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Votes at a glance: Council approves $435,000 downtown forgivable loan, Laughlin Meadows street-improvement ordinances and multiple appointments
Summary
At its regular meeting, the Hastings City Council approved a $435,000 Community Development Block Grant forgivable loan for 405 West Second Street, adopted three ordinances creating a Laughlin Meadows street improvement district, and confirmed several board and commission appointments. Most measures passed unanimously.
The Hastings City Council on an otherwise routine agenda approved multiple items including a $435,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) forgivable loan for a downtown building, three ordinances creating a street-improvement district for Laughlin Meadows Subdivision No. 17, and several board appointments.
The meeting record shows the council approved the CDBG forgivable loan application for the Community Development Authority in the amount of $435,000 for the building at 405 West Second Street; the motion passed 7 to 0. Randy (city staff) described the funds as a facade/downtown revitalization award that the city will use on a CRA-owned building to replace windows, repair masonry/stucco and make the property more marketable. Randy said the funds originally were allocated to a nearby building that later was demolished and that this project is a backup to use awarded funds before grant deadlines.
The council also adopted three related ordinances creating Street Development/Improvement District 2020-5-1 for Laughlin Meadows Subdivision No. 17. The ordinances (numbers recorded in the meeting as 4,788; 4,789; 4,790) were combined for the vote and passed 7 to 0. City staff described the work as construction of street, water, gas and some storm sewer; the paving will be 6-inch concrete, 31 feet wide with curb and gutter, connecting to existing mains.
Appointments confirmed at the meeting included Sean Rossi and Joe Kendig to the City Planning Commission; Tony Harmon to the Business Improvement District; and William Locke, Jane Marie and Joe Kindig to the City Tree Board. Those motions passed 7 to 0.
Other procedural votes: the consent agenda was approved 7 to 0. The motion to adjourn passed by a 6 to 1 vote at the end of the meeting.
Votes at a glance - Application: CDBG Downtown Revitalization forgivable loan — 405 West Second Street — $435,000 — Outcome: approved — Vote: 7–0. - Ordinances: 4,788 / 4,789 / 4,790 — Create Street Improvement District 2020-5-1 (Laughlin Meadows Subdivision No. 17) — Outcome: adopted — Vote: 7–0. - Appointments: Planning Commission — Sean Rossi; Joe Kendig — Outcome: confirmed — Vote: 7–0. - Appointment: Business Improvement District — Tony Harmon — Outcome: confirmed — Vote: 7–0. - Appointments: City Tree Board — William Locke; Jane Marie; Joe Kindig — Outcome: confirmed — Vote: 7–0. - Consent agenda — Outcome: approved — Vote: 7–0. - Motion to adjourn — Outcome: approved — Vote: 6–1.
Procedural notes and context - The CDBG funds are federal-state passthrough dollars administered via the Nebraska Department of Economic Development for downtown facade improvements; the city will record a five-year forgivable loan (deed of trust/promissory note) to ensure facade improvements are maintained. - Because the downtown district is on the historic register, state historic preservation review was noted as part of the project approval process. - Council repeatedly combined items for efficiency: three Laughlin Meadows ordinances were voted together after a combined motion and then taken on second and final reading in the same meeting after the council suspended the rules.
No formal conditions, amendments or dissenting statements about the substance of the CDBG or ordinance items were recorded in the transcript. Council members and staff described the CDBG use as a way to make a CRA-owned building more marketable to future private investors.
