Council acts on nuisances after latest review

    A lengthy part of Monday’s city council meeting was spent reviewing activity in this year’s nuisance program.
    Sam Redfern, the city’s nuisance officer with West Central Nebraska Development District, reported numbers to the mayor and council after the review of 269 residential properties in this year’s target area.
    From their windshield reviews, 129 properties were found to have nuisances violating city code. Notification letters to those property owners went out by certified mail May 11, asking them to be cleared by June 11.
    At Monday’s meeting, Redfern said 57 were cleared and 15 were given extensions to complete cleanup.
    The 57 remaining were declared nuisances on a 4-0 council vote at the meeting.
    In a second vote, the council rescinded five properties that were named nuisances in previous resolutions in 2022 and 2021.
    At Monday’s meeting, Redfern showed photos of each property that had a nuisance based on their review.
    She identified the specific nuisance on each—items included broken windows, unlicensed vehicles, stacked pallets, discarded furniture and appliances, mattresses, scrap metal, unsecured skirting on trailer homes and more.
    Redfern said those 57 nuisance properties represent about 20% of the entire property area they looked at, which compares to other area communities they review, too.
    While many property owners work to clear the nuisance, if no action is taken after additional time periods, the property can be abated of the nuisance—meaning it will be cleared by the city and the costs billed to the owner.
    Redfern hopes it doesn’t get that far.
    “Our goal is not abatement. It’s for property owners to take care of the nuisance,” she said.
    The city allotted $25,000 in its 2022-23 budget for the nuisance program. WCNDD’s contract for 2023 was approved in April for $21,585.
    This year’s review area included residential areas from Park Street west to Golf Course Road and from 8th Street south to Highway 6. It includes the SeLoCySe Trailer Court at the south edge of Imperial, other trailers along Eskew Street. Winter’s Trailer Court was added as an additional area for review.
Moreland zoning change
request tabled until July
    Blake and Darcy Moreland will have to wait until July for further discussion on their request to change a piece of their property from ag zoning to large lot residential.
    The 5.87 acre tract sits on a pivot corner east of Imperial, but is within the city’s one-mile radius, so it falls under city zoning regulations.
    The Morelands want to build a home on the piece of ground and need the zoning change to do so.
    There was a council motion and a second to approve the zoning change after 3rd reading Monday, but before the vote, discussion eventually led to tabling any action until July.
    Council member Jan Elliott said she has some concerns with the issue, adding it’s been frustrating and she can’t get answers.
    Of concern to her and others on the council is the feedlot owned by Rob Schilke that sits about a quarter mile north west of the Moreland property.
    It’s of concern to Schilke, too. He was at Monday’s meeting and said he planned to attend a county zoning board meeting the next day.
    After the city annexed property along Highway 61 years ago, the annexation put part of his feedlot within the city’s one-mile halo.
    The city and county have different requirements on number of livestock allowed within their jurisdictions.
    Elliott said she wanted it to be clear that Schilke’s feedlot was in place before the city’s annexation that put his feedlot in the one-mile radius.
    “I don’t want issues with that,” she said.
    City Zoning Officer Nick Schultz, also at Monday’s meeting, said Planning Commission minutes reflect discussion that the feedlot was there before the annexation and that Morelands are aware of it.
    Elliott said the best resolution to the issue is for everyone “who’s had a hand in this” to meet together and discuss it.
    City Attorney Josh Wendell said the task before the council was to act on the application for the zoning change.
    “But, if you have more questions, that’s up to you,” he said.
    The council’s 3-0-1 vote Monday tabled the zoning change request to the July 17 meeting. The council doesn’t meet July 3 due to the 4th of July holiday.
Elliott, Doug Gaswick and Nick Colton voted yes. Council member Johnny Miller abstained.
Other business
    The council approved resolutions on street closings for the Chase County Fair parade and CarNutz car show, both on Saturday, Aug. 19.
    The city will make an application to the state for permission to hang a banner for two weeks across Broadway promoting the chamber’s July 15 Smokin’ on Broadway.
    The city will use AMGL of Grand Island as city auditors for 2022-23 year, but will be paying more, according to Administrator Tyler Pribbeno. Last year’s audit was $17,600 and it’s expected to cost $25,000 this year, he said. Elliott suggested they seek bids next year.
    Payments were approved to Midlands Contracting, Inc. for infrastructure improvements. The water main project along 12th Street is almost complete. Their request for that work was $89,169.95. Dennis Kunnemann will pay the $144,405.76 invoice for the sewer extension work for his WellPark development.