Grand Island City Council Study Session on FY2025 Budgets – July 30, 2024

The Grand Island City Council held a study session on July 30, 2024, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers to discuss four proposed budgets for fiscal year 2025: the Library, Fire & Ambulance, Police Department, and Emergency Management. No votes were taken; the session was for discussion and information gathering. Councilmembers present included Sheard, Pollock, Fitzkey, Nickerson, Lanthier, Conley, and Mayor Steele. Council President Stelk was absent.

Library Budget Proposal

• Library Director Celine Swan presented the FY2025 library budget, requesting the addition of 2 full-time equivalents (FTEs) and five part-time library assistants to extend hours (Monday–Thursday, 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM) and improve community access. The proposed personnel increase was 5.81%, and operating expenses were up 2%.
• Swan noted that the library would seek alternative funding from the library foundation and potential cuts to offset the costs. She highlighted the library's economic impact ($3.4 million in savings to patrons per Nebraska Library Commission data), a 75% increase in adult programming attendance, and a 99% increase in makerspace users.
• A capital request for a $65,000 auto-lend library kiosk was also presented.
• Councilmember Pollock supported the requests, stating the budget was “bare to the bone.” Councilmember Nickerson asked about the volunteer program and sustainability of new staff. Swan indicated very low turnover and a willingness to explore grants for long-term funding.

Fire & Ambulance Budget Proposal

• Fire Chief Corey Schmidt presented the fire and ambulance budget. Personnel costs appeared to increase 51% due to transferring six employees from fire to ambulance to staff a third ambulance (effective January 2024). The actual net personnel increase was about $286,000, largely due to a 6% contractual raise.
• Operating expenses rose 7.55% for ambulance and 4.67% for fire, driven by paramedic training and division chief testing.
• Capital requests included a new ladder truck ($2,340,000), a carryover ambulance ($75,000 grant), bunker gear ($300,000), exercise equipment ($125,000, with an $85,131 grant), software upgrades, hose replacement, portable radios, overhead door replacements, a mobile repeater, and a Lucas device ($20,000, with a $6,000 grant).
• Chief Schmidt requested one additional fire captain for training and risk reduction, citing that six of seven comparable cities have dedicated training officers. The position would oversee a 12-week in-house recruit program and help reduce injury claims ($1 million in claims last year).
• Councilmembers Sheard and Nickerson expressed support, noting the importance of training and safety. Nickerson asked about the third ambulance’s shift structure (24-hour shifts) and the ladder truck funding. The assistant city administrator indicated funding decisions would be informed by an upcoming municipal advisor selection.

Police Department Budget Proposal

• Police Chief Danny presented the FY2025 police budget. He requested one new lieutenant and one new sergeant (reduced from an original seven FTE request) to improve middle management and allow sergeants to spend more time in the field (target 75% field, 25% office). He also proposed reclassifying two captains to division chiefs.
• Operating expenses increased by about $500,000, including higher travel/training, professional services, law enforcement center maintenance (doubled to $50,000, matched by county), and the humane society contract. Capital equipment totaled about $1.1 million (reduced to $963,000 with grants), covering eight patrol vehicles, weapons, ballistic shields, radios, and a Flock camera system already installed.
• Chief Danny outlined a multi-year plan: a dedicated traffic unit (year 2) and a violent crime reduction unit (year 3), alongside continued community engagement efforts like coffee meetings at local businesses.
• Councilmember Sheard praised the department’s progress and asked about hiring diversity. The chief noted recent hires include Spanish-speaking and female officers from the community. Councilmember Nickerson inquired about the management structure and expense scrutiny, confirming the budget was thoroughly vetted by the city’s administrative team.

Emergency Management Budget Proposal

• Emergency Management Director John Rosenlund presented the budget. No new FTEs were requested; personnel costs increased 7% due to step and COLA increases. Operating expenses rose 5.2%, driven by higher IT support and a new custodial contract.
• The major capital item was the P25 radio system project, with a 75% federal grant (awarded to the state, city as subgrantee). The remaining 25% match will be split between the city and county, with the county board expressing readiness. A site visit with FEMA is scheduled for August 6, 2024. Rosenlund hopes to finalize the grant this fall.
• Other capital requests included two outdoor warning sirens, radio repeaters, dispatch monitors, emergency operations center PC updates, and an audio recorder (potentially covered by the P25 contract).
• Councilmember Hosse asked about the viability of the siren system and the What3Words location app. Rosenlund affirmed the role of sirens for outdoor warning and noted that What3Words is not yet integrated into the CAD system but could be in the future. He also mentioned a future potential upgrade to automatically triggered sirens.

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes were taken; all items were presented for discussion and will be considered as part of the overall FY2025 budget adoption process.
• The city council will continue budget deliberations, with further decisions on funding for new positions, capital equipment, and the ladder truck expected after the municipal advisor is selected and the P25 grant is finalized.
• The Fire Department’s training captain request and the Police Department’s lieutenant/sergeant requests were well received, with councilmembers emphasizing the need for sustainable funding sources.