City Council gets updates from engineer
Angie Steffen
Laurel Advocate
LAUREL — Laurel City Council members welcomed presentations from Roger Protzman of JEO and Jim Litchfield on the one and six year street plan during their meeting, Oct. 12.
Protzman said there are some underground fuel storage sites that will have to be dealt with during the project. They are located west of the auditorium with the main area of soil contamination. This will mean that industrial iron may have to be used in that area.
The Council approved resolution #2020-360 - Annual Certification of program compliance and signing the Municipal Annual Certification of Program Compliance form 2020. Introduced by the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT), the Municipal Annual
Certification of Program Compliance form replaces the annual filing of the One-and-Six-Year Road Plan and the Standardized System of Annual Reporting (SSAR) with the Nebraska Board of Public Roads Classifications and Standards (NBCS). Counties and municipalities are still required to adopt a One-and-Six-Year Road Plan even though it will not be filed with the NBCS. Likewise, counties and municipalities must continue to maintain accounting systems and public records.
The Council adopted Resolution #2020-361 the one and Six Year Street Improvement Plan.
Public hearings with Nebraska Zoning Regulations, the City’s Comprehensive Plan, Hanna Keelan Associates and the Nebraska Community Housing Study were hosted.
Resolution #2020-362 approved the Housing Study. Resolution #2020-363 was adopted to accept the changes to the Comprehensive Plan. Ordinance #591-2020 was passed to approve updates to Zoning Regulations.
Reports were given by Hillcrest Care Center’s Virginia Lundahl, Ron Lundahl of the police department and Chris Rasmussen on economic development.
A Special Designated License was approved for Jim’s Fine Wine and More for Nov. 6 from 4 to 9 p.m. at 408 W 3rd St. (Crows Nest Antiques).
The city approved Miller Painting Inc. of Hartington to paint the pool in spring of 2021 for $17,269.
United Lutheran Church was granted a building permit for the 100x18-foot concrete parking area adjoining the church, replacement (to include relocation) of sidewalk to the church entrance and the United Church Parsonage 10x20-foot patio.
Bryan and Racquel Holloway were granted a building permit for a 30’ x 8’ deck.
Laurel Summer Rec program will benefit from Nolan Ohlrich’s Eagle Scout Project. He will build a 20x14 ft. roof on the bleachers next to the concession stand.
Hillcrest Care Center and Assisted Living has 22 long-term care patients and seven assisted living patients. No COVID-19 has been detected at Hillcrest as of yet, according to Lundahl. Visitors were welcomed back for a short time before they were again restricted from entry due to COVID cases in the area. Staff are tested twice a week with rapid testing. Testing results need to be submitted to state and federal authorities three times per week.
Hillcrest’s new board members had their first meeting in September. The board now consists of Craig Gutz, Bev Dahlquist, Jeanne Dickey, Jeff Warner, Susan Kvols, Kathy Bradford and Scott Rath. The next meeting with board members is Oct. 15.
The $50,000 Hillcrest Assisted Living grant is responsible for two new iPad pros, a new cabinet, IN2L tablets, a dishwasher, refrigerator, dietary and cleaning supplies. The grant was designed to prevent or respond to COVID-19 and effects on the assisted living community at Hillcrest, according to Lundahl.
The Tree Board continues their work on the Community Tree Inventory. The Tree Board was awarded 10 Trees in the Free Trees for Fall Planting grant program. Some of the recipients changed their minds due to the acorns or pods that might be shed and cause extra yard maintenance, and various other reasons. The holes were dug the day before by Mike Mainz, Tree Board member. The three trees in the Norris Addition were planted Oct. 9 with the Tree Board and the LCC third grade class in attendance. The remaining trees were given to the Cedar View Golf Course. Graham Herbst, University of Nebraska - Lincoln Community Forestry Specialist from Lincoln, came to Laurel for the plantings, and to visit and answer questions and give direction for the Community Tree Inventory
Business-After-Hours events may be scheduled before the end of the year. Businesses will be contacted.
Night of Lights has been set for Thursday, Dec. 3, from 5- 8 p.m. More details will be announced at a later date. Christmas Coffees will be scheduled soon, and due to some member and attendee requests, some of them may become New Year’s Coffees and take place in January. Annual Banquet plans are starting and the date will be Friday, Jan. 22 at the VFW.
Due to the limits on the sizes of gatherings at school, The Youth Philanthropy Projects will be kicked off soon with a “Be a part of Something Bigger” video promotion for students. They will have until May 1 of next year to submit applications for their projects, and the projects must be done by Oct. 1, 2021.
Beginning Oct. 1, Mandy Bruning, will be taking on economic development responsibilities for the Village of Coleridge. Rasmussen met with her on Wednesday, Oct. 7 at the Laurel ED Office to talk and get some of her questions answered.
Protzman from JEO Engineering is in the process of leading the City in a search for an area to dig a test hole that could eventually be used for a possible new additional well. The inside of the water tower was scheduled to be repainted around Sept. 1, due to the high volume of water usage it has been put off until next year.
The City employees will be replacing part of Walnut Street across from the cemetery. Hot Tar Company that patched and chipped sealed Fourth Street last year is to be in the area soon to chip seal patched areas again under warranty.
Patrick Conway, the NEMA representative, will be sending out a colleague to close out the project in the next few weeks. The project consisted of some embankment stabilization of the south embankment of the creek, moving 870 Rd 10 feet south, extending the box culvert and metal culverts south as well, re-doing the entrance and exit driveways of Central Valley Ag, removing the berm on the north side of 870 Rd and installing a guard rail for 3,400 ft.
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