VILLAGE OF TRENTON BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING 5:30 PM – Tuesday, January 14th, 2025 – Village Office
Notice of the meeting was posted at the Village Office, Community First Bank, and the Post Office on January 7th, 2025.
The Board of Trustees Meeting of the Village of Trenton was called to order on Tuesday, January 14th, 2025, at 5:30 PM, in the Village Office with the following members present: BOARD MEMBER PRESENT: Drain, Swanson, Hodges, Eldridge, and McDonald. STAFF PRESENT: Schroeder, Poppert, McCauley, and Caddick. STAFF ABSENT:NONE
Chairman McDonald opened the meeting at 5:30 PM. and made the Open Meetings Act announcement and stated that the poster is on the wall for all to view. Roll Call – Drain, Eldridge, Hodges, Swanson, and McDonald. Motion carried.
CITIZEN FORUM
Concerned citizen came in to discuss the building by the square. Christmas decorations for the Village Square were stored in that building and some are still missing or were damaged, so he had to purchase new decorations.
Board of Trustees told the resident that they would find a location to store the decorations and they will check to see if the library basement has room.
Motioned by Drain, second by Eldridge to approve agenda except for moving agenda item 23.2 after agenda item 7.3, adding Hodges to Street/Trash/Utility committee, and adding Eldridge to the Board of Health. Ayes: Swanson, Drain, Hodges, McDonald, Eldridge. Motion carried.
Motion by Swanson, second by Hodges to approve December 10th, 2024, regular meeting minutes. Ayes: Eldridge, Hodges, McDonald, Drain, Swanson. Motion carried.
Motion by Drain, second by Swanson to approve December 2024 Treasurer’s Report. Ayes: Swanson, Drain, Eldridge, McDonald, Hodges. Motion carried.
OPERATING CLAIMS:
Employee gross payroll, 3 pay periods $38,862.20
Employee payroll, 12/2-12/16, 2024 17,710.50
Employee payroll, 12/16-12/29, 2024 10,904.99
Employee payroll, 12/31-1/13, 2025 10,246.71
EFTPS, payroll, 12/2-12/16, 2024 EFT 3,437.18
EFTPS, payroll, 12/16-12/30 EFT 2,442.96
EFTPS, payroll, 12/31-1/13 EFT 2,284.26
Nebraska Department of Revenue, December sales tax EFT 3,144.71
Nebraska Department of Revenue, Withholding Tax EFT 3,326.00
20/20, computer support for 12/1-12/30 1,070.00
AFLAC, insurance, EFT 485.15
American Agriculture Lab, water test 87.56
American Legal Publishing (ordinance publication) 399.00
Blue Cross Blue Shield EFT 225.50
BOK Financial (interest and agent fee) 3,666.25
City of McCook, landfill charges, 12/1-12/31 3,505.36
Credit Management (garnishment) 360.00
Charles Schwab & Co (IRA contribution) 1,005.93
Dutton Lainson (clamp wedge, amp socket, upgrades) 1,559.89
Eakes, (purell, calendars, and copies) 286.10
Farmers Coop, shop supply, fuel and propane 3,946.20
First National bank,
office, shop supply, ($1,001.14 paid 11/19) EFT 2,301.28
Foster Sales (winter service, oil filter, air filter, tires, dust cap) 730.71
Great Plains Communications Service 946.44
Harders Skidsteer (hose for trash truck) 37.18
Hitchcock County Clerk (election publications) 263.79
Ideal Linen Supply (shop towels, dispenser, mat, energy, linen) EFT 42.86
IRS (interest on missed payment in 2023) 25.78
Kansas City Life, EFT 62.26
LDI 109.41
Madison National Life Insurance, CO. LLC 304.30
MARC (drain line opener) 255.11
Microsoft 365 Family, renewal EFT 106.99
Midlands Toxicology (Page) 110.00
Nebraskaland Tire and Service 72.00
Nebraska Municipal Power Pool, November billing 23,859.87
Nebraska Public Health Environmental Lab1,022.60
One Call Concepts 22.74
Quill 292.31
R & L Carriers (asphalt patch) 2,333.00
Rundel, John (MEAN quarterly meeting) 186.20
Schroeder & Schroeder, legal services 11/21-12/20 1,535.00
Southwest Farm & Auto Supply (posts,hammer,switch,service charge) 771.04
SW NE Area Clerks Association (annual dues) 20.00
SWPPD (11/20/2024 -12/20/2024 billing) 677.55
TKO Pest Control 110.00
Verizon, EFT 204.58
Village of Trenton, utility billing 11/20/2024-12/20/2024 3,375.59
WAM, Inc Central NE Bobcat 556.50
METER DEPOSIT CLAIMS- None
PARK & POOL CLAIMS-None
LIBRARY CLAIMS-
First National Bank 14.99
KENO CLAIMS-
EL DORADO MANOR CLAIMS
Community First Bank, HVAC Loan payment 4,314.56
DHHS 1,627.50
Eakes Office Solution (past due invoices) 311.68
Glass Express (window replacements at EDM) 818.69
Village of Trenton, Utilities2,126.46
REPORT OF OFFICERS, BOARD COMMITTEES
Park/Pool (Swanson, McDonald, Drain): Discussion on repairing basketball court, superintendent Caddick stated he would discuss this more later. Trustee Swanson asked about taking the volleyball net down at the park. Further conversation on what to do with the pool tabled until the contract with Miller & Associates is found and read through.
Street/Trash/Utility (Hodges, Eldridge, McDonald): Nothing to report.
ATTORNEY (Schroeder/Schroeder): Attorney Schroeder has been working on the tort claim from the ambulance accident. LARM will represent the Village in this case. Trustee Hodges informed Attorney Schroeder that the accident report was not correct as the right names were not listed. Schroeder said he would let Fox from LARM know.
Brief discussion on the use of dirt bikes in the Village, further discussion tabled until next meeting. There are no ordinances on dirt bikes directly, therefore they did not need to be licensed. The Village Office will call and give the resident their money back for licensing.
Attorney Schroeder suggested that the Board of Trustees create a resolution for the leasing of the building by the town square. At the next board meeting, a hearing will take place to see if someone else would be interested in leasing the space. Schroeder will draft up a resolution for the resident to lease, with the understanding that they will pay for utilities and make any repairs that need to be made. Once the resolution is passed an ordinance will have to be put in place. Village office will contact LARM about insurance on the building.
FUTURE OF EL DORADO
Trustee Eldridge is concerned about the future of the El Dorado Manor building and talked to Attorney Schroeder about a few ideas that he has to make use of the building. Apartments, hunting cabins, and a gun club are some of the main ones he had in mind, but Schroeder said he will need to do research on the matter if the building doesn’t sell. The Board of Trustees will continue to think of ways to utilize the building in case it doesn’t sell.
ORDINANCE OR RESOLUTION
Attorney Schroeder created a resolution to raise water rates by $0.25 per year, for three (3) years. Board of Trustees want to wait until the new meters are put in and we can increase the electric meter fee at the same time as water rates. Table for next month when everything is updated.
Ordinance #869 introduced by Trustee Hodges.Motion by Hodges, second by Swanson to suspend the statutory reading of the ordinance on three separate days.
Ayes: Swanson, Drain, Eldridge, McDonald, and Hodges. Motion carried.
Motion by Swanson, second by Drain to pass and adopt Ordinance #869 on final reading. Ayes: Swanson, Drain, Eldridge, McDonald, Hodges. Motion carried.
Motion by Drain, second by Hodges to publish Ordinance #869 in Pamphlet form. Ayes: Swanson, Drain, Eldridge, McDonald, Hodges. Motion carried.
UTILITY SUPERINTENDENT (CADDICK): Superintendent Caddick presented the board with the rates for the upcoming Water Conference in Kearney on March 10-12th. Motion by Eldridge, second by Drain to register Caddick for the conference and book a hotel. Ayes: Swanson, Drain, Eldridge, McDonald, Hodges.
Caddick informed the Board that he will get a quote from Shelco when they are here, for the pillars and basketball court at the park.
WATER: Superintendent Caddick informed the board that he turned everything into the state office for our water and is now waiting for the state to release us from our mandatory chlorination.
SEWER: Superintendent Caddick informed the board that everything is working well.
ELECTRIC: Superintendent Caddick informed the board that Great Plains Electric will be here next week to start the work on the substation.
TRASH: Superintendent Caddick informed the board that the old trash truck is not working again. Ruggles will be coming out to look at it.
Caddick informed the board that twelve 2-yard and six 3-yard dumpsters were ordered. They should be here in February.
STREET: Superintendent Caddick informed the board that Shelco was here last week, and they are waiting for locates so they can come in and start the curb work.
VILLAGE CLERK: Clerk Poppert informed the board that meter readings will be January 21st – 23th this month.
LIBRARY: The library board gave their two employees a $1 raise due to the minimum wage increasing by $0.50. They decided to go with a dollar raise now because the minimum wage will increase again next year, therefore the increase next year would be less.
PLANNING COMMISSION: Nothing to report
HOUSING BOARD: Nothing to report
TREE BOARD: Nothing to report
BOARD of HEALTH: Nothing to report
FIRE DEPARTMENT: Clerk Poppert informed the board that the fire department sent over two invoices which they would like to split with the village. One invoice was for insurance. The other was for air packs that were ordered in 2022. The Board of Trustees would like Fire Chief Lucero, and Baker from the Rural Fire Department to attend the next village board meeting to talk more about the invoices and purchases.
Motion by Hodges, second by Swanson to approve the amount of half the insurance claim. Ayes: Drain, Hodges, Eldridge, Swanson, McDonald. Motion carried.
Trenton Volunteer Fire Department received two new member applications.
Motion to accept Sramek’s application by Swanson, second by Drain. Ayes: Eldridge, McDonald, Drain, Swanson, Hodges. Motion carried.
Motion to accept Fields application by Eldridge, second by Drain. Ayes: Hodges, Swanson, Drain, Eldridge, McDonald. Motion carried.
POOL GROUP: Nothing to report
EL DORADO: Clerk Poppert informed the board that El Dorado is still under a contract with Net Health. Last spring Poppert made a stop payment on Net Health, so they were no longer able to automatically take payments out and informed Net Health that El Dorado was no longer in business. Net Health is now reaching out for payment since the contract went until August 2024. Poppert will send the contract to Attorney Schroeder so he can look it over.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Chairperson McDonald informed the Board he got a bid to fix an HVAC leak at El Dorado. The total is $4,570, and the Village would need to pay at least half up front. McDonald told the rest of the board that they would receive 10% off if they paid the whole cost upfront.
Motion to pay Veterans Heating and Air Conditioning the full amount in advance so we could receive 10% off by Eldridge, second by Drain. Ayes: Hodges, McDonald, Swanson, Drain, Eldridge. Motion carried.
NEW BUSINESS
The Board approved a $2 an hour wage increase for Deputy Clerk McCauley, as it was discussed prior to her hiring.
Motion by Eldridge, second by Drain to increase Deputy Clerk’s hourly wage to $18. Ayes: Eldridge, Hodges, Swanson, McDonald, Drain. Motion carried.
CORRESPONDENCE
Nothing to report
Motion by Eldridge, second by Drain to approve the claims list for December 2024. Ayes: Eldridge, McDonald, Hodges, Swanson, Drain. Motion carried.
POSSIBLE EXECUTIVE SESSION
No discussion
Motion by Eldridge, second by Hodges to adjourn at 7:57 pm. Ayes: Drain, Swanson, Eldridge, Hodges, McDonald. Motion Carried.
Next regular meeting will be held on February 11th, 2025, at 5:30 pm in the Village Office.
Phil McDonald, Chairman
Trenton Board of Trustees
ATTEST:
Laurie Poppert
Village Clerk
Published: February 20, 2025; SMN:ZNEZ