City Council to shift to maintenance-focused nuisance program for year

Three main items encompassed the Grant City Council’s regular meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 10—approval of a conditional use permit for Western Sky Community Care Center for signage construction; approval of a bid from Koop Vinyl Fence & Construction to establish new fencing at the ball park and tennis courts in the park; and approval of the city’s nuisance officer and nuisance maintenance program through Wester Central Nebraska Development District (WCNDD). Present at the meeting were Mayor Lisa Schmitt, Council members Sam Sims and Tierney Petersen. Absent were Council members Andrea Brueggeman and Kim Bishop, and City Superintendent Derek Brueggeman.

Nuisance Maintenance Program, Manager Approved

As in years past, the council has once again hired WCNDD as the city’s nuisance officer for the upcoming year, a position that WCNDD has maintained for many years. However, new this year will be the council’s approach to its yearly nuisance enforcement program.

Instead of contracting to enter into a full city quadrant-by-quadrant nuisance inspection cycle with WCNDD, the council has decided to enter into a maintenance only program. According to WCNDD Executive Director Edward Dunn, The City of Grant recently finished a complete five-year nuisance review of all sections of Grant, and had the option to move forward with a maintenance program and chose to do so.

The maintenance program will focus on reviewing and monitoring only properties that were previously identified during the past quadrant inspections, rather than starting the quadrant-by-quadrant cycle over, according to City Superintendent Derek Brueggeman, who provided follow-up information through email.

“This approach is more cost-effective because it does not require a full new inspection of every quadrant,” Brueggeman said. “Instead, it concentrates resources on locations where nuisance issues have already been documented, helping reduce repeat violations while lowering overall program costs.”

The cost of the maintenance program for this year will be $7,400, according to city documents. The Tribune-Sentinel requested information from WCNDD Executive Director Dunn in an email about the cost to the city during the years when the quadrant-by-quadrant program was in place. He said the cost varied based on the number of parcels in each section, current cost for mileage, current cost for postage and current employee hourly rate. Because of these variables, Dunn said he could not provide an average cost. The Tribune-Sentinel also requested the average cost in other years for the quadrant-by-quadrant program from Brueggeman, but did not hear back by deadline.

According to WCNDD, a total of 61 properties were declared as nuisances within the Grant city limits since 2021, with six of those properties needing abatement during that time.

Nuisance abatement is the process used by local governments to correct or remove conditions on a property that may threaten public health, safety, or the reasonable use and enjoyment of nearby property. Under Nebraska law, abatement can include actions such as removing junk or debris, cleaning up unsanitary conditions, repairing or demolishing unsafe structures, or stopping activities that create health or safety hazards.

The following is a breakdown of the number of structures within Grant declared as nuisances each year since 2021, and how many of those were abated in that same year, provided by WCNDD:

 • 2021—Declared:18; Abated:3

• 2022—Abated: 3 (Carry Over from 2021)

 • 2023—Declared: 24; 2023 Abated: 0

 • 2024—Declared: 10; 2024 Abated: 0

 • 2025—Declared: 9; 2024 Abated: 0

Accompanying this article is a map provided by WCNDD showing the properties that will be reviewed in the upcoming 2026 nuisance maintenance season. Those properties with a check mark represent a property that needed abatement, Dunn said.

Brueggeman said property owners whose locations are identified on the map can expect follow-up review and communication if nuisance conditions are observed again.

“The goal is continued compliance and the prevention of recurring issues, rather than restarting the entire inspection cycle from scratch this year,” Brueggeman said.

Brueggeman also commented that at this time, the maintenance program is expected to be the primary method used following completion of an all quadrant inspection. Specific timelines will depend on scheduling and review cycles coordinated with WCNDD, but the intent of this program is ongoing monitoring rather than restarting the one-time sweeps, he said.

New Fencing to be Installed in Rec Areas

During its meeting, the City Council also approved fencing improvements for both the ball fields and tennis courts, both aimed at improving safety and extending the life of recreational facilities.

The council awarded the bid for the project to Koop Vinyl Fence & Construction, authorizing work on two separate areas: replacement of the backstop at one of the ball fields and upgrades to fencing at the tennis court for a total of $69,293.70.

At the ball fields, the project will focus on removing and replacing the deteriorated backstop fencing on the northeast field. Brueggeman said the current fencing is no longer in good condition and replacing it will help improve safety for players and spectators while keeping the facility functional for practices and games. The updated fencing is also expected to better contain fly balls and support long-term use of the field.

At the tennis court, improvements will involve replacing only the fencing fabric while leaving the existing poles and historic entrance gates in place, Brueggeman said. He said this approach helps control costs while addressing worn materials and maintaining the original character of the facility.

Council members said the project has been budgeted and that donated banner proceeds from prior years and the current year will help cover costs. During discussion, officials emphasized the importance of preserving existing gates at the tennis court as part of the upgrade.

The fencing improvements are part of ongoing efforts to maintain city recreational amenities and keep facilities safe and usable for the community.

Permit Approved for Signage at WSCCC

After confirming the planning commission’s review and approval, the Grant City Council approved a conditional use permit for Western Sky Community Care Center to establish a sign in front of their building located at 351 W. 10th Street. The facility will install an approximately 5-by-9-foot internally lit sign, about 8 feet 2 inches tall, set roughly 50 feet back from the curb.

Present at the meeting was WSCCC Board Member Chris Loeffler, who thanked the council, and invited all in attendance to the care facility’s open house set on Saturday, March 21 from 1 to 4 p.m.