Bull Pens still major concern

By GREG SCELLIN
Signal Editor

The Geneva City Council worked through a light agenda at the council’s regularly-scheduled meeting last week.
Items on the May 5 agenda included:

• Four people talked during Public Comment: Jill Schmidt said, she appreciates the city looking into food trucks and addressing it; Mike Johnson said, without having a solid base, any improvement efforts in the Bull Pens would be mediocre at best. It also said, it seems like the city has money to spend when the right thing pops up. Alice Tatro asked why some Economic Development money couldn’t be used to repair the Bull Pens. She also commented about the costs associated with the Geneva City Park—a project that was brushed under the table. Jerry Otte said, he doesn’t think the city’s problems should be passed down to the county. That the Bull Pen problems started with the city making people park trucks there. Donna Nedrow asked a question.
• Fillmore County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Brendon Kegin was at the meeting and gave a report. He said the FCSO now has nine full-time deputies and two part-time ones.
  “We should have plenty of staffing now,” he said. He also noted the department can now fully work accident reports and a new radio system is in use.
• Councilman Joe Casey said the city’s Infrastructure Committee met with three county supervisors about the Bull Pens. The upcoming asphalt bids for R Street will help with what asphalt costs might be.
• Geneva City Administrator Kyle Svec noted in his report that water lines are currently being flushed with chlorine, so a slight taste may be noted. He also said, five summer staffers will be starting to work here soon. He also said an estimated $3,000 was turned in for removing the asbestos siding at the garage just west of Eddie’s Station. “A number for the council to think about,” Svec said. He also noted that baseball games have begun at the City Ballfields. “So, it’s going to start being busy out there again,” he said.
• Mayor Cody Lightwine said, he would like the city council to go on record that it is opposed to any new designs on U.S. Highway 81 to restrict exiting off the highway. “I want to encourage the State of Nebraska to keep their R cuts out of here,” Lightwine said. “I want to encourage them to not do this in Geneva.”
• Joshua Anderson was appointed a new member of the Geneva Volunteer Fire Department and Cayton Janousek was appointed to the Geneva Sales Tax Economic Development Committee, as a member asked to not serve any more.