City Awarded Insurance Return

It isn't often an insurance carrier approaches a client with the words “Here's a check.” More often it is facing the challenge of minimizing claims and related increases.

But that was not the case in the July 14 Sidney City Council meeting when the City was presented with a check for about $146,000. The return was presented by Rob Robinson of Points West Insurance.

“What its based on is your loss ratio,” Robinson told the city council.

He said in addition to safety, company also stresses risk management.

“The City's always been very positive,” he said.

In other business, the council consented to the public library purchasing a new HVAC unit. Library Director Richard Sandstrom said the unit is about 20 years old and needs frequent maintenance.

“They've tried repairing it,” Sandstrom said.

He added the unit is to the point the thermostat is frequently unplugged at night.

“After consulting with the last repair person, reviewing ongoing costs of repairs and age of the unit, we decided it was more cost effective to replace the unit,” he said in his memo.

Bids were sought from Best Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, Day & Night Plumbing and Independent Plumbing & Heating out of Scottsbluff. Sandstrom recommended Best Plumbing as the low bid of $13,214.70.

In his budget report for June, City Manager David Scott said the budget “seems to be following a trend.”

In 2017, the June Property Tax and DMV revenue accounted for $1,073,146 of the $1,498,518 budget, 72 percent of the budget. In 2018, the percentage was at 70 (1,079,536 of a $1539,187 budget. In 2019, the June budget was at 73 percent ($1,064,178 of $1,453,095) and for this year June is up to 79 percent at $1,058,325 of $1,336,570 budgeted.

Total funds for June are at 71 percent, compared to 74 percent in 2019, 70 percent in 2018 and 66 percent in 2017.

Mosquito spraying is underway. The program started on Sunday, July 19.

The council also discussed how to conduct the July 28 council meeting and keep it within the physical distancing directives. The July 28 meeting will be held in Room 116 at Western Nebraska Community College in Sidney, 371 College Drive, at 7:15 p.m.

Mayor Roger Gallaway announced the possibility of land bank groups, as defined in LB720.

He said the concept is to take a dilapidated, abandoned property, rehabilitate it and return it to the tax rolls.

“It's an economic development tool,” he said.

An executive session was called at 7:45 p.m. The closed door meeting was called to finalize the city manager contract.