The Broken Bow City Council met in Regular Session Tuesday evening, January 27. All members of the Council were present as Mayor Rod Sonnichsen called the meeting to order at the Broken Bow Municipal Building, at 6:00 PM.
Library Director Reports Continued Good Return on Taxpayer Investment
The Council quickly dispensed with the Consent Agenda items for the evening, approving the prior month’s meeting minutes, bills and treasurer’s report, and the rosters for the Broken Bow Ambulance Service and Fire Department.
In the only other business listed on the Agenda, Broken Bow Library Director Megan Svoboda provided the Annual Library Report for 2024-2025. Svoboda detailed a year of increases in circulation and visitors in a very successful report overall.
Along with the increase in patronage, Broken Bow residents were able to see a significant savings through the year according to Svoboda.
“Our programming and our attendance all increased,” stated Svoboda. “37,724 items were checked out, which was an 8% increase. And by borrowing items, our patrons saved over $700,000 in the year.”
Svoboda noted the City budgets just over $370,000 per year for the library. However Sonnichsen told Svoboda that based on the statistics provided, the taxpayers money was going to a very good place indeed, a sentiment with which others on the board concurred.
Svoboda credited her staff and the Library Board for much of the success. City Administrator Dave Schmidt also noted the library has a very active foundation, which helped provide support and funding for repairs to the library roof and installation of the StoryWalk in Melham Park.
In the coming year, Svoboda plans to continue to focus on upkeep of the library facility, story walk and technology, with enhancements to the surrounding outdoor space; continue to grow the library’s collection; and deepen engagement with community partners to promote services, literacy, and community activities.
City Receives Floodplain Project Update from State
Following the Library Report, Schmidt summarized a recently-received letter from the State of Nebraska Floodplain Management Division. According to the letter, planning and modeling have been updated, including and a response to comments provided by the City in late December.
Through March, the Floodplain Management Division will continue to finalize mapping within the City, with information to be forwarded to FEMA when fully compiled.
City Zoning Administrator Jacob Holcomb stated the gist of the letter is that the State is still gathering data for preliminary maps, at which point the review and comment process will start again.
With no further business to address, the Broken Bow City Council adjourned at 6:13 PM. The Council will next meet in regular session on Tuesday, February 10, at 6:00 PM in the Broken Bow Municipal Building.
