Letters on dead trees going out; other nuisance reviews coming

    Thirteen Imperial property owners will be receiving letters from the city’s nuisance officer concerning dead or dying trees on their properties.
    Imperial city council members approved 13 resolutions Monday that declared those properties nuisances after viewing slides of the trees.
    Amy Sauer of West Central Nebraska Development District in Ogallala, the city’s nuisance officer, said letters going out will inform property owners they have 30 days to take action on tree removal, or there could be action to abate them next month.
    Abating means the trees could be removed by the city or a contractor, with costs charged to the property owner.
    Sauer noted that a tree is identified as a nuisance, and violating city code, if it is half dead or more. A half dead tree is not going to grow back, she said.
    In the past two weeks, WCNDD staff reviewed the entire city for dead trees since giving the go-ahead by the council earlier this month.
    Sauer said staff identified 12 other trees at issue in  Areas 1, 2 and 3 in Imperial to the north and northeast. Those three sections will be reviewed for other violations of nuisance codes in the coming months, as well.
    Sauer said, in the Zoom meeting with the council, they will work with property owners on nuisance issues.
    “If the property owner calls us we are easy to work with,” she said.
IVFD life insurance,
city code reviews
    Investigation will continue on finding new life insurance coverage for Imperial Volunteer Fire Department members.
    The current insurance carrier, Principal, informed City Administrator Jo Leyland that fire department volunteers will no longer be covered because they are not city employees, effective in August.    
    With Principal, each IVFD member is covered with a $10,000 policy 24/7 whether they are on duty or not. The city pays a $2,506 annual premium for that coverage.
    A new policy she found with Hartford would cover firefighters for $50,000 at a cheaper, $1,341 premium. However, that policy would only cover them when they are acting in the capacity of a firefighter, she said, but would provide additional medical benefits.
    Since Monday’s meeting, Leyland found out state statute requires cities to fully cover volunteer firefighters 24/7 with at least a $10,000 life policy, whether on duty or not, so the Hartford policy looked at would not qualify.
    An insurance broker is expected to meet with the council at its next meeting on other policy options.
    The council and mayor also discussed several sections of city code that had inconsistencies or have outdated wording.
    The council hired McNally Law Office earlier this month month to update city code to comply with state law changes and other updates, but they are each reviewing specific sections themselves before the review.
    In his review of the motor vehicle and bike codes, council member Craig  Loeffler made a discovery.
    “I realized there are 71 stop signs in town,” he smiled.
    The council and mayor will continue the review with more discussion at the next meeting.
Other business
    Two street improvement districts, No. 44 and 45, were created for two summer paving projects planned this year.
    Leyland said their bond agent suggested the SIDs as they arrange for financing. The council approved bonding the entire $1,208,202.50 paving projects on Holland Street and East 2nd Street. SIDs also give  the public additional notice that the city will be doing those street pavings, she said.
    Community Development Director Tyler Pribbeno said some additional COVID relief dollars can likely be expected.
    An anticipated $350,000 is expected to come into the city from the America Rescue Plan fund, which could be used for infrastructure, loans/grants to local businesses and possible housing, Pribbeno said. He said the application process is delayed, but he thinks he could apply for the funds within 30 days.
    He also applied for a $35,000 grant through the Small Business Administration for the theatre. It could be used for salaries, insurance and maintenance costs that were incurred while the theatre was closed.
    Some hirings were noted—Alex Schilke will serve as pool manager and Roxane Miller was hired for the city office position. The public works department is advertising for an open position.