Gothenburg City Council approves promotion

A 16-year veteran of the city’s electrical department is the new foreman.

Gothenburg City Council members approved the promotion at their Feb. 4 meeting.

Baker had been acting foreman since the previous head, Mike Libich, was diagnosed with cancer.

Libich died from a brain tumor in January.

A graduate of Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Baker joined the local electrical department in 1997.

Baker oversees three employees in the department.

In other action, the council approved a professional service agreement with West Central Nebraska Development District to prepare and submit a pre-application for Nebraska Affordable Housing Program funds through a Community Development Block Grant.

If awarded, five eligible owners of homes in Gothenburg would receive money to rehabilitate their owner-occupied residences.

Part of the eligibility is that owners have incomes at or below 100% of the area median income.

The program provides forgivable loans for housing repairs up to a maximum of $25,000 per home.

Documents show that the city could receive $155,000 to carry out rehabilitation and pay administrative and management fees.

City administrator Bruce Clymer said, if the city receives the funds, there will be a $10,000 administration fee paid by the city to WCNND.

Mayor Joyce Hudson was also authorized to sign a pre-application.

On another matter, the council granted two special designated licenses for Gothenburg Links to serve alcohol at local beer gardens on March 7.

The first is a business after hours at the Gothenburg Medical Clinic from 5-7 p.m. and the second is at a Ducks Unlimited event at the Nebraska Salt & Grain’s downtown building from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Council members also learned that a representative from Hanna-Keelan will attend a planning and zoning commission meeting to kick off the updating of Gothenburg’s zoning and subdivision ordinances.

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

308-537-3636