▼

Boards and Commissions

Show All Answers

1. How do I apply for a position on a board?

Fill out the board application and send it to the City Clerk's Office at:
City of Alliance
324 Laramie Ave.
P.O. Box D
Alliance, NE 69301

2. How do I apply to run for City Council?

You come to the City Clerk's Office and pay a registration fee. You then take the receipt to the Box Butte County Clerk's Office to file for the position.

3. How can I be on the City Council agenda?

Anyone requesting to be on the Council agenda must submit a written request to the City Clerk at least one week prior to the meeting.

Agenda items must be submitted in writing and must pertain to City government issues.

▼

City Clerk

Show All Answers

1. How can I contact a council member?

The council members do not have designated offices at the Municipal Offices, but they do have an email address which you can direct questions or concerns. Email

2. Where can I find an ordinance or Municipal Code?

The Municipal Code is available for public viewing in the City Clerk's Office or Public Library and online.

3. How do I get an item on the City Council Agenda?

Items can be placed on the Council agenda by completing the form below. The request must be submitted to the City Clerk no later than seven business days prior to the City Council meeting. Items submitted after the deadline will be scheduled for the following meeting. City Council Agenda Request Form

▼

Community Development

Show All Answers

1. When do I need a building permit?

When you:

Construct any new building of more than 150 square feet

Do an addition to an existing building

Build or add to a fence

Do any interior changes to your building that require structural changes or additions

Finish an unfinished basement Licensing & Permit Standards

2. What is the purpose of zoning?

To protect the health, safety, general welfare, and morals of the community.

3. What can I do if I receive a nuisance violation notice?

Contract the Community Development Department. We have programs that can assist the elderly, handicapped, and others.

▼

Electric Department

Show All Answers

1. What is a power surge?

Most so-called power surges are really something called transient voltages. They can be caused by anything from lightning in the area to static electricity in your body. Some transient voltages can also be caused by solar flares. Such occurrences are well beyond the control of the electric department.

2. Do you have to set that pole or electrical box there?

Usually, yes. Alliance Electric staff does everything they can to avoid interfering with the looks or aesthetics of an area, but sometimes crews have to place electrical equipment in a place that isn’t pleasing to everyone.

3. Why do you have to trim my tree?

Trees in lines can cause costly outage. Alliance Electric has to trim trees to keep the power flowing. The Department closely adheres to its tree trimming policy.

4. What should I do if a tree is dead and in the electric lines?

If the tree is on private property, it's the homeowner's responsibility for removal. Alliance Electric will assist in making sure that your tree contractor can remove it safely.

5. Can you raise my wires?

Probably. Sometimes there are changes that need to be made to the way your service entrance is installed on your home or building. There is a possibility that you might have to contact an electrical contractor to alter your service entrance.

6. What if I build a new deck under electric lines?

Building a deck requires a permit from the Community Development Department. In many cases if wires are too low it is because the deck has been built without getting a permit and having the plans inspected by Community Development. Alliance Electric crews can usually move the service wires but it may be at some expense to the homeowner. If you have built a deck without a permit you should contact Community Development at (308) 762-5400.

7. When can you fix my street light?

Alliance Electric tries to repair street lights and dusk-to-dawn lights as quickly as possible. However, such repairs are sometimes delayed due to activities of a higher priority.

8. Can you turn off a street light shining in my window?

Alliance Electric can usually shield the light so it isn't so intrusive. Unless it is dusk-to-dawn light that you are paying for, Alliance Electric cannot remove it.

9. Can I switch from an overhead service to an underground service?

Yes, Alliance Electric converts many overhead services to underground. You will have to get an electrical contractor to bury a conduit run and modify your house service.

10. Can I get all the poles removed from my yard?

Probably not. Power lines that run through your yard are usually serving electricity to your neighbors. Occasionally, wires can be buried, but it is done at cost to the requester.

11. What is an outage?

An outage is a sudden loss of power due to forces or events outside of our system, such as storms, vehicle collisions, animal interference, etc.

12. How do I report an outage?

During regular business hours call (308) 762-5075. After regular business hours call APD dispatch at (308) 762-4955.

13. What are some common causes of power outages?

• Trees and limbs being blown into lines by high wind
• Trees and limbs falling on lines due to snow
• Lines being broken by ice buildup
• Poles being broken by high winds
• Poles being broken by vehicle accidents
• Wildlife coming in contact with energized lines
• Lightning
• Equipment failure

14. In what order does Alliance Electric Department restore power?

1. Substations
2. Main feeder lines
3. Other three phase lines
4. Single phase lines
5. Single phase transformers
6. Single customers

15. Can I use a portable generator during an outage?

Most portable generators are only powerful enough to run a few necessary appliances in your home. You should never plug your generator into an outlet in your home. If a generator is connected to an outlet in your home, the electricity can travel out onto the Electric Department's lines and through transformers creating a life-threatening situation for Alliance Electric employees trying to restore power.

16. Why do neighbors have power and mine is still off?

Your neighbor could be served off a different transformer or main line. For instance, your service could come from a line in the back of your house, and your neighbor across the street could be served from a line running along the street in front of your home. In the event that your power hasn't been restored but your neighbors has, please call (308) 762-1907 to report this.

▼

Fire Department

Show All Answers

1. What should I do after a fire?

For information on what to do after a fire, view After the Fire.

2. Where can I get a burn permit?

Obtain a burn permit at the fire station.

▼

Police Department

Show All Answers

1. How do I license my ATV

Contact the Alliance Police Department

▼

Water / Sewer

Show All Answers

1. What are the black specks in my drinking water?

This is a harmless mineral that exists naturally in our drinking water and becomes visible the longer it is exposed to oxygen. Watering your lawn is the quickest and easiest way of flushing your water pipes. Occasionally, the City will flush neighborhood fire hydrants to reduce this nuisance.

2. What are the white floating specks or flakes in my water?

White flakes are typically a naturally occurring, harmless mineral called calcium. As water is exposed to oxygen, minerals precipitate and become visible. Home water filters are a typical way to get rid of these nuisance minerals.

3. Who is responsible for unplugging a sewage clog?

If your sewer is backing up only when you flush a toilet, run water down a sink drain, do laundry, or wash disses, the plug would be in the house plumbing or the sewer service line that connects to the City's main. In this case, you should call a plumber or rent a machine to unplug the line.

On the other hand, you can recognize a plugged City main because sewage will continually backup and not stop until the City responds by unplugging the City main. Contact the Police Department at (308) 762-4955 to report a plugged sewer and the on call person can assist in determining the location of a plugged line.

4. Why is my water bill so high?

Water rates have been increasing in part to promote conservation as well as to pay for recently mandated treatment costs. The most common problem for high water bills are hidden leaks. The most common is a leaking toilet. This can be detected by putting food coloring in the toilet tank or dye tabs provided for free by the Water Department. Without flushing, observe if the toilet water in the bowl is changing color, if so, you have a leaking flapper valve. This should be replaced. If you own a water softener, pay particular attention to when and how long the softener recharges to waste. Occasionally these units stick in a permanent recharge mode and waste a tremendous amount of water. Have your unit checked often.