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LAUREL – A city-owned care center is trying to figure out its future. The Laurel City Council voted on May 13 to waive the second and third readings of an ordinance that dissolves the advisory board for Hillcrest Care Center and Assisted Living.
“The council will now oversee board functions for the care center,” interim Laurel City Administrator Dan Kuhlman said in a follow-up interview. “Discussion is ongoing on what that oversight committee might look like.”
In related news, the May 14 primary election saw a majority of registered Laurel voters reject a local sales tax referendum that would have helped the care center financially if the ballot measure had been approved. In other business on May 13, the council approved an ordinance to align commercial waste rates with the rates S2 Roll-offs, Refuse and Recycling, Fremont, has set for the City of Laurel. The council approved S2 in April for commercial garbage pickup in the community. The council also heard an update on the issue of dilapidated houses in the city. “The building inspector was in Laurel on April 26 to conduct the inspections on the houses the council identified as dilapidated,” Kuhlman said. “Each (home) that was inspected received a copy of the inspection report. “This agenda item was then moved to the end of the meeting where council entered executive session to discuss this issue and preserve the privacy of the homeowners,” he said.
As far as council discussion on possibly raising the utility disconnect amount, Kuhlman said, “This agenda item was tabled. More information will be gathered and presented at the next city council meeting.” The council unanimously approved Crystal Brummels, Erica Mogensen and Corrine Reifenrath as new Laurel City Library Board members. Lastly, the council approved two of the three building permits on the agenda: Jay Vollers, for a 42-by-26-foot fence, and Zeth and Lindsay Rager, for a 66-by-30-foot fence.
The building permit that was not approved by the council was for the Laurel-Concord-Coleridge FFA Chapter for the installation of a sign on Highway 20. The permit for the LCC FFA to install a sign on Highway 20 was tabled pending approval from the state of Nebraska.
