LINCOLN -- The City Council amended its 2019 budget last week to account for expected expenses and new revenues for the year.
Expenses include money for a sixth body camera for the police department, money to pay off the bonds for a new water storage tank and money for a 3 percent depreciation fund for the new water storage tank bond fund.
New revenue for 2019 will be proceeds from an increase in water rates. All the money from the increase goes to pay off the debt for the new water storage tank.
In other action, the City Council amended its grievance policy for employees, except for law enforcement officers who fall under a separate policy.
The amended policy allows an employee to appeal the results of a written grievance to the City Council within three days of a decision made by the mayor. The grievance then would be placed on the agenda for a City Council regular or special meeting.
The Council approved a resolution to add Mayor Doug Hutchens to city accounts with banking institutions and remove former Mayor Roy Hulse and former City Clerk Barbara Barker from the accounts.
An ordinance to establish the operating procedures for Lincoln City Council was placed on first reading after council member Terry Bryson said he had several changes he wanted to make in the ordinance.
Part of the ordinance provides for a citizen comment period at council meetings but Bryson wondered if the time allowed should be changed. The draft ordinance allows a 15-minute period for citizen comment, with no one speaking longer than three minutes.
Another section in the ordinance allows for a 12-minute comment period on ordinances or resolutions being considered by the council at the meeting.
Bryson said he also supported a section on public decorum for those attending council meetings.
City Attorney Steve Zega will make amendments to the ordinance and bring it back next month.
The Council also approved a resolution to award retired police Chief Russell Morphis his service pistol. The recommendation was made to award the pistol to Morphis when he can attend a future meeting. The resolution also expresses the gratitude of the people and City Council for Morphis' service to the city of Lincoln.
Hutchens appointed council members to committees and named a chairman for each committee.
Committee chairs for 2019 will be Terry Bryson, Planning Commission; Doug Moore, Capital Improvements/Finance, Parks and Recreation, and Water, Sewer and Consolidated Maintenance; Troy Myers, Community Involvement and Personnel; Gary Eoff, Emergency Preparedness; Bobby McDonald, Police and Fire.
The city received $25,823 from its sales tax collections for December. Of this $7,746 goes to the library and $1,936 goes to the parks and recreation department.
General News on 01/23/2019