April 15, 2024 at 7:00 PM - Beatrice Regular City Council Meeting

Discussion:  n - Doyle - had long time & any complaints?  TT - 12 years+, no complaints, payback for Pepsi night event.

DOyle question - firefighter retirmemetn - TT - state ff looking to pay for health insurance for 5 years, etc. amendment failed.  looking at increasing retirement.

o - Ruh what is this for?  TT - requested to have awning on property, portion $1/year, auto renew, awning for coffee shop sitting area.  TF - VIP lounge did before, similar to that.

Discussion:  n - Doyle - had long time & any complaints?  TT - 12 years+, no complaints, payback for Pepsi night event.

DOyle question - firefighter retirmemetn - TT - state ff looking to pay for health insurance for 5 years, etc. amendment failed.  looking at increasing retirement.

o - Ruh what is this for?  TT - requested to have awning on property, portion $1/year, auto renew, awning for coffee shop sitting area.  TF - VIP lounge did before, similar to that.

Discussion:  TT - CBDG closed, LB840 $826___; since that date, loan to Mike Schaefer $56,000; bond payment $188,000; use $250,000 for match for main street grant.  down to $332,000, have 14 outstanding loans, all current, smallest $5000, largest $230,000. most recently hatchery LB840 wishing to do internal changes to financial, paid off $40,000 in full.  TF - bond payment?  TT - 1st one.

Discussion:  Chet, under oath, p&z report study change of owernship no foreseen affects, have been there
Jay, under oath, background of owner, nothing to prohibit from issuing, no parking/traffic concerns
TF - on & off sale, Class C

Discussion:  $9,500 purchase price, old storage racks, clean up & invest in downtown.  closing next 30 days
Ruh - buying to clean up?  TT - one of the things will get cleaned up 

Discussion:  want to make TIF available as City acquires, have to designate as blight & substandard, not our terms.  Hired outside firm, looking at a number of criteria 16 total, age of buidligns, infrastructure, ownership, sidewalks, streets, etc., when doing so, consultant stated Stoddard meets, automatically over 40 years of age & qualifies.  step 1 hold PH, other resolutions to declare blight & substandard and adopt.  Amendment to #2 to pick up where Stoddard School  Will be at 34%, allowed up to 35%

Discussion:  reason to use TIF, this is 2 new areas, adopt & add will have 12 redevelopment areas & look to redevelop in upcoming years.
Doyle - when read plan, lots of stuff, locked into anything?  TT - no, come back to adopt REdevelopment Plan "TT" to add 3 houses, etc.

Discussion:  purchase of ground at 4th & scott

Discussion:  as discussed, step 1, declare blighted & substandard.  TF - block school sits on?  TT - yes

Discussion:  no further discussion

Discussion:  no further discussion

Discussion:  TF - so public knows, hours of meetings & discussions with school & city, not just passed off, length of this goes

Discussion:  another process couple times a year with cottonwood wind farm.  no need for RECs, put into account & sell off every 6 months or so.  check with vendors to see what they offer.  ACT has been vendor offering best price.  Ruh - showed cottonwood as loss, TT - that's a year to date.  GB - shows as loss, but hedge on future energy costs, TT - also can use for potential customers in industrial park

Discussion:  working with main street to apply for rural workforce housing grant, need $250,000 match, city provides matching funds.  agreement city will provide match, in return, MS contract with NDED runs through Jan____, if MS has $250,000 available, repay the city, understand revolving loan fund, make sure to use funds to encourage to use funds to ___________, essence of agreement.  city will have seat on committee to oversee those funds.

Kerr - workforce housing?  TT - determined by state, single house under $325,000 considered workforce housing.  Kerr - new built, existing?  TT - yes, all we are part of SENDD grant, all types of things are eligible.  Kerr - MS could approach contractor to flip house?  TT - yes, repayment.  loan due upon sale of property or within 1 year.

Discussion:  belvedere & _______, deboer, city vacated some property & sold to deboer, replatting their property

Discussion:  hired christy ramsey, events, chocolate lovers event in february had 200 people register, had waiting list for businesses  beer & wine festival & ribfest, got part of _______

downtown strategy - worked with City & awarded the Rural Workforce grant, working with Downtown improvements, property owner visits - completed 2, includes 10 property owners.

entrepreneurship - zoelner - awning, opened this quarter; _____________ 5 week course for QTC,  business blueprint series, less than 5 years, walked through available __________, $250.00 stipend when complete

e3 grant - ecosystem - site visit on 3/27.  MSA, next steps, 5 zoom meetings with MSA staff discussing needs business community looking for. focus groups, luncheon, etc.
marketing strategy - grow Nebraska even 8 attendees, MS staff 5 week social media 101 - helping sign up account, etc., if all 5 eligible for 1 hour of marketing or social media review?  partnered with Chamber - reached 30 individuals, downtown business, nonprofit, BCH & City.

Ted - circle back, workforce housing project, all people looking for housing, used to be $150,000, now $350,000 houses from Ted affordable housing.  Morgan- looking at projects of all sizes
Doyle - Beatrice annual arts council?  MF - creative arts district, holding conference in Beatrice. 1 day conference & 1 day administrator conference.  TD - more discussions on creative districts?  MF - discussing at next meeting.

Discussion:  part of quarterly report moving forward, bring employer along.  Randy Kinney, owner of Kinney - precise, J&J, etc.

Randy - background mother  born here.  wakefield ne wife wane, south side of Lincoln, easy trip.  got into own business in 2011, Beatrice purchase precise fab 2018, were doing business with several of same customers, made sense to purchase from Leroy, put equipment in, added 2nd shift, substantial project, worked with J&J, leasing space - instead purchased.  2800, 2315 & 2201 regency drive.  blazing grill works, purchased at that time from seltzers, MGrills, moved equipment up here also at seltzer property.  2023 - worked with industrial made in Cortland - partnership changing & asked to purchase in jan 2023 into J&J wire bldg, now has 40 people 2 shifts as well.  next plans - 3 locations - how do we get into 1 location, purchased additional property north of precise fab, thanked council for TIF financing, total 82,000 sq ft., will be a nice additional little over 120,000 sq ft, can put another 80,000 when add'l needed.  working with Rachel, move out of J&J into new bldg, 1 year before moving into. enjoy being in Beatrice & working with NGage, McLain - thank for investing in communtiy. Kerr - are you finding hard to find workers to come?  how is workforce working for him?  Randy - interesting question, growth in 12 years, finding talented people worked very hard.  pretty good pipeline, between businesses in IP, all have enough differences, allow employees to pick which culture like, 18 months fully staffed, always looking for talent.  Terry - part of integrating NGage to be closer to Council, don't get around to thanking businesses for investments.  like feedback on this presentation.  Fralin - think great idea, gives public background of what have done, also throws out need for talent as well.  Randy - working with Rachel & SCC on what we can do to encourage students - 300 each time, offer to apply, training, if not like this, free to Rendy - legitimate path anymore when kids don't know what they want to do, have baggage for multiple years.  KErr - when train them, don't have shop anymore.  randy - apprenticeships, would love to traiin.  Beatrice workforce average 10 years older than that in lincoln.  GB - community colleges keeping up with demand?  Randy - opportunity but not right recruitment yet.  helping make sure students understand this is a viable path, make sure parents/guideance counselors carry forward.  need to get more students through there.  Thank CIty, Council, Rachel - very much enjoy doing business in Beatrice.

Rachel - what do on daily basis, BREs, gearing up for another round.  NDED certified goal to hit 40 BREs, to do last 10, wont stop if time availability.  highlights around workforce & business retention. 2 new board members - Randy Kinney & Samantha Thompson.  federal job report came out - 17% increase to state of NE - chamber - 17% increase on entrepreneur.  1300 new business owners in 2023, increase in part time jobs.  full time down nationwide by over $1 mill.  workforce development efforts- final prep for 2nd annual career fair April 19th, @ BHS, every student, number of employers increased, another trades fair in Fairbury - pushing local school districts to attend those as well.  housing issue - partnering with main street, city chamber, etc., housing development going.  struggling to keep up with housing.  foster connections with SCC & their programming to impact industry we have here.  new welding facility, ready this fall, 20 welding bays, manufacturing component.  directly impact randy & other businesses.beatrice high school, welding classes taught in SCC facility.  

Mike - great job keeping busy

Eskra left at 8:03 p.m.

Discussion:  DED website - housing grant, new owner occupied $325,000 rental $250,000; flip rehab exceeds 50% of value
33rd & Lincoln out for bids - April 23 due back, recommendation for contract at next mtg
Taxiway C - bids due APril 25
13th & Beaver, ready for paving, pending weather Tiemann ready to pour new lane on that street, concrete pouring tomorrow, be patient if rains pushed back day or two
Gym floor done in city auditorium.

TDoyle - difference in R1 & R2?  Desity not smaller lots, R1 biggest lots, R4 smallest lots, duplexes/triplexes R4, most community is R2.