City continues solar project discussions; police will get bonuses

    A couple of major steps forward were taken by Imperial’s city council Monday.
    The four council members gave the go-ahead to proceed with a solar project here, and also approved bonuses for newly-hired police officers and those currently employed.
    An agreement with SE Municipal Solar LLC had been reviewed by City Attorney Josh Wendell, who read through the near 80 pages of detail and made some recommendations Monday night.
    The project, if it proceeds further, will build a solar array on city property between the transfer station and sewer ponds, said Public Works Supt. Pat Davison.
    All of the solar power generated at the site will be purchased by the city and diverted into its electrical system, adding to the power purchased from Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska, said Davison.
    “If we didn’t have the solar power, we would be buying power at a slightly higher rate,”  Davison said.
    The amount of power produced will depend on how much the sun shines when in operation. The agreement has not specified those amounts as of yet, he said.
    SE Municipal Solar will build the facility at their cost, and Imperial will provide a new transformer and connection to the distribution system, expected to cost between $25,000 and $35,000.
    The city will also benefit by getting the environmental credits from the solar power usage at the Imperial site, while SE Municipal Solar will get the tax credits, according to the agreement.
    City Attorney Wendell recommended the city require SE Municipal Solar get a bond to cover the cost to decommission the site in the future.
    The agreement states the company will be responsible for the decommission when it’s no longer used, but Wendell felt requiring a bond will assure that.
    SE Municipal Solar is talking with 22-24 other communities on similar proposals, Davison said.
    Davison noted it’s still early in the process, but Monday’s verbal go-ahead allows him to continue discussions.  
Police bonuses
    After discussion two weeks ago, the council approved bonuses for current police officers and for new ones signing on to work in Imperial.
    The police department has been without a fourth officer for about a year, and Chief Ryan Wisnieski said at the Feb. 22 meeting it is getting costly.
    Since the 2021-22 budget year started the first of October, more than $27,000 has been paid out in overtime, Wisnieski reported.

    With more than 50 law enforcement positions open across the state, he said last month he was open to ideas.
    City Attorney Wendell drew up an ordinance that detailed the city’s bonus program.
    For new officers who are certified, a one-time $10,000 bonus will be paid—$5,000 at the time the officer is hired, and $5,000 six months later.
    Newly-hired officers not certified, and for whom the city would have to pay about $15,000 for certification school, will receive a one-time $5,000 bonus—$2,500 at the time the officer is hired, and $2,500 six months later.
    Retention bonuses for current officers were also approved via the ordinance.
    Any sworn officer employed by the city more than one year will receive an immediate one-time bonus of $10,000.
    Those employed more than six months but less than one year will also receive a $10,000 bonus—$5,000 paid immediately and $5,000 paid on the officer’s one-year anniversary of city employment.
    The ordinance lapses on April 1, 2023, and the council voted to add a statement that officers can qualify for only one bonus.
    At last month’s meeting, Wisnieski said he believed one of the officers who interviewed recently would take the job here if some type of signing bonus was provided.
Other business
    The mayor and council will meet for an annual retreat on Tuesday at 4 p.m. in the former fire hall meeting room, 637 Broadway, to discuss future planning.
    The council gave 4-0 approval to Mayor Dwight Coleman’s appointment of Brianna Pribbeno to the city’s library board, replacing Cindy Roesener.
    The council also heard two presentations on health insurance plans from Brown & Brown and Partners Health Alliance. They will discuss the plans further at the March 15 retreat.
    The city’s current health plan comes up for renewal April 1.
    At the start of the meeting, council members, the city attorney and Leyland met with their legal counsel in closed session to discuss Dan and Stacy Leibhart’s litigation against the city. No action resulted.