Budgeting for the year

Kayla Mathewson, Staff Writer

Last night’s city council meeting was the budget meeting for the 2015-2016 fiscal year.

When the discussion of the library salaries were brought up, one woman spoke about her disappointment with the people of the council. Two library workers spoke about how they lost employees because of cutting hours and having full time workers doing the work of the part time employees.

City Council member Matt Eischeid was against increasing the budget, but the budget was approved.

The council also approved the Water Main Relocation Project and the Windom Street Storm Sewer Improvement Project.

When the Grainland Road Water and Sanitary Sewer Extension Project (Southview Addtion) was brought up, there was also some disapproval due to Robert Woehler & Sons Construction Company asking for an extension on the project.

Many of the council members questioned why it would be extended from Oct. 1, 2015 to May 1, 2016 when the project would take up to six weeks. There was a suggestion to make the extension to November 1, 2015, and the extension was approved.

The council also approved sending a “Letter of Protest” to the Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD), which referred to the 2016 Wholesale Power Rate Surcharge for those towns that don’t sign the 20-year NPPD Contract.