WAYNE – Tuesday’s regularly scheduled City Council Meeting featured 18 agenda items and got underway at 5:30 from the jam-packed Council Chambers at City Hall. The meeting began with two different proclamations from Mayor Cale Giese. The first proclaimed Arbor Day on April 26th while the second announced Municipal Clerks Week being May 5th-11th.
The City of Wayne has been working together with JEO Consulting Group for the “2019 Nebraska Street Improvement Project”. JEO Consulting Group was represented by Jon Mooberry at Tuesday night’s Council meeting. He announced that there was just one bid received and it was about ten percent higher than the opinion of probable cost. There were a couple of different bids from Robert Woehler and Sons Construction, Inc which differed because of starting dates of the project. Council requested this at a previous meeting. The bid that has a start date of April 1st, 2020 was the bid accepted by Council by a vote of 7-0 for the amount of $1,212,275.06 and Robert Woehler and Sons Construction, Inc. was awarded the contract. Councilmember Chris Woehler abstained from the vote.
The “2018 Pedestrian Curb Ramps Project” project had a change order for an increased amount of $48,086.84. The project is being done by I&A Construction, LLP and with the change order being unanimously passed, will pay for construction of 11 more curb ramps along 3rd Street from Douglas to Pearl Street.
Action on the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission Manager Application of Joshua Sievers for the Wayne Hospitality Group, LLC doing business as The Cobblestone Hotel was presented in front of Council. Sievers is the General Manager of The Cobblestone Hotel and was present at the meeting to speak to Council. Along with some of the upcoming ideas he has for the hotel beer and wine bar, Sievers explained how he has received his certification through the responsible beverage service training that he completed online. Action was approved by Council.
The Wayne Volunteer Fire Department has a new member after Council unanimously approved Christopher Williams. Williams along with Fire Chief, Phil Monahan were at the meeting. Williams moved to Wayne in November and is employed at Great Dane.
Rusty Parker represented Wayne Country Club updating Council on the Golf Course Improvement Project. Construction has been completed since early February. Parker explained the financial side of things to Council and described that out of the 105 pledges from different people, members, and businesses in Wayne; 56 have paid in full, 38 are on time, 10 have made at least a payment and one with intent to pay. Parker brought up that Chamber Coffee will be held at the new clubhouse on May 3rd, and encourages everyone to come check out the new facility.
With the 39th Annual Chicken Day’s steadily getting closer, Irene Fletcher-Mock who is the Assistant Director of WAED was present to request action to close down certain streets for certain events for the weekend. All actions were approved by Council. The first will be on Friday, July 12th. The Henoween Celebration will take place and Main Street from 1st to 3rd Streets will be closed from 2:30 p.m. until 2 a.m. On Saturday, July 13th 10th Street from Lincoln Street to Douglas Street along with Lincoln and Douglas from 8th Street to 10th Street will be closed from 6 a.m. until 5 p.m. for the Annual Chicken Show at Bressler Park. Intersections in that area will also be closed. Main Street will be closed from 1st Street to 10th Street from 9 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. or until the parade is done. 10th Street from Main to Lincoln will also be closed along with Lincoln Street from 10th to 7th as part of the parade. On Sunday, July 14th 2nd Street from Main Street to Pearl Street will be closed for the car show from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m. Action was also approved for a firework display for the Friday night of Chicken Day’s at the Wayne Softball Complex.
Tune into Big Red Country 104.9 on Wednesday morning around 9 a.m. to hear from City Administrator Wes Blecke and Mayor Cale Giese for more in-depth information. There will be a City Council Mini-Retreat on Tuesday, April 30th at 5 p.m. from the Council Chambers and City Hall.