Council Signs Agreement With Schools

HARTINGTON — The Hartington City Council and schools agreed Monday on a new contract at the Hartington Community Complex.
Both Cedar Catholic and Hartington Public School agreed to contracts with the city for use of the Complex.
Each school will pay $7,500 to use the facilities for the school year ending May 31. The  contract will automatically be renewed unless the city cancels by Feb. 1, or the school notifies by March 1.
In other action, the Council made a  motion to contact Ray Knutson concerning a debt from a city paving project which had fallen through the cracks.

The debt occurred nearly 15 years ago. The debt had deminished to $775.
Mayor Bill Yates said Knutson protested having to pay for the paving of the street in front of his lot 15 years ago. He should have been billed for the work, but never was.  Now, with only two years remaining on the dwindling bill, Knutson will be contacted and told he must pay the $775.
In other action, the Council also discussed a ban on certain breeds of dogs.
A new bill passed by the legislature has recently changed the definition of a dangerous, or potentially dangerous dog.  In the new provision, it also limits the moving of dangerous dogs from one community to another.
“Many say, ‘it’s not the dog, it’s the owner,” city lawyer Steve Pier said. “But we should probably change the dog ordinance.”
Pier said other cities had passed a ban, but felt some resistance.
Both Holdrege and Hastings City Councils are considering a ban, and Osceola had passed a ban on pit bulls and seven other breeds of dog inside city limits.  Omaha, whose recent pit bull attack on a 15-month-old girl left her in the hospital, is also considering a ban.
Hartington’s City Council will look at updating the Dog Ordinance and possibly banning certain breeds.
The Council also passed a motion to start collecting a $10 fee for returned or insufficient funds checks.
The Council also learned about the possible need for a storm sewer project. Once estimates are gathered, the Council will discuss the  Felber Street project between Oak and Capitol.

The City Council  also approved four building permits, one was for the new Alltel Wireless Telecom Facility.
With the consent of the Council, Alltel will now be building a radio tower to help transmit wireless signals.
Other building permits approved were a storage shed and shop for Ron Lammers, a storage shed for Karen Bonneau and a basement and addition for Tory Opfer.