Reflections for the Week of January 8-12

Utility Office:

• Seven new residential accounts opened.

• Bills sent for Cycle 1 and Cycle 2.

• Payment reminder notices sent for Cycle 3.

Accounting and Finance:

• Payroll processing Complete.

• IT meeting with managed provider.

• Investment rates researched.

• Pension reconciliation completed.

• Capital plan reviewed for last quarter.

• COPS Hiring Grant Report for last Quarter Submitted.

• FOIA requested information sent.

• End of Year Tax work in process.

BBDC:

• Perfect Blend was held Tuesday at BBGH – featuring Jane’s Closet.

• BBDC held special meeting to discuss Executive Director Transition Plan.

• Participated in Rural Rendezvous Zoom to review results from the UNL Rural Poll. • Went through Demonstration on Placer.AI – migration data tool.

• Listened in NEDA Legislative weekly update via Zoom.

• Participated in the Career Connections of Western Nebraska monthly zoom call. Chamber:

• Just a friendly reminder that our Annual Banquet (weather permitted) is next Weds., 6-9pm at the Westside Event Center, Chamber members, please RSVP for dinner count and come join us for social hour, awards and a great dinner!

• Member renewals are going to be sent out soon and Corporate Sponsorships for 2024 are available. Thank you as always, let’s have a great 2024!

Fire:

• Work continues on the upper restroom remodel project.

• Staff participated in a rules update webinar with Nebraska’s Office of Emergency Health Systems.

• Staff meeting with the City Manager.

• Monthly Department meeting was conducted.

Electric:

• Continue to make progress on a three phase line rebuild project south of Rock Road and CR 55. • Assisted Parks Department with removing the lighting feature at the fountain. • Energized three phase padmount transformer at new Westco fertilizer building site. • Performed monthly MEAN required operation of generation plant.

• Personnel attended “zoom” meeting on new load control system installation and operation. • performed cleaning and testing of live- line work tools.

• Installed metering and secondary equipment on three phase padmount transformer. Airport:

• MALSR update – continues to be the focus of staff. Maintenance/Inspection contract going to council next week. Work continues on getting information in place for required annual inspection along with documentation and manuals for non-federal data base. Staff continues working to find some needed parts.

• Snow & Ice Plan training was conducted.

• Training of new employee continues.

• Participated in Prairie Dog Advisory Board meeting.

• Annual reports turned in to County Assessor.

• Wildlife permits and reports in progress.

Transit:

• 877 riders this week.

Landfill:

• 102 customers this week.

• 121 tons of refuse this week.

• Snow removal.

• Equipment maintenance.

• Baler maintenance.

Streets:

• Picked up Christmas trees.

• Changed out grader blades.

• Applied slice on roads.

• Maintenance on dump trucks.

• Cleaned equipment.

• Serviced sweeper.

• Plowed snow routes and around schools.

Water Sewer:

• Spread gravel around shop.

• Unthawed fire hydrant at 3rd and Ramblin rd.

• Ordered hoses for bypass pump.

• Changed oil in electric motor at Burham well.

• In process of repairing auto reel for vactor truck.

• Completed weekly water samples and chlorine residuals.

• Assisted with snow removal.

• Gas detector was calibrated.

• Organized end of year water files.

• Installed 11 drive by radios.

• Completed 14 utility office work orders.

Museum:

• Staff is compiling Dr. Frank Knight’s journals as he traveled to Europe in the early 1900’s. These journals were sent back to Alliance and posted as a weekly feature in the Newspaper. • The remaining Christmas decorations and trees were taken down, packed up and moved into storage this week.

• Finalized programming for late winter and early spring activities.

• Hosted the monthly scrapbooking event.

RSVP & Senior Center:

• RSVP had 15 volunteers in the community.

• Renewed volunteers and signed up one new volunteer.

Parks:

• Worked on snow removal as necessary throughout the multiple snow storms. • Disassembled decorations at the Knight Museum and stored them.

• Disassembled Christmas decorations at the 3rd and Box Butte mini park and stored them. • Removed Christmas lights from the Central Park Fountain, Disassembled and stored them. Big thanks to the Electric Department for the help with the fountain Lights!

• Registered for Pesticide Applicators certification and recertification.

Library:

• The frigid temperatures this week have prompted us to make some changes on due dates for materials! Any items due now through Monday will have their due dates changed to Tuesday, January 16. We will also be closed Saturday, January 13 due to the forecasted winter weather advisory and sub-zero temperatures. We hope everyone stays safe and warm!

• Technical Services Librarian Emily Nelson made the weekly Bookmobile deliveries, updated the social media pages and website, updated the Staff Pics page, and assisted patrons. She also prepared the Director’s report for December and compiled some of the statistics for the annual survey for the Nebraska Library Commission.

• Children’s Librarian Cynthia Horn conducted outreach visits with three Head Start classrooms and held Story Time featuring Pajama Day with making paper quilts! She also did KCOW announcements, made contacts with schools, organized Book Mobile materials, drafted press releases, performed website and Facebook updates, cataloged new items, and maintained backpacks.

• Adult Services Librarian Nalani Stewart cataloged new materials, helped put up a new Valentine’s Day display, and hosted the book club at Highland Park Care Center.

• Library Clerks Pam Becker and Stephanie Hamilton have been processing new materials, maintaining patron records and accounts, and assisting with decorating the library for Valentine’s Day.