The city of Hastings is accepting the deed for property damaged by fire, with the hope the ground once again will be available for construction.
Members of the Hastings City Council voted 6-0 at their regular meeting Monday to accept a deed from Roxy Epperson for the property located at 1938 W. Eighth St. Council members Ted Schroeder and Jeniffer Beahm were absent.
“The property was fire-damaged and needs to be destroyed,” City Attorney Clint Schukei said. “The asbestos has been mitigated. The real estate taxes are paid on it. So it’s kind of a cost sharing thing where the city will use some of the monies that were just appropriated in the most recent budget to tear that down and then after that’s done, property would be available for infill housing.”
The monies Schukei was referring to are $300,000 in the general fund allotted for razing uninhabitable houses.
Chief Building Official Kevin Kubo said after the council meeting he has a list of about eight such houses in Hastings needing to come down.
“I know there’s a number of them out there, and that’s why we appropriated those dollars, to be able to help take care of that,” Mayor Corey Stutte said.
Councilman Chuck Rosenberg expressed safety concerns about the house at 1938 W. Eighth St.
During mayor’s communications, Stutte read a proclamation stating November is Hastings Family Caregiver Month.
Jinx Hackler, representing Hastings Respite Care as part of the South Central Caregiver Town Hall Coalition, said family caregivers are an important part of the community.
Hackler was joined at the council meeting by fellow South Central Caregiver Town Hall Coalition members.
“The true strength of our families find their roots in an unwavering commitment to care for one another,” Hackler said. “In difficult times we all manage to come together and ensure our loved ones are comfortable and safe. Whether we are caring for a parent, a spouse or a child, family caregivers selflessly devote much of their time and energy to the well-being of those they care for. It is during this time we come together for national family caregiver awareness month.”
It’s important to honor the individuals providing essential services to family members who otherwise couldn’t care for themselves, Hackler saiid.
She is asking anyone who cares for a family member to take time during November and thank those individuals for all they are doing.
“I’m just asking, if you know of someone who cares for a loved one with special needs personally, you probably know all the stress and what upheaval they live in all the time,” she said.
Along with Gov. Pete Ricketts, Stutte will participate in a remote Nebraska Caregiver Coalition National Family Caregiver Month proclamation signing at 1 p.m. Nov. 18.
Also during the meeting, council members:
- Unanimously approved a resolution approving Municipal Annual Certification of Program Compliance Form 2022.
- Unanimously approved the second reading of an ordinance amending city code sections addressing the definitions of child care and regulations of home occupations. Council members also unanimously approved suspending the rules and passing the ordinance on the final reading.
