KIMBALL -- The housing rehabilitation partnership between Kimball and Gering is moving forward after the Kimball City Council gave final approval of the board members.

In Tuesday night’s meeting, the city council approved Nan Garrett to serve on the Land Bank Board as Kimball’s representative.

The council ratified and approved the remainder of the board members serving from Gering, which are Tony Kaufman, John Stinner, Brady Shaul, Amy Newman and Kelsey Molina.

The two cities previously entered the interlocal to accumulate distressed properties and fix them up with the help of public funds, federal and state grants, and donations.

Up until a few years ago, Omaha had the only land bank in the state, but Nebraska Legislature opened it up to cities in the rest of the state.

City Attorney Matt Turman said that this is one of the first land banks to be established since the change.

In a city council meeting last year regarding the interlocal, Mayor John Morrison highlighted the importance of the partnership, saying “this is a tool to clean up properties that are in need of upgrading, especially ones that are no longer livable. It will also help get more housing in town.”