VILLAGE OF EXETER MINUTES SEPTEMBER 10, 2025 The Special Hearing to Set the Tax Request, Budget Hearing, One & Six Year Road Hearing and regular meeting of the Exeter Village Board was convened in open and public session on Wednesday September 10, 2025 at 7:00 pm at the Exeter Village Office. Notice of the meeting was given by posting 10 days prior at the Exeter Village Office, Post Office, and Generations Bank and by publishing in the Friend Sentinel on August 27, 2025 and September 3, 2025. Chairperson Alan Michl called the meeting to order. Board members present upon roll call were: Alan Michl, Justin Harre, Bob Mueller and Terry Salyer. Jim Anderson was absent. Clerk Becky Erdkamp recorded the minutes. Chairperson Michl noted that a copy of the Nebraska Open Meetings Act is available in the Village Office for public inspection and review. Visitors present included: Katie Spohn, Brandi Perez and Rhonda Stokebrand. Michl opened the Special Hearing to Set the Tax Request at 7:00 pm. Four options for analysis of levy proposals were reviewed for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. Comparisons were made to 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 tax requests. Each option showed tax requests for the general fund and bond issue. Option No. 1: Same dollar request as last year. Option No. 2: Same levy rate as last year. Option No. 3: Split the difference between No. 1 and No. 2. Option No. 4: Same general fund levy rate and bond rate to cover street and firehall debt. The amounts for Option No. 3 were previously published as required in the Friend Sentinel on September 3, 2025. Discussion was held by the board members. No public comment was received. Michl opened the Budget Hearing at 7:10 pm. Notice of the Budget Hearing was published in the Friend Sentinel on September 3, 2025. Michl made a presentation outlining the key provisions of the proposed budget statement, including but not limited to a comparison of the prior year’s budget. Three copies were available to the public. The 2025 valuation increase provided by Fillmore County was $2,688,222.00 compared to $969,608.00 for 2024. Clerk Erdkamp noted that water meter change outs and increases to minimum wages have been noted during the budget preparation with HBE CPAs and Consultants. The new ambulance should be delivered this fiscal year. Nuisance property abatements will also continue. Possible legislation to decrease property taxes that may come up in the Unicameral next session were also noted. No public comment was received. Michl opened the One & Six Year Road Plan Hearing for fiscal year 2025-2026 at 7:15 pm. Discussion was held. The One Year Plan is for general maintenance of the roads and re-paving of South Depot from Main Street to Burlington Avenue near Farmers Cooperative. The Six Year Plan is to consider additional paving and other projects. Clerk Erdkamp is waiting to hear if the Village’s application for funding from Senator Fischer’s appropriations bill has been approved. No public comment was received. Michl opened the regular board meeting at 7:25 pm. Minutes from the previous meeting were reviewed and approved without correction. An accounts payable listing was presented for approval. Harre moved and Mueller seconded the motion to approve invoices as presented. Voting aye: Salyer, Michl, Mueller and Harre. No nays. Motion carried. Approved invoices as follows: Ameritas Life Insurance Corp $1,333.06; Aqua-Chem, Inc 1,738.63; Barco Municipal Products Inc 379.58; Black, Heather 112.13; Black Hills Energy 346.77; Capital One 1,649.49; EFTPS 5,763.55; Ekeler Repair 248.18; Erdkamp, Rebecca $151.02; Exeter Lumber LLC 40.58; Farmers Cooperative 503.97; Generations Bank 4,290.00; Generations Bank 5,445.00; Generations Insurance 2,744.00; Glenwood 49.92; Greg’s Market 62.57; Hometown Leasing 133.03; Kopchos Sanitation Inc 181.00; League of NE Municipalities 1,986.00; Midwest Laboratories 7.05; Miller, Joey 150.00; Mueller, John 150.00; Murphy Tractor & Equip 89,500.00; Murphy Tractor & Equip 2,000.00; NCSPC 92.31; NCSPC 92.31; NE Dept of Revenue 480.19; NE Municipal Clerk’s Assn 50.00; NE Public Health Env Lab 1,083.00; Perennial Public Power 4,694.74; RJP Environmental Testing 1,074.15; Sapp Bros – York 509.26; Salaries 22,724.57; Sargent Drilling 703.59; Seward County Independent 138.95; Stawniak, Dylan 17.30; Sudrla, Patty 24.28; Turfwerks 51.20; Windstream 346.28; Total Invoices $151,047.66 Michl introduced Resolution 25-01 to set the Property Tax Request as published. The 2025-2026 property tax requested for the General Fund is $203,852.87 and for the Bond Fund is $275,783.00. Harre moved and Salyer seconded the motion to approve Resolution 25-01. All present voted aye. Michl entertained a motion to pass the 2025-2026 Budget as proposed in the Budget Hearing. Mueller moved and Harre seconded the motion to approve the 2025-2026 Budget. All present voted aye. Michl introduced Resolution 25-02 to approve the One & Six Year Road Plan. Harre moved and Mueller seconded the motion to approve Resolution 25-02. All present voted aye. Katie Spohn of Bruning Law Group presented an Engagement Letter to the Village Board. She noted that she represents the City of Friend and Village of Milligan. Another partner represents North Bend and Seward. Since the Village appoints an attorney during the December meeting they would begin at that time. Harre moved and Mueller seconded the motion to hire Bruning Law effective after the December 2025 village board meeting. All present voted aye. The board reviewed estimates from Nebraska Generator Service LLC ($25,675.00) and Nunnenkamp Electric LLC (33,120.05) for generators to cover the entire fire hall. The Rural Fire District will discuss paying for a portion of the generator expenses at their next meeting. Harre moved and Michl seconded the motion to approve the estimate from Nebraska Generator for $25,675.00. All present voted aye. Harre moved and Salyer seconded the motion to go into executive session to discuss personnel issues at 7:35 pm. All present voted aye. Harre moved and Salyer seconded the motion to come out of executive session at 7:45 pm. All present voted aye. Harre moved and Salyer seconded the motion to approve wage increases as follows: John Mueller increased to $29.25 per hour, Joe Miller increased to $21.00 per hour, Becky Erdkamp increased to $23.25 per hour, Cindy Markowski increased to $15.50 per hour, Pat Sudrla increased to $15.00 per hour and Vicki Klemm increased to $15.00 per hour effective immediately. All present voted aye. No Marshal’s Report was presented. John Mueller presented the Maintenance Report. He has ordered replacement posts for the ballfield fence that were damaged during the August 9th windstorm. He noted that the Village Board needs to show progress on the wastewater inspection report. A decision will need to be made soon regarding building a lagoon or installing a pivot system as the Village can no longer meet the federal standards for discharge. He will continue to watch the online auction for the vac trailer. The bid is currently at $9,100.00. The board instructed him to bid up to $25,000.00. Joe Miller has passed the Class IV water operator’s class. A discussion was held on nuisance properties at 321 East North Depot and 115 South River Avenue . Neither owner has requested a hearing or attempted to abate the nuisance. The village has met all legal requirements and may now abate properties. Estimates for cleanup are between $15,000.00 and $20,000.00 per property. Liens will be placed on the properties once cleanup costs are known. Becky Erdkamp presented the Clerk’s Report. Sales tax receipts for June were $14,980.83. Keno receipts for July were $142.71. Several complaints have been received about vehicles parked illegally on the streets around town. Complaints will be forwarded to the Fillmore County Sheriff’s office. Erdkamp asked if Vicki Klemm could help in the office with filing and organizing the storeroom. She currently substitutes in the library and has helped in the office in the past. The next meeting will be held on Tuesday October 7th at 7:00 pm. The meeting adjourned at 8:00 pm. Becky S. Erdkamp Village Clerk/Treasurer FS — September 24, 2025 ZNEZ
