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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Grand Island City Council Regular Meeting - March 11, 2025

City Council — Tuesday, March 11, 2025

BodyGrand Island, Nebraska

SessionCity Council

DateTuesday, March 11, 2025

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 45:39

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:14

Welcome to our meeting.

0:16

The date is March 11, 2025.

0:20

The time is 7 p.m.

0:22

This is an open meeting of the Grand Island City Council.

0:26

The City of Grand Island abides by the Open Meetings Act in conducting business.

0:31

A copy of the Open Meetings Act is displayed in the back of this room as required by state law.

0:38

The City Council may vote to go into closed session on any agenda item as allowed by state law.

0:46

Ladies and gentlemen, at this time I ask that we all stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

0:56

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

1:04

One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

1:22

Council President Sheard.

1:24

Present.

1:24

Council Member Stelk.

1:26

Present.

1:26

Council Member Connolly.

1:28

Present.

1:28

Councilmember Nickerson.

1:30

Present.

1:30

Councilmember Brown.

1:32

Present.

1:32

Councilmember Hossee.

1:34

Present.

1:34

Councilmember Mendoza.

1:36

Present.

1:37

Councilmember O'Neill.

1:38

Present.

1:39

Council Member Pollock.

1:41

Present.

1:41

Councilmember Lamfield will be absent.

1:43

And Mayor Steele.

1:45

Present.

1:46

Also present are Sonia Cisneros, the deputy city clerk, Laura McAloon, the City Administrator.

1:56

Matthew Gleason, the finance director, Carrie Fisk, the City Attorney, Keith Kurtz, the Public Works Director, and Patrick Brown, the assistant city administrator, Chief Financial Officer.

2:15

Individuals who have appropriate items for City Council consideration should complete the request for future agenda items form located at the information booth.

2:26

If the issue can be handled administratively without council action, notification will be provided.

2:34

If the item is scheduled for a meeting or study session, notification of the date will be given.

2:43

Council members, do you wish to remove any of tonight's consent agenda items?

2:51

Mr.

2:52

Hawsey.

2:53

Thank you, Mayor.

2:54

I'd like to remove item U, Resolution 2025-88, approving financial institution change authorization.

3:04

Thank you, Mr.

3:05

Hawsey.

3:15

Hearing no others, we shall continue.

3:20

A sign-up sheet was available in the lobby for individuals wishing to provide input on any of tonight's agenda items.

3:29

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.

3:52

So we shall continue.

4:07

The first being recognition of Brad Foster for 40 years of service with this with the City of Grand Island and also recognition of Grand Island Senior High Individual Wrestling Champions.

4:24

And I will discuss these remarkable people briefly before Mrs.

4:30

Cisneros and I go down to the main podium and present certificates and pins.

4:38

Regarding Brad Brad Foster and recognizing him for 40 years, actually 41.

4:45

You corrected me when I spoke to you earlier.

4:49

Forty years of serve, 41 years of service to the city of Grand Island.

4:53

Tonight we're happy to celebrate city horticulturist horticulturalist Brad Foster, who has served our city for the past 41 years.

5:04

Back in 1984, Brad joined our city staff as a parks maintenance worker, but it only took seven years for him to be promoted to horticulturalist in April of 1992.

5:20

And it's a role where you have truly thrived.

5:26

Mr.

5:26

Foster, your impact is everywhere.

5:29

Alongside your team of volunteers, you helped create the city greenhouse, and you have planted and are now caring for two 25,000 annuals and perennials across eight city parks and properties.

5:46

Parks and recreation director Todd McCoy put it best when he said, your plants don't just bring beautiful colors to our parks, they provide environmental and therapeutic benefits for our entire community.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Procedural███████████████████████23%

Youth Programs████████████████████20%

Public Finance██████████████████18%

Zoning And Land Use█████████████13%

Public Engagement█████████9%

Parks and Recreation██████6%

Personnel Matters███3%

Procurement Policy███3%

Engineering And Infrastructure███3%

Summary of Proceedings

Grand Island City Council Regular Meeting - March 11, 2025

The Grand Island City Council met on March 11, 2025, at 7:00 PM at Council Chambers, 100 E First Street. The meeting included recognitions, consent agenda approval, public hearings on right-of-way acquisitions, a referral for a blight study, and an ordinance recodifying business improvement districts.

Consent Calendar

Approved by a 9-0 vote (items A through T), with item U (Resolution 2025-88 on financial institution changes) removed for separate consideration.
Items included approval of minutes, payment of claims totaling $2,678,978.18, temporary construction easements, contract renewals, bid awards, certificates of final completion, and various administrative approvals.

Discussion Items

Financial Institution Changes Authorization (Item 7U): Matt Gleason, Finance Director, explained the resolution would allow the mayor and finance director to sign paperwork for financial institutions without requiring a council resolution for each instance. Councilmember Hawsey opposed, arguing the public's right to know required such changes to come before the council. Patrick Brown clarified the measure was infrequent and similar to a 2018 practice. After debate, the motion passed 7-2 (Brown and Pollock voting no; Hosse also no, but roll call shows Hosse no, Mendoza yes, O'Neill yes, Pollock no).
Blight and Substandard Study Referral (Item 9A): Chad Nabity and Keith Marvin (consultant) presented a blight study for approximately 49 acres at the northwest corner of Capitol Avenue and North Road, owned by Staraska Development and SGRE Communities. The study found the area met criteria for blighted/substandard designation. Mike Botts (developer representative) noted the project would likely lead to TIF applications for single-family and multifamily housing. A public commenter, Gerald Pools, questioned the percentage of extremely blighted property; Nabity clarified no statutory maximum exists and the addition would be 0.17 percent to overall blighted acreage.
Ordinance 10,012 – Recodify Business Improvement Districts: City Attorney Carrie Fisk explained the ordinance would re-codify active and expired BIDs into city code and establish a default structure for future BIDs. No current BID applications are pending.

Public Comments & Testimony

Gerald Pools (West Highway 30) spoke during the blight study discussion, raising concerns about ambiguity in TIF blight studies and the percentage of extremely blighted property. He asked if there was a maximum threshold. Nabity responded that state law caps blighted area at 35% of municipal limits, with extremely blighted subtracted; this project would add 0.17%.

Key Outcomes

Consent Agenda (A-T) approved unanimously (9-0).
Resolution 2025-88 (Item 7U) approved 7-2, allowing mayor and finance director to sign financial institution paperwork without future council resolutions.
Public Hearing 8A (South Locust Street Improvements) – Resolution 2025-89 approved unanimously (9-0) for acquisition of public right-of-way and permanent easements.
Public Hearing 8B (Independence Avenue) – Resolution 2025-90 approved unanimously (9-0) for acquisition of permanent easements.
Item 9A (Blight Study Referral) – Council voted unanimously to refer the blight and substandard study to the Hall County Regional Planning Commission for further review.
Ordinance 10,012 – Council suspended rules and approved the ordinance (on merits) to recodify business improvement districts.

Meeting Transcript

Welcome to our meeting. The date is March 11, 2025. 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. Ladies and gentlemen, at this time I ask that we all stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Council President Sheard. Present. Council Member Stelk. Present. Council Member Connolly. Present. Councilmember Nickerson. Present. Councilmember Brown. Present. Councilmember Hossee. Present. Councilmember Mendoza. Present. Councilmember O'Neill. Present. Council Member Pollock. Present. Councilmember Lamfield will be absent. And Mayor Steele. Present. Also present are Sonia Cisneros, the deputy city clerk, Laura McAloon, the City Administrator. Matthew Gleason, the finance director, Carrie Fisk, the City Attorney, Keith Kurtz, the Public Works Director, and Patrick Brown, the assistant city administrator, Chief Financial Officer. 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. Council members, do you wish to remove any of tonight's consent agenda items? Mr. Hawsey. Thank you, Mayor. I'd like to remove item U, Resolution 2025-88, approving financial institution change authorization. Thank you, Mr. Hawsey. Hearing no others, we shall 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. So we shall continue. The first being recognition of Brad Foster for 40 years of service with this with the City of Grand Island and also recognition of Grand Island Senior High Individual Wrestling Champions. And I will discuss these remarkable people briefly before Mrs. Cisneros and I go down to the main podium and present certificates and pins.

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