified that the City of Crete will lose 80% of funding. That’s almost $640,000 that we will lose next year.
• Ourada has talked with three state agencies on this and they have noted there is no authority to deviate from statute and changes would require going to the legislature.
• The City of Crete’s levy lowered a significant amount of over $0.06 last year. The changes in assessed values were raised considerably last year for residential property. We had a static budget that didn’t raise appreciably necessitating a joint public hearing or post card notification.
• Here is a case of us being significantly under the state average for property taxes penalizing us for very conservative spending. We are at $0.22 this year and to qualify for 100% MEF (Municipal Equalization Fund) we would have to be 28 ½ cents and that would be $0.065 cent levy increase. When we looked at it last year we had about $10,000 that wasn’t committed but $0.01 is about  $24,000. We couldn’t do anything with that $7,000. If we raised it by 6 ½ cents that would be like $160,000 that we would raise across the entire community. People would see that we are raising it because we would have to participate in the joint public hearing and we would have to send out the postcard. Ourada stated that we will have to do that no matter what. We have a few options to help get through year 1 and possibly year 2 if we raise the levy. If we don’t raise the levy then we would have to take very drastic measures fundamentally cutting about 18% of the budget.
• Mayor Bauer is working on some meetings with the City Council and these are really dire times and the City is also looking internally for cost saving measures. Ourada explained that at first he thought the City could get by without doing drastic cost cutting but now thinks some of these cuts are unavoidable.
• There was discussion on other communities that will also be losing their MEF.
• With facing Crete’s revenue facing an 18% and there being some drastic measures taken, evaluation will necessary on how to meet the mission the City is expected to perform. 

• Mayor Dave Bauer stated that he has been having discussions with Ourada and looking at different options to have more discussion time with the City Council and more will come on that. There will be some hard decisions to make.

• Mayor Dave Bauer stated that the City of Crete did not receive the Civic and Community Center Financing Fund grant for the City Park project. The City also did not receive the Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program grant for a proposed trail from the High School to Crete Area Medical Center.

The meeting adjourned at 6:51 p.m.