Meeting Agenda
1. Open Meeting
2. Roll Call
3. Consent Agenda
3.A. Approve Meeting Minutes
3.B. Accept the City Treasurer's Report
3.C. Approve the Payment of Claims Against the City
4. Budget Workshop
4.A. Discussion of departmental budget proposals for the development of a fiscal year budget to be submitted at a Public Hearing on September 2nd, 2025 at 6:00 p.m.
4.B. Fire and Rescue Department 
4.C. Police Department 
4.D. Library 
4.E. Parks and Recreation Department 
4.F. Public Works 
4.G. General Fund 
4.H. Capital Funds
4.I. Economic Development 
4.J. Utility Funds 
4.K. Miscellaneous 
5. Petitions - Communications - Resident Concerns
6. Officers' Reports
7. Adjournment
Agenda Item Details Reload Your Meeting
 
Meeting: August 27, 2025 at 5:30 PM - Crete City Council Special/Work Session Meeting
Subject:
1. Open Meeting
Rationale:
  • In accordance with Nebraska law, a copy of the Open Meetings Act can be found in the back of the Council Chambers.
  • Items listed on the agenda may be considered in any order.
  • Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.
Subject:
2. Roll Call
Rationale:
  • Attendance of members will be recorded to determine the presence of a quorum for official actions.
Subject:
3. Consent Agenda
Rationale:
  • All items listed on the consent agenda will be approved by one motion and vote. No separate discussion of these items will occur unless the Mayor, a Councilmember, or a citizen so requests. If such a request is made, the item will be moved out of the consent agenda and considered separately.
Action(s):
Motion Carried:
Approved the Consent Agenda Carried with a motion by Dale Strehle and a second by Dan Papik.
  • Tom Crisman: Absent
  • Kyle Frans: Absent
  • Ashley Newmyer: Absent
  • Anthony Fitzgerald: Aye
  • Dale Strehle: Aye
  • Dan Papik: Aye
Subject:
3.A. Approve Meeting Minutes
Subject:
3.B. Accept the City Treasurer's Report
Subject:
3.C. Approve the Payment of Claims Against the City
Subject:
4. Budget Workshop
Rationale:
  • Action may be taken to discuss/limit discussion, to hear testimony in favor of or in opposition to, and to approve or disapprove any matter presented under this title.
Subject:
4.A. Discussion of departmental budget proposals for the development of a fiscal year budget to be submitted at a Public Hearing on September 2nd, 2025 at 6:00 p.m.
Subject:
4.B. Fire and Rescue Department 
Discussion:
  • Fire and Rescue Department: City Administrator Tom Ourada stated that the Fire Department budget has not been increased in several years and they are going to be getting $20,000 more for the fire side.
Attachments:
Subject:
4.C. Police Department 
Discussion:
  • Police Department: There was discussion on the Police Department Budget and Ourada mentioned that Crete Public Schools pays for 9 months of the School Resource Officer. Chief of Police Gary Young stated that there are $105,5000 grant proceeds budgeted.
Attachments:
Subject:
4.D. Library 
Discussion:
  • Library: Library Director Jessica Wilkinson stated that they increased staff salary by 3% and decreased the book and programming budget. The Friends of the Library will be helping with programming.
Attachments:
Subject:
4.E. Parks and Recreation Department 
Discussion:
  • Park and Recreation Department Director Liz Cody stated that community volunteers help with many projects in the Parks and Recreation Department. The department has been awarded grants that have helped with practical things such as the lawn mower and mulch. Thanks to the grants they have received they were able to decrease their budget.
Attachments:
Subject:
4.F. Public Works 
Discussion:
  • Public Works: Ourada stated that the hangar rent increase will help with the Airport Budget. It looks like the $180,000 is being transferred in but actually only transferring in $30,000 and the $150,000 is the grant for design. 2026 is a design year and 2027 is for construction of the double box hangar.
  • Streets: The Bond will be for the grader and the street sweeper. We will pay the sweeper lease purchase off and get a lower interest rate and spread it over the five years.  
Attachments:
Subject:
4.G. General Fund 
Discussion:
  • General Fund: When departments go over budget that gets taken out of the general fund. It looks like it is $4.8 million but it actually is about $4 million transfers out and is what goes to all the other departments.
  • Sale Tax: We budgeted $2.7 million and it’s an increase from the $2.5 million that we had budgeted. There are three components of sales tax: City sales tax which is 1%, LB840 fund which is a ½%, and LB357 fund which is ½% and all of those together are a little under $3 million. Sales tax have been steadily decreasing.
Attachments:
Subject:
4.H. Capital Funds
Discussion:
  • Capital Outlay: This is where the different departments put their savings accounts. The new one that was added was the street equipment Bond transfer. On there is the equipment sweeper and grader. All of these tracks back to the budget sheets that were previously mentioned.
Attachments:
Subject:
4.I. Economic Development 
Discussion:
  • Economic Development: LB840 has been budgeted like it will be renewed. However, if it isn’t then that money stays there. There are allowable choices such as funding different LB840 projects/economic development projects or it can go into the general fund.
Attachments:
Subject:
4.J. Utility Funds 
Discussion:
  • Utility Funds: The Electric Department has never operated at a deficit. The budget is very conservative since it is dependent on socioeconomic, weather, etc. and can swing a million dollars from year to year depending on the weather.
  • Water: The budget is doing better and rate increases were passed by the City Council.
  • Sewer: The City Council had approved for JEO to do plans and specs for the lift station and that’s in there. When JEO comes back with the engineering the City will go out for bid. A lot of the things in this budget are revenue neutral and expense neutral. 
Attachments:
Subject:
4.K. Miscellaneous 
Discussion:
  • Ourada provided an overview of the Draft Sate Budget Form:
  • The property tax request is going to be $1,604,890.00. It went up this year just under 4%.
  • The total Bonded indebtedness is $19,937,247.63.
  • The budget this year is $40,864,816.25.
  • The City placed $200,000 for allowable exceptions utilized and that leaves us with $698,559.52 in unused property tax request authority for future years.
  • Our valuation is going to be about $0.220841. This is below what it was last year.
  • The total property tax request is $1,605,288.80 but the 2025-2026 actual property tax request is $1,604,890.00. We are leaving less than $1,000 in unused authority.
  • The operating budget projection in 2024 was $45,400,688.00 and in 2025 is $40,864,816.25
  • The property tax request in 2024 was $1,545,330.00 and in 2025 is $1,604,890.00 so we are asking 4% more.
  • The valuation in 2024 was $450,968,476.00 and in 2025 is $528,163,016.00 and the valuation went up 17%.
  • The tax rate in 2024 was 0.342669 and in 2025 is 0.303863 and went down 11%.

 
Attachments:
Subject:
5. Petitions - Communications - Resident Concerns
Rationale:
  • Citizen testimony may be limited to 3 minutes per person.
  • Please do not repeat testimony that has already be heard.
  • No action can be taken on matters presented under this title except to answer any questions or to refer the matter for further action.
Subject:
6. Officers' Reports
Rationale:
  • Reports may be given by Officers, Departments, Committees, or Councilmembers concerning the current operations of the City.
  • No action can be taken on matters presented under this title except to answer any questions or to refer the matter for further action.
Subject:
7. Adjournment
Discussion:
Meeting adjourned at 7:46 p.m.
 
 

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