How and where to invest the City of Wayne's funds and the resignation of a council member were on the agenda when the Wayne City Council met on Monday.
Resolution 2025-63 was approved after considerable discussion between council members and several members of the local banking community.
The resolution amends the city's investment and portfolio policy. It is designed to reflect better practice for staff, including a 12 month ladder on Certificates of Deposit (CDs) rather than a 6-10 year ladder. It also includes an update of state statute references. It also gives local investment firms a 25 basis point advantage over out-of-town investment firms (a 50 basis point advantage to local banks) when the city bids for CDs and bidding out the city's primary checking account every five years.
City Administrator Wes Blecke talked about the evaluation criteria and said traditionally the local banks have outbid the other investment firms.
Matt Ley, representing State Nebraska Bank & Trust, asked the council to consider where the funds invested with other local banks are going.
"Funds invested with other banks, who have branches in other communities, are going to other communities. Your job is to do what is best for the community and there is a difference between a local bank and a local branch. State Nebraska Bank has been the city's bank for at least 50 years and I urge you to keep your deposits with the only local bank in the city," Ley said.
Also on the agenda at Monday's meeting was an item to approve a Request for Proposals for the primary checking account for the city and direct city staff to solicit proposals.
Both Ley and Corby Schweers with Elkhorn Valley Bank talked about the wording of this proposal, with Schweers telling the council to "keep it simple and take a look at what is out there."
Following the discussion, council members voted unanimously to move forward with the request for proposals.
Council members approved, with regret, the resignation of Council member Clayton Bratcher, effective immediately.
Bratcher will begin duties as a City of Wayne police officer on Nov. 12 and therefore, will not legally be able to be on the council as it reflects a conflict of interest.
Council members spent a considerable amount of time discussing a resolution which would have directed the city clerk to certify mowing costs of $1,200 to the Wayne County Clerk and Wayne County Treasurer and put a lien on property at 204 East Sixth Street.
City Administrator Wes Blecke explained the process the city goes through when a property has not been mowed.
"The city mows the property, a cost of $300 per hour to the property owner."
Lisa Leseberg, representing owner Kory Leseberg came before the council and told the council the bill for the mowing had been sent to a different address and also said that when her son had mowed the property, which if fairly small, it took only about 15 minutes to mow.
"We are not trying to avoid our responsibility, but $1,200 is too much. We would like to you to consider maybe half that amount," Leseberg said.
After discussion both for and against changing the amount owed, council members voted unanimously to lower the amount owed to $600 and allow this to be paid by Dec. 31, 2025.
Also on the agenda at Monday's meeting were several pay applications for on-going projects.
These include payment No. 4 in the amount of $26,044.63 to Gehring Construction and Ready Mix Co. for the Wayne Seventh Street Trail Project.
City Administrator Blecke said that work is progressing and "the contractors have been busy in the last couple of days." He also talked about completion dates for the project and noted that the lighting along Highway 35, which was not included in the original project, will be completed next spring.
Also approved was payment No. 2 in the amount of $176,395.54 to Sargent Drilling for the Well House and Municipal Well 2025-1 and payment No. 1 in the amount of $30,430.35 to Otte Construction for the same project. The former is doing the actual drilling of the well and the latter is responsible for the construction of the well house.
A change order for $12,060.00 which decreased the amount owed to Robert Woehler & Sons Construction, Inc. was approved.
It involves work on the Wayne Prairie Park Phase 4-A East Ditch Storm Sewer Project.
The decrease was due to the firm needing to remove less soil and changes to the amount of storm pipe needed.
A final payment was then approved for $50,119.79 to the firm for this portion of the project.
The Wayne City Council will next meet in regular session on Monday, Nov. 17 at 5:30 p.m. in council chambers at 513 Main Street.
