City adds spaces for handicap, appoints Modlin to Council

The Hebron City Council approved the appointment of Doug Modlin Monday evening to fill the seat vacated by Tyler Watson, who is the city’s new summer recreation director. Pictured from left to right are Kyle Timmerman, Tim Pickering, Mayor Doug Huber, Robert Dodes, Doug Modlin, Kurk Wiedel and Rita Luongo. 

The Hebron City Council added handicap parking spaces to the swimming pool and ball field at its regular meeting Monday evening. In addition to the existing van accessible handicap parking spot at the pool, there will be one more handicap space. On the ball field side, three spaces for handicap parking was approved that would include one for van accessible.

The council also approved the appointment of Doug Modlin, who is replacing Tyler Watson. Watson resigned his seat to become the city’s new summer recreation director. His position runs from Feb. 1 to Oct. 1 and he will be paid $9,000. Watson will have a myriad of duties with developing and collecting registration sheets for summer teams beginning Feb. 1. He will also be responsible for mowing, spraying and trimming at the Hebron Recreation Complex and Riverside Park. Watson will also prepare the sand volleyball courts for play. 

Dennis Dye of the city’s planning commission also spoke. The commission does not see a problem with historical signage for the city’s historical walk project that a committee has been working on to highlight historical points of interest in the city. The committee has also conducted a number of interviews with older residents to complete its historical project.

Signs under one square foot are not in the city zoning regulations, Dye said. 

The commission discussed future residential development in Hebron, where infrastructure is not provided, annexing and tax increment financing, but nothing specific is being discussed in public at this time. 

In another approval, the council is in contract negotiations with Dave Farnstrom, the owner of the parking lot across from the ball field. There is a very small strip of land previously acquired by the city from Farnstrom and that strip of land was returned to Farnstrom in a decision made by the council at Monday’s meeting. The city and Farnstrom are negotiating on a cable fence for the lot. 

The city already has the cable for the fencing, Mayor Doug Huber said.

Southeast Community College Learning Center Coordinator Wendy Friesen provided the council with an overview on the center’s history and what it offers. The center opened in 2017. It is one of six in the southeast Nebraska region. Southeast Community College has a 15-county area and the learning centers help cover the large region. The centers offer GED classes, English language learning, testing services, and credit and non-credit courses for high school students, including career pathways,  to adult professions. Instruction is given in person and virtually, and SCC also uses technology for instruction. 

The college would like to strengthen its relationship with industries and provide custom training.