Grand Island City Council Regular Meeting - May 21, 2024
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Grand Island City Council Regular Meeting – May 21, 2024
The Grand Island City Council held its regular meeting on May 21, 2024 at 7:00 PM in Council Chambers, 100 E First Street. All councilmembers were present except Mike Pollock. Mayor Still recused himself from agenda item 8C due to a conflict of interest (his wife offers music instruction at home). The meeting included a public hearing on home occupation regulations, a utility rate study presentation, consent agenda approvals, and adoption of plumbing and mechanical code amendments.
Consent Calendar
- Approved minutes of the May 7, 2024 City Council meeting.
- Approved payment of claims for May 8–21, 2024, in the reduced amount of $6,048,079.58 (original amount $6,060,608.71), via a separate vote.
- Approved consent items 7C–7I: final plats for GI Acres 2nd Subdivision and Webb Road Third Subdivision; bid award for steam coil air heater; professional engineering services for 2024 Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation (Project 2024-S-3); bid award for automated oil & grease solid phase extraction system; amendment to Resolution 2022-246 Section 5339 Transit Agreement; and temporary construction easements for Tri Street Drainage Improvements (Project 2023-D-1).
Public Comments & Testimony
- On 8C (Home Occupations), 13 speakers addressed the Council. Supporters (including Alicia Glaser, owner/instructor of Glaser Music Studio; her husband Brian Glaser; attorney Mitchell Stalick; students and parents) asked the Council to allow up to eight pupils for music/cultural art/dance instruction, citing benefits of group learning, access to music education, and the studio's safety rules. Several neighbors (Tracy Gillespie, John Gillespie, Elsie Klein) expressed concerns about traffic, parking, and safety in the cul-de-sac, with some urging denial or a move to commercial space. One speaker, Daryl Pools, questioned why the limit was set at four originally and suggested considering commercial space.
- On 8A (Hooker Bros. Sand & Gravel CUP renewal), a speaker representing landowners expressed ongoing concerns about drainage in the area and requested documentation of those concerns. Jeff Hooker responded that the east pit drainage ditch had been replaced, and city/County/NRD efforts to improve regional drainage are ongoing, awaiting Corps of Engineers approval and easements.
Discussion Items
- Home Occupations Amendment (Ordinance #9976): The current code allows music lessons to one pupil at a time, but cultural art/dance to four. The applicant (Glaser Music Studio) requested changing the limit to eight pupils for all three categories. The Planning Commission recommended adding music to the existing four-pupil limit for cultural art/dance. Council members debated the appropriate number. Motion initially made to approve with eight, then amended to approve with four. Concerns raised about traffic, enforcement, quiet enjoyment, and the citywide application. The amended motion passed 8-1, with Jason Connolly voting no.
- Utility Rate Study (Electric, Water, Wastewater): John Krajewski, P.E. of JK Energy Consulting presented a cost-of-service/rate design study. Key points:
- Electric: No general rate increase for 17 years. Proposed 6% increase Oct 2024 and 3% Oct 2025. Residential customer charge would rise from $8 to $11, then $14. A typical residential bill would rise $5.02/month in FY25 and $2.69/month in FY26 (with offsetting energy charge decrease in second year). Other proposals: standby rate, updated economic development rate, interruptible rate, separating the City's payment-in-lieu-of-tax, power factor penalty, and a 12-month power cost adjustment. Rates would still be lowest among peer utilities.
- Water: Proposed 7.4% increase in FY25 (includes 0.4% for backflow prevention federal mandate) and 7.7% in FY26. Service fee from $6.50 to $6.90, then $7.30. Typical inside-city residential increase estimated at $1.82/month in 2025. Rate structure simplified from six to four blocks; uniform 20% surcharge for outside-city customers; fire hydrant fees up 9%.
- Wastewater: Projected FY25 deficit of $3.7 million. Long-term capital needs include clarifier improvements (~$20M in 2030–31) and South Intercept Project (~$100M). Proposed increases: 6% through 2028, 3% 2029–2031, 2% 2032–2033 (cumulative ~40%), to avoid large spikes. Penalty fees for exceedances would increase.
- This was an informational presentation; rate ordinances/resolutions will be at a future meeting.
Key Outcomes
- Approved consent agenda (7A–7I, with 7B separately) unanimously.
- Approved payment of claims for $6,048,079.58 (7B) unanimously.
- Approved Resolution #2024-128 renewing Hooker Bros. Sand & Gravel conditional use permit for 10 years (8A) unanimously.
- Approved Ordinance #2024-129 acquiring permanent drainage easement for Tri Street Drainage Improvements (8B) unanimously.
- Adopted Ordinance #9976 amending Chapter 36-99 to allow music, cultural art, or dance instruction for up to four pupils at one time (8C) by 8-1 vote (Connolly no; Mayor recused).
- Suspended rules and adopted Ordinance #9974 (Plumbing) and #9975 (Mechanical) clarifying "employee" to include agents, contractors, subcontractors, and independent contractors; both passed unanimously.
Meeting Transcript
Welcome to our meeting. The date is May 21, 2024. The time is 7 p.m. This is an open meeting of the Grand Island City Council. The City of Grand Island abides by the Open Meetings Act in conducting business. A copy of the Open Meetings Act is displayed in the back of this room as required by state law. The City Council may vote to go into closed session on any agenda item as allowed by state law. At this time, please stand and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. The Deputy City Clerk will now perform roll call. Councilmember Krasinski present. Councilmember Hasi. Present. Councilmember Sheard. Present. Councilmember Pollock will be absent. Councilmember Fiske. Present. Council President Stelk. Present. Councilmember Nickerson. Present. Councilmember Landford. Present. Councilmember Conley. Present. And Mayor Still. Present. Also present are Sonia Cisneros, the Deputy City Clerk, Laura McAloon, the City Administrator, Patrick Brown, the Assistant City Administrator, Carrie Fisk, the City Attorney, and Keith Kurtz, the public works director. Individuals who have appropriate items for city council consideration should complete the request for future agenda items form located at the information booth. If the issue can be handled administratively without council action, notification will be provided. If the item is scheduled for a meeting or study session, notification of the date will be given. First, we're going to poll seven B, the approving the payment of claims, because the amount has been reduced from six million sixty thousand six hundred eighty dollars and seventy-one cents to six million forty eight forty-eight thousand seventy-nine dollars and fifty-eight cents. So because the amount was changed with a reduction, we will vote on seven B separately. On another matter, we have thirteen people who have signed up to speak on agenda item eight C. That is the public hearing to consider changes to Grand Island Chapter 36-99, home occupations. If council members have no objection, since we have so many people who would like to speak on this, I would like to move this up as the first item on our agenda so that these people do not have to wait a long time before they have an opportunity to speak. So I'm just looking down the ranks of the council members. Okay, we'll we'll pull that. And with those housekeeping matters, are there any other consent agenda items that council members would like to remove for additional consideration? Hearing none, we will continue. A sign-up sheet was available in the lobby for individuals wishing to provide input on any of tonight's agenda items. If you did not sign up to speak on an agenda item, please come forward, state your name and the agenda topic on which you will be speaking. I don't know if there is a there was a second sheet back there that only had two names on it. I don't know if you would receive that. If not, Mr. Stelleck, I have it. Thank you. I have you down. Okay, we will continue then with agenda item 8C. Public hearing to consider changes to Grand Island chapter 36-99 home occupations.
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