(A) (1) The municipality shall have power to open, widen, or otherwise improve or vacate any street, avenue, alley, or lane within the limits of the municipality and also to create, open, and improve any new street, avenue, alley, or lane. All damages sustained by the citizens of the municipality, or by the owners of the property therein, shall be ascertained in such manner as shall be provided by ordinance.
(2) Whenever any street or alley is vacated, the same shall revert to the owners of the abutting real estate, one-half on each side thereof and become a part of such property, unless the village reserves title in the ordinance vacating such street or alley. If title is retained by the village, such property may be sold, conveyed, exchanged or leased upon such terms and conditions as shall be deemed in the best interests of the village.
(3) When a portion of a street, avenue, alley, or lane is vacated only on one side of the center thereof, the title to such land shall vest in the owner of the abutting property and become a part of such property, unless the village reserves title in the ordinance vacating such street or alley. If title is retained by the village, such property may be sold, conveyed, exchanged or leased upon such terms and conditions as shall be deemed in the best interests of the village.
(4) When the municipality vacates all or any portion of a street, avenue, alley, or lane, the municipality shall, within 30 days after the effective date of the vacation, file a certified copy of the vacating ordinance with the Register of Deeds for the county in which the vacated property is located to be indexed against all affected lots.
(5) The title to property vacated pursuant to this section shall be subject to the following:
(a) There is reserved to the village the right to maintain, operate, repair, and renew public utilities existing at the time title to the property is vacated there; and
(b) There is reserved to the village, any public utilities, and any cable television systems the right to maintain, repair, renew, and operate water mains, gas mains, pole lines, conduits, electrical transmission lines, sound and signal transmission lines, and other similar services and equipment and appurtenances, including lateral connections or branch lines, on, or below the surface of the ground that are existing as valid easements at the time title to the property is vacated for the purposes of serving the general public or the abutting properties and to enter upon the premises to accomplish such purposes at any and all reasonable times.
(Neb. RS 17-558)
(B) The municipality shall have power to create, open, widen, or extend any street, avenue, alley, off-street parking area, or other public way, or annul, vacate, or discontinue the same.
(`75 Code, § 8-302) (Am. Ord. 396, passed 12-3-02)
Statutory reference:
Authority, Neb. RS 17-558 and 17-559
Eminent domain powers, Neb. RS 76-704 through 76-724