The Exeter Village
board reviewed the minutes from last month and approved the invoices quickly
before moving on to a fairly lengthy agenda.
First up before the
board, was a multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation plan. Clerk Becky Erdkamp explained that this plan was a prerequisite
to qualify for FEMA funds if there is an incident. The board accepted the plan
under Resolution 16-03.
The board approved
a lot split submitted by Bob Ruhl.
Board member Justin
Harre asked the board about their assistance in upgrading the infield at the
ballfield. He reported that members of the ball association have
investigated the possibility of using an agri-lime product on the
infield. “I would like to see if the board would help pay for the
agri-lime on the ballfield.”
He estimated that
the cost of 25 tons would be around $800. “The ball association would take care
of hauling, application and getting the equipment.”
One concern that
was discussed involved the upcoming merging of the Exeter and Milligan ball associations. The
board raised the question of needing the approval of both ball associations on
the improvement.
Chairman Alan Michl
noted that “If we do this it won’t happen this season but they (the Ball
Association) are at a point where they need to line all of this up and get
things going. In retrospect it is a pain when games don’t get played.”
The board voted to
make a financial commitment to upgrade the ball field with no specified amount.
Clerk Erdkamp
passed along a request for the aquatic center to be open for adult water aerobics
daily from10:30 to 11:30 a.m. She explained to the citizens that a pool
manager and a lifeguard would be required to be present and there were a lot of
logistical issues. After a discussion the board suggested water aerobics
be held during the 5:30-6:30 p.m. adult swim time.
The board mentioned
a recent article about the person who now owns the Exeter and Edgar care centers. The
Edgar center is being revitalized now and the article claimed the owner will
not work on the Exeter
center until Edgar is running. Vice Chairman Tim Wilbeck commented, “I’m afraid
that by the time they get around to Exeter
the building will be shot.”
Michl noted that
the Tag Factory demolition contracts have been signed with a start date of June
15th. He also informed the board that the contract requires a
completion by September 1. “Apparently when he starts here, he will be
here until he finishes. He will be stacking concrete road barriers
between the Modern Products building and the Senior Center.”
Next on the agenda
was Brian Murphy who asked the board to re-open Cheyenne Avenue just north of the
football field. He has purchased the property and does not have access to
the middle lot without the street reopened. The board informed him that
each property owner would have to sign over the land for the street without
payment from the city. Once the land is deeded back to the city they will be
able to repeal the ordinance that closed the street.
Under the
maintenance report Kevin Kruse from JEO presented information on the drainage
on North Empire street from North Depot to Boundary. For surveying JEO
used LIDAR technology (a surveying technology that measures
distance by illuminating a target with a laser light) to see the
elevations where the water is flowing.
Kruse shared the
results of the surveying with the board using color coded maps. He
recognized that “There is very little change in elevation is some areas.
By a couple of feet there is a high spot on Otoe Street.”
Kruse presented
three options for drainage. The first option would be to put in a ditch
from the north end of town to an existing pipe. According to Kruse the
issues with this option include the high spot on Otoe where the ditch would
have to be four to five feet deep.
The second option
would be to bury a pipe and put inlets in place and the third option would be
to work with the high spot on Otoe and send the water on the north side of the
high spot north, and the south half to flow south.
Kruse explained
that “All of these options have drawbacks. We need to make sure we are on
the same page before we start making plans.”
Michl asked about
the costs for ditches and pipe. Kruse estimated that ditches might cost
about $5000.00 while concrete pipe would be about $50 per installed foot, about
$1500 a block.
There were no
decisions made on the draining issues but the board did prefer the option that
would send the water in both directions..
Maintenance
supervisor John Mueller reported that lightening hit the well controllers on
May 27th. He is working with insurance to replace them.
He started fogging for mosquitoes last week.
Mueller also
reported that the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality inspected the
wastewater treatment plant and everything went well.
While the ceiling
specialists were in Exeter
at the school Mueller got a quote for replacing the ceiling tile in the fire
hall. The cost for new tile would be $1900 not including the removal of
the existing tiles.
As a follow up to
the last meeting Mueller reported that the estimated cost of installing new
sewer lines on the two streets that were discussed would be $157,000.
Clerk Erdkamp
reported on the International Clerk school that was held in Omaha last month. Sales tax income from
the month of March was 17,144.26 and for April, Keno was $326.19 . The
next meeting will be July 6 at 7 p.m.
