 For the past several weeks, each meeting has begun with a question
from Mayor Keith Snyder to Alderman Tom O'Donohue. Snyder asks each
week if there are any undefeated teams in the NFL, to which
O'Donohue delivers an answer of yes, there is only one undefeated
team, the Green Bay Packers. Last week, Alderwoman Marty Neitzel
warned them that when the Packers lost their first game, she was
going to rub it in just a little bit. True to her word, Monday night
Neitzel waved her arm in the air, to a mayor who in good fun tried
to ignore her, but in the end she posed her question to O'Donohue,
asking what thus-far-undefeated team had lost its first game of the
season, and O'Donohue conceded that indeed the Packers' 13-0 record
had fallen when they lost to Kansas City.
With the fun over, the group moved on to the business of the
city.
Gehlbach appointed city clerk
At the end of the night, items on the agenda included official
acceptance of the resignation of Denise Martinek as city clerk. The
motion was made and approved with a vote of 7-0.
Immediately following, Snyder said he would recommend Susan
Gehlbach to fill the position on a permanent basis.
Gehlbach has been in the clerk's office since 1994, beginning as
a part-time sewer clerk. In 2003 she was appointed as the
deputy clerk in the office. From February to May of 2009, she filled
the position of interim city clerk, then returned to her deputy
position after the swearing in of Martinek.
The motion to accept Snyder's recommendation was made by
Alderwoman Melody Anderson and seconded by Alderwoman Kathy
Horn. The appointment was approved by unanimous vote.
Conzo reports on November finances
The city ended the month of November with $464,042.85 in the
general fund. This figure is considerably higher than at this time
last year, when the balance was only $107,278.96.
Treasurer Chuck Conzo said the increase in the fund was due in no
small part to the careful spending and budget maintenance of the
city departments.
In November the city received $478,942.57 in payments from the
state, with the majority of those being reimbursements from the
month of August.
Conzo pointed out that the state's payment of the local share of
income tax was the most behind, with the November receipt being
payment for June obligations. Conzo said it was good to have the
payment, but on the downside, the state is still lagging months
behind on the disbursement.
Conzo also expressed concern about the receipts for the
replacement tax. The money is coming in, but the payments have
dropped considerably and will continue to drop, as this is the fund
that will now support the regional education offices.
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 Council offers final approval for BlueStar Energy
A contract to hire BlueStar Energy as a consultant for the city
of Lincoln in electric aggregation was approved Monday night after
the firm submitted an acceptable length-of-service clause for their
contract with the city.
BlueStar will serve the city effective upon Snyder signing the
contract and will serve as the city's consultant until the date when
the first provider contract expires. It was explained this is still
not a certain date, because depending on what provider the city
chooses, their contract could be one, two or three years in length.
BlueStar also placed language in the contract stating that as the
city's consultants, they would not bid for the electric service,
even though they are brokers.
When the matter came to vote, it passed 6-1, with O'Donohue
voting no.
City gives easement to Illico
A request from Illico for a release of a sewer easement on a
property they own on the city's west side was approved by unanimous
vote.
The easement was amended from last week's discussion, when
aldermen expressed concern over having to repair asphalt or concrete
if work had to be done around a manhole on the property.
Illico agreed to a provision saying the city had to return the
soil to its proper condition if work was done. The company also
reserved the right to landscape around the manhole, with the
exception of tree planting.
Other business
The tax levy ordinance for the calendar year 2012 was passed by
unanimous vote.
An ordinance to allow parking on the north side of Eighth Street
adjacent to the old hospital site was approved by unanimous vote.
A vote to be taken amending the city's Family Medical Leave Act
policy was tabled to January.
There will be no meeting of the council on Dec. 27. The next
session, Jan. 3, will be a voting session, postponed one day due to
the New Year's holiday.
[By NILA SMITH]
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