Welcome to our meeting.

The date is August 19, 2025.

The time is 6 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.

I ask that you join us and stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag.

The city clerk will now perform roll call.

Council President Shearden.

Present.

Councilmember Stelk.

Present.

Councilmember Conley will be absent.

Councilmember Nickerson.

Present.

Councilmember Brown.

Present.

Councilmember Hazi.

Present.

Councilman Mendoza will be absent.

Councilmember O'Neill?

Present.

Councilmember Pollock.

Present.

Councilmember Lanfear.

And Mayor Steele.

Present.

Also present are Jill Grinier, the City Clerk.

Laura McAloon, the city administrator.

Patrick Brown, the assistant city administrator and chief financial officer.

Carrie Fisk, the city attorney, and Keith Kurtz, the public works director.

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.

Thank you, Mayor Council.

Gerald Pools 5A.

Thank you.

Hearing from no one else, we will proceed with our agenda.

5A, fiscal year 2026, parks and recreation budget proposal.

Mr.

McCoy.

Thank you, Mayor.

City Council.

Sorry.

Okay.

Just gonna start off with a little background.

So the Parks and Recreation Department is comprised of five divisions.

We have the Parks Division, Recreation, Cemetery, Golf, and the shooting park.

Park Operations is basically our maintenance division.

They're responsible for the upkeep of ball fields, park courts, playgrounds, trails, park trees, etc.

They have 14 full-time employees, and they try to hire about 22 seasonal employees each year.

The recreation division, which consists of Island Oasis, the Field House, Stalley Train, Lincoln Pool, the Children's Summer Programs have three full-time positions, and they'll hire up to a hundred and fifty seasonals each summer.

The cemetery division has five full-time staff, uh, one part-time staff, and they tried to hire about six seasonals each summer.

So now JackRabbit Run golf course is managed by Landscapes Unlimited currently.

Um and Heartland Public Shooting Park is managed by Hornaday.

Um in the audience today, we have our superintendents from parks, recreation, and cemetery.

We have team members from Hornaday and landscapes to answer any questions.

Um just a little bit more background.

So um the way the management contracts are um, I guess made up, so landscapes will actually um provide a operational budget that to the city for approval because the the revenue is actually the city's revenue, the expenses are the city's revenue.

The the way the the shooting park is set up with Hornaday, they uh don't submit a an operational budget uh because they collect the revenues, they set the fees, but they also are responsible for all the expenses.

Because they collect the revenues, they set the fees, but they also are responsible for all the expenses.

That's how that's set up.

But they will submit a budget for capital expenses and that type of thing.

We'll talk about that a little bit later.

So I got in your packets, there was probably almost 70 slides.

I'm not going to go through all the slides and and the ones I do, I'm gonna fly through as much as I can just in the interest of time.

But if council has any questions on any of the information in your packet, please you know turn your light on.

Um if I go too fast through a slide, turn your light on, I'll answer any questions, and we can dive into dive into the to each thing.

And at the end, I'll I'll also I'll I'll leave some time for uh the Hornaday team and the landscape team if they'd like to make any comments or or answer any questions from from council.

Okay, getting into the presentation.

You'll see our personnel and operating proposed budgets.

Overall, we had an 8.8% increase in personnel and a 12% increase in operating.

Um really this budget that we turned in reflects our master plan.

Council might recall that we um could just recently completed a master plan uh for the parks and recreation department.

Um the master plan actually recommended uh two full-time additional um FTEs for maintenance worker and eight additional seasonals, and increasing our operations our operational budget from three thousand three hundred and seventy-five dollars per acre to four thousand fifteen dollars per acre.

So, but we realize that's you know a lot to bite off right away.

Um so what we did is we took a two-prong approach.

Um, we are requesting one FTE, one full-time FTE, and increasing the budget by 120,000 for our park operations to do things like hiring out of spraying and some some irrigation services, small projects, and and tree services.

Um we are proposing from on the revenue side, we are proposing 150,000 of revenue to offset some of these expenses attributed to the work that we do in the good life district, whether it be the veterans complex or Eagle Scout Park.

So there's some some opportunities there.

Um we spend a lot of staff time, there's utility costs, there's projects in those inside the good life district, there's repairs, fertilizer, you name it.

There's over 150.

We we anticipate there's over 150,000 of cost that we could um that we could uh um bring back to uh the department from the good life district.

Okay, so here's the the one FTE request.

Uh, this is a full-time maintenance worker.

Um, this is a skilled workers, skilled worker position.

They're gonna be able to handle heavy equipment, um, be able to groom athletic fields, work on playgrounds.

But really, the primary thing we want this individual to do is help us with our um some in-house help with our irrigation systems.

We have 62 irrigation systems in the parks and or I'm sorry, seriously 62 irrigation in the in uh 34 parks, and they're they're all commercial irrigation systems.

Just some recent projects.

I'm not gonna go through everything, but if uh you uh look around some of our park facilities, you'll see that we've been very busy uh these last few years.

Um if you if you look at Ryder Park, Stolly Park improvements, some of our playgrounds are um shelters.

It's really been exciting to see what our staff has accomplished and and honestly our partners that we have in our community that have helped us make these things happen.

So uh also just drive by the skate park if you that it's it's pretty much complete now.

We've got a little landscaping to do, but the skate park is done very impressive.

Uh check out drive-through Stolly Parks with those improvements have uh are are pretty much complete now.

Okay, here's just a quick update on our 2005 projects.

Um I'm not gonna go through them all again, but we budgeted 6.8 million dollars last year.

Um we spent 3.3 million dollars, and we're um anticipating carrying over 2.5 million dollars, and we'll have about a million dollars being unspent from last year.

Carryover projects, there's just four carryover projects.

Um all four of these are really about ready to get started.

Um they actually might be done by the time the next fiscal year comes, but we don't think we'll probably get the bills in until after October 1st when the new fiscal comes.

So we're we're calling these carryover projects.

Okay, so getting into some of these other projects again.

I'm gonna go quickly through these.

I feel like council has seen a lot of these projects a lot.

We're probably gonna talk again some more about some of these projects.

So I'm not gonna dive into them too much, but if you want details on anything, please ask.

Um I don't know if it's good timing, bad timing, uh the stars aligning, whatever you want to call it.

We would have a pretty normal budget if it wasn't for what I'm starting to call the the big four projects.

So we've got four projects that have kind of are just coming to the top right now.

Um at this time at this time.

It's the island oasis project, it's the South Locust Trail Project, it's the Ryder Field Project, and a Stulley Train Project.

So those are four projects that we've been working on for some time, but they're all um coming up now.

Um Island Oasis is the first slide here.

So it's council might remember we did a master plan of facility evaluation of Island Oasis back in 2002.

They gave us some great recommendations.

We had public input on what they would like what the public would like to see the water park to be.

Um in November, we hired um Water's Edge to give us a design of this this renovation project.

Um Kyle with Water's Edge was just here and talked to council in June, presented uh the renovation plan of uh of uh separating the wave pool from the from the leisure pool, new children's area, splash pad, putt putt golf.

Um and then a plan to also just some areas where we can actually uh um keep the water park open longer so it can add some revenue and kind of that shoulder season.

Um the design is now complete of that.

We've we completed that design, and we're just about to go to bed.

The rider baseball field project.

So this is actually about a 3.7 million dollar project.

Uh again, we have some private money.

Council may recall a group of baseball stakeholders, American Legion supporters approached city council, gave a presentation to renovate the Ryder Park baseball field.

Um, again, I won't go into the details of that project right now today, but it the design is complete.

Um the project has been bid, and we are just waiting to award that bid.

The Stally train area again.

Uh just like the uh Ryder Park baseball field, we had a group of enthusiasts come uh to council, um, gave a presentation um on a th on a on a project to renovate the Solley train area.

Um the design is almost complete.

It was paid for all by private dollars that design.

We're we're gonna bid it soon.

And and again, let me know if you want any details on any of these projects.

So the South Locust Street Project.

So this one's currently in design.

Um current the uh connection would go out to Camp Augustine um along or uh would start at the diversion along South Locust.

Um talking to public works.

This is this might be more of a six million dollar project.

Uh in my I have maybe an older image here, but uh the current design is to just go past the uh um I guess what's the north bridge, so we wouldn't go we wouldn't have two bridges in the current design.

So it would be um we think maybe more of a six million dollar project.

So that's the big four.

So the other big one on here is the uh Pier Lake uh trail renovation.

This one um I was gonna talk to you a little bit about.

Um this one may not, this one could slide this year because we're still trying to study what we want to do here.

Um there's I'll just point it out here.

There's some erosion happening um kind of along this seawall right here.

It's hard to see, but it's starting to collapse a little bit on the trail.

So we we're gonna need to do something here in the near future.

Um, but again, it may not get done this year, but we'll we we'd like to get it started, at least getting some of the study done or some of the study figured out.

Um, we may actually move this trail a little further, you know, away from the the lake's edge, or we or we may do some regrading of the of the slope um to to the lake.

So we're we're working on that, but we did put a pretty sizable number there just to kind of cover us.

So again, I'm gonna go through these pretty quickly.

East Fadley irrigation system, which is the this small park just east of the um uh the old St.

Francis Hospital.

The irrigation system's just failing, and we need to replace that.

Mr.

Hawsi has a question.

Todd, back on uh Pier Lake.

In in prior years, we had some uh issues where only one of the three fountains were working.

Has that been fixed?

Yep, two fountain.

We have two fountains and an aerator that are all working right now.

Okay, I thought there was three at one time.

But there was three uh so what Barry's saying that there was three it's been quite a few years, so we've we've been operating with two for quite a few years.

There is an underwater aeration system also, so a lot of people may not know, so that that is been incorporated.

So the the issue that was caused by only having the one working sprinkler, which was the smell from the water.

That's the calls I was getting.

Uh has that then been remedied, remedied?

I'm sorry, what was that question again?

So I used to get calls um regarding the smell coming off the lake, but it was because the fountains weren't all working.

So has the smell been taken care of that that problem?

We have we have not had any phone calls on smell for a while.

I think you know, obviously, weather plays a big part of it too.

You know, we've this has been a rainy year year, and so it's hasn't been as you know, it's the water's been moving around a little bit more, but we have two of two uh two uh um of those fountains that are working and the underwater area.

We have not had in we have not had complaints.

Okay, thank you, Todd.

So greenhouse renovation of 91,000.

This is just some structural repairs, some trusses, columns, base plates.

Um one to replace the temperature alarm system and some update some planters.

Cemetery columbarium, the ash burials are are very uh popular, so we want to continue to add columbariums, the cemetery.

Ashley Park playground replacement.

Um this is uh just kind of an ongoing effort.

We've been doing a pretty good job of replacing some of the outdated playgrounds, and this is the next one on the list.

The Lincoln Pool diving board is a smaller project, it's just to replace some pedestals that are um just needing to be replaced at Lincoln Pool.

Uh the parks contingency that is just a fund that we used if we have any overruns, you know, change orders, unexpected projects.

So that's a that just gives us a little more flexibility.

Park roads and park updates.

Um this is again kind of a placeholder.

This is we we want to keep um updating and repairing our parking lots and our roads in the parks.

Um the uh park that we kind of have uh um earmarked for this for this year is Ashley Park.

Picnic shelters.

Again, we've been replacing picnic shelters as much as we can just to keep those keep them updated.

Um we will do one or two, depending on the size of the of the picnic shelter, and depends on the uh the with the price we get, honestly.

And um the we we uh are looking at Eagle Scout Park for for picnic shelter replacements.

Um again, tennis and pickleball court renovations.

This is something that's kind of an ongoing thing.

Um we did Beakler Park last year, we did Stully Park again uh two years ago, and we are looking at a renovation at uh um Gray Sabbath Park this year.

Uh trail development.

We um received uh a grant, a federal grant for the West uh connector trail.

Council may remember this.

This is just a long process.

Um it's uh I want to say of $365,000 total of uh City of Grand Island dollars and federal portion is 1.46 million dollars, and this is just to kind of keep the design process going and uh the construction would be planned for 2027.

Okay, capital equipment.

Um this is a small list for us, actually.

Um that what we usually have.

Um I don't really have anything that the only thing I might point out is we have a have a turf tank robotic um line painter, which I thought was brings us in the 21st century with uh some of our just to try to help be efficient with some of the some of our our workloads um so that the the painter can actually do soccer fields and baseball fields, and you still it's not like walk away from it, you still have to babysit it a little bit, but you're you're gonna have some time maybe to go work on that irrigation head or you know, go uh groom a field and that type of thing.

So we we want to try this to you know try to to uh develop some efficiency.

Uh I'm no you can't see this list, so I'm not gonna spend any time on it, but it's in your packet, it's our it's our five-year plan.

Um it can and it will change, but again, I just it's in your packet, so if there's any questions.

So the golf budget, like I said, the golf course submits a budget.

Um that's I don't have their official budget, it is in your packet.

I think it was like the last page in your package.

So if you have any questions on that, I know like I said, the landscapes team is here for any questions.

And this is kind of just a uh I guess a highlight of the golf course budget, and I see there's lights on, so Mitch.

Are you sliding into golf course now, or will this still be under the park's umbrella?

Because I have questions.

This is yeah, we're slow, yeah.

We're basically sliding into the golf course and the shooting park now.

So before we get into those two, I've still got questions from your previous presentation.

Okay.

Looking at the four big projects that you're talking about, and I know we've talked about this capital, and we've not nailed anything down yet this year, and I'm not sure when that will be nailed down for exactly what projects will be approved and which will be funded and how they'll be funded.

That still has yet to be determined.

But out of those projects, there's only one that I'm aware of that has a recommendation of being completed within this next fiscal year, and that's the island oasis, the big one, the 16 million dollar.

If that was approved, they said they think they could have that done.

On those others, what is your guesstimate when we're looking at Ryder Park?

Is that a one year?

Is that multi-year?

Yeah, we'll have it done.

Uh the plan is we're gonna try to award it on October 14th, and we will have baseball games on if the if everything goes to the plan, we'll have baseball games on there by May 25th.

Well, that could and should be done in the next fiscal year.

So that could be two projects that could be done with deliverables.

The Stalley Park train project, a lot of parts in there.

How does that pencil out as far as completion?

Is that multi-year?

We're gonna we're gonna have uh kind of wade through that a little bit, but as I mentioned, the design is almost done.

We're we're planning to bid that yet in the next you know, um, 30 to 60 days, probably, and we could have construction going as soon as this if we have good weather this year and into the spring.

We think that that one will be done in 2026 as well.

Everything that was on the plan you think could be done within a fiscal year?

Yes.

Okay, all goes well.

Well, there's three that could be done with deliverables to the community, people that can enjoy those things.

I'm not gonna talk about the South Local Trail thing right now.

Probably talk about that in the next meeting.

Uh the Pier Lake thing, you said that's possible you could push that back.

So there's some dollars there that might be able to be utilized this year, and that could be pushed back.

So that's something that we can factor in as we're talking about capital here this year, it sounds like I would yes, we still there's there's some just some legwork to do there yet.

So it may take a yeah, it might be next, it might be 27 by the time we get it complete.

Okay.

Then you talked about Grace Abbott tennis court, which I live a block and a half away from.

Is that going to be you you see that being a tennis slash pickleball development?

Uh it's not being used much as tennis right now, but I don't know if we could have a dual purpose court set up, or if you what's your thoughts on how what's the plan on that?

Maybe.

So that that's the I mean, honestly, that's it does need to be rehabbed.

It's in it's it's it's it's due to be rehabbed.

Um we yeah, we're gonna look at both options.

I think that's we've been kind of looking at what can we um what can we do with it, who can we serve, and who's gonna benefit the most?

But we do not have we don't have a pickleball court layout for it yet, or yeah, so we're still in the planning stages for that as well.

I would sure recommend that you look at that, even if there's a way to dual purpose that with additional lines.

We do that at the field house.

Is it ideal?

No, but once people know what the lines are, they can play and um tennis.

As a guy that lives block and a half away, I probably see less than 50 people a year even standing on that court.

But I that obviously I'm not there every minute of the day, but I just don't see it utilized hardly at all for tennis.

But I guarantee it would be utilized for pickleball, and if we make a dual purpose, that would be great.

Then lastly, I want to commend you and everybody that was involved, our volunteers and everybody on this beautiful Stalley Park garden that's been transformed, just transform that place beyond words.

It it's just incredibly beautiful.

And we've got the Hornity Pavilion there, and we've got all of that.

Gorgeous.

What is the plan to make sure that that looks just as good three years from now as it looks today?

Because I hope the answer isn't volunteers, because we're gonna be asking too much for volunteers to keep that up, in my opinion.

So, what's the thoughts on that?

So what's the thoughts on that and the maintenance of that to ensure that it looks as great forever as it does right now?

Well, first of all, I echo what you said.

The the uh and again, that's why I mentioned at the beginning the partnerships that we've had with some of our community, you know, you know, leaders, organizations has been amazing, and that's why we have something like that.

The friends of the park, um, this wouldn't have happened without them, and and and donors, of course.

Um, so yeah, it's and it has been a it has been a partnership because our staff's been down there working side by side, and it's it's uh just been fun to see.

You know, um, you know, standing here before you today, this is the process that we use in the park in the city as we submit our our annual budgets, and that this is important to us, right?

To to keep this up, so um, and we have a master plan.

We will be requesting you know, you know, funding to support park facilities, and this is a park facility.

Um, we don't have and I think maybe you talk about you know, if there's uh an endowment account or a fund or there is nothing like that for for that particular facility, um, like there is at the rider park purney playground.

Um but uh again, this that's the process that we use.

We we make requests to city council and to keep uh park facilities nice for the community.

Yes, but we have fall to go through, we have spring of next year, which falls in this fiscal year budget that we're talking about.

And do you have any funds in there to help take care of that area as needed without relying on volunteers, their abilities to try to keep it up?

Do you have staff that's able to do that?

I mean, because the stuff has to be watered, it has to, and when the leaves start falling, changes everything in there because the leaves have to be taken care of.

We've got we've got a beautiful gem there.

We have to make sure that it looks that good, and I it's just through some maintenance, probably on a weekly basis, and then once we get into fall and the leaves are fallen and the snow's on the ground, it's not an issue, but come spring, it is an issue again, and the funds need to be available, the personnel needs to be available.

I don't know what that plan is, and I get very nervous to see all of that beautiful work go to pot if we don't have an actual plan to make sure it stays up.

Yeah, I mean, right now it is uh again a partnership.

We our staff is down there working um side by side with the volunteers.

If the volunteers you know were to step away, then we would have to um spend more time down there as a staffing standpoint, and then I would see yes, probably more requests coming to city council for additional staffing, you know, to take care of those things that are important.

But uh, you know, right now today we're working side by side.

I mean, our staff is working side by side with the volunteers, and it is uh it's a beautiful park right now.

It is very beautiful, and I would I would not advocate for volunteers to go away.

I just want the city not to be dependent on volunteers to maintain what we have that's that beautiful, and that would go across everything.

And it might even mean contracting with somebody else that does that kind of work, so you don't have to do it because again, this isn't gonna be a high maintenance every day.

You have to be out there, it's gonna have to be spot checked occasionally by people that know what they're doing.

Our volunteers played a huge role in that.

I think they still some still want to be actively engaged, and that's great, and I would sure encourage that.

The knowledge they have is invaluable on how some of that works, and I just don't want that to fall apart, nor would anybody that's appreciated what's come from that.

I I totally agree, and I just I do want to say, you know, even in our parks and rec master plan, we want you know, I think yes, we have to adapt, and if if uh the volunteers were to disappear, then we would you know have to change our you know, change some of our requests and that type of thing, but we want to foster more volunteers.

We as part of our parks and rec master plan.

We want to have more partnerships.

We want we hope we can grow it in the future.

We hope that that that becomes more of a community pride to be able to um you know work again, work side by side with city staff and and uh have these beautiful parks facilities.

Okay, all righty, thank you, Mr.

Sheard.

Thank you.

Um your slide that had the spread sheet zoomed out.

Uh I had to pull it up on my phone just to kind of look at the the numbers at the bottom of that.

So those numbers for the budget for 26 for those of us that can't squint that much, it's 32 million dollars, and then it drops to three million next year's budget 2.7, 2.7-ish, 2.6 and change.

This is with the 15.9 for the island oasis.

But we know that we've talked about doing that potentially is bonding that and doing some different things.

How much Patrick, maybe you're the one to answer that.

What how would we bond that?

How much is that going to actually cost us over what time period?

Have we decided that yet?

No, no, excuse me.

Depending on if we want to use cash reserves, how much we want to borrow.

And this particular asset, I would I would if we borrow, depending on how much we borrow, I'd go up to 20 years because that would be probably the life of it.

We're gonna talk about that more Thursday.

Yeah, right.

Uh I guess my question for you then is there's not, I mean, relatively after this year, as you said, the stars are aligned.

We drop from 30 or yeah, 32 million down to three million.

Are you anticipating any more at all in these next four years?

I mean, like I I said, this would have been a probably a normal budget year if it wasn't for the the big four coming into like is it alignment right now, but you you never know.

I mean, you never know what project comes up.

You know, sometimes it's uh a priority of uh you know the community that kind of brings it to the top or whatever, but right now I don't have anything else sitting on my desk.

I've these four projects are really what I have right now, the big ones.

And I guess just to echo something or rephrase the question, maybe that Mitch asked.

Can you get all four of those done in a year?

All four of them.

That's that's the plan.

I think so I I honestly think our friends from the public works department's gonna help us with the trail.

So I think that's gonna take some that'll that'll help with that.

Um the uh the ball field, the baseball field, like I said, it's gonna go fast.

Um and I think the uh um so that'll that'll that'll be quick, and then the Stalley Park will probably be a little longer.

So yes, I think we're in good shape to be able to handle them all.

And then with the writer, uh the whatever happened the last meeting we talked about that.

The bid you have, are you confident that that can still go out in October when we've pushed it back?

Or are you gonna have to rebid?

Are you behind is that gonna the uh contractor has indicated that he will hold his prices, so that's a really big thing, yes.

Less them.

Um okay.

All right, thank you.

Mr.

Paula.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh Todd.

Not a knock to you, but we've got three projects in the fire now that need to be done.

One of them's the trail to Camp Augustine, the other ones Ryder Park, and the third one is the one that's been kicked down the road so long that I I almost remember when it was a plan, uh, is the water park.

And that's you know, you're looking at probably 23 million with those three projects.

If we do the water park the way it was suggested.

Now, the only reason that the stars lined up for you is because we probably gave you the money, would be my guess for your capital projects and stuff.

But we need to sit down and figure out what we're gonna do instead of kicking the can down the road on all these big projects.

It just and the five percent a year growth on some of them is a lot.

You know, we're up to over 15 million now on the water park, and it didn't start out that much.

Uh so I I'm not dips in you.

I'm gets in the council.

We need to we need to sit down and work on this.

Otherwise, we're next year we're gonna be at the same place we were this year and the year before.

I remember going through the same thing with probably eight years ago.

So you know, we need to sit down and figure out what we're gonna do instead of just kind of talking and kicking the can down the road.

It might be painful, and we may have to bond it.

But it needs to get done so we can get on these little projects.

That's all I need to say, Todd.

Thanks.

Mr.

Lanfear.

In the paper you talked about, you mentioned closing down these little recreation areas around town.

Is that still in your master plan?

I hope not, because that serves the very youngest members of our town.

No, not really to shut down.

We're probably our plan is to try one.

We're we're going to try what we think is a slot, and we really need to we we'll need to um figure that out for this spring.

So that's something we'll do this winter.

But our plan was to just plant the bottoms of them with more of a uh um you know native grasses and that type of thing, and so not as much mowing.

And and our plan is to do one, and and quite honestly, if it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out.

We won't do anymore.

And so we just thought we could try one and see how it goes.

Okay.

Second, the South Lucas Trail.

How did that slip into your budget?

I don't think member of the council ever talking about that seriously.

And as far as I'm concerned, until something is done by the state at Camp Augustine, this is a no-go.

It's uh a sidewalk to nowhere.

There's nothing down there.

You go to the country, go to the end, you turn around and come back past cornfields.

And this is not the right time, in my opinion, Port.

And you have plenty of other big number but big dollar projects in your budget.

This would be one that could really wait until we see some progress at Augustine.

Thank you.

Mr.

Hawsey.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh Todd, I'm actually up to your current slide.

Okay.

So we were talking about the golf there, and one thing I can tell you, because there's a five-year view in front of us for the golf.

You know, the it's good to have the positive trending for the rounds, the revenues has a positive trend.

Um, but I the one chart that I couldn't see with you know, even in my packet, I couldn't see it.

Um, so is capital for the golf course.

I know that we've had irrigation problems off and on, and I think maybe there's still some more going on.

Um is there capital for the golf course this year?

So next slide.

Um the uh the capital for the golf course is um tree removal planting, um, a carryover for the maintenance um building and roof replacement and a cart path repair.

So that is the that is the capital uh request from for this year.

Okay, if you had an irrigation problem, and maybe you can answer if we do or don't, um maybe landscapes can uh where would that come from if you didn't have it here from an irrigation standpoint?

Yeah, if we because we've we've had a case where I think it was what $300,000, you know, a decade ago where all of a sudden we had a major problem with the irrigation system.

Those things are big dollars when you have a you know us the land the size of a golf course.

So if we did have an irrigation problem and it needs major fix, where does the money come from if it's not here?

Well, it ultimately all comes from the city.

So if we did a just an operational repair, if they had some repairs that they would do to keep it up, then they would there would just be operational repairs, and it again those would be city funds or a capital project, you know.

If if you were going to replace the system, say or what have you, then that would be a capital project that uh um that we would put into the capital um budget.

Yeah.

So if it did happen, could they use that your hundred thousand dollar contingency?

Is that what that would be for?

Um potentially um if if needed, I don't know that um I don't know that uh I I guess I don't know the scope of it for sure, but yeah, yes, potentially that hundred thousand dollars could be used for any project, honestly.

Okay, yeah.

Thank you, Todd.

Um so the shooting park is the the other one.

Um the Heartland Public Shooting Park.

Um we've recommended um 47,000 for a drainage solution for the trap and skeet fields, um $58,000 for new sporting clay loop enhancement, and then carryover items from the house, uh trap and skeet field, um, and uh shooting bay prep or yeah, shooting bay projects.

Um totaling almost 370,000.

Um but at this time, if there's no more questions for me, I might give an opportunity to uh the Hornaday team um and the landscapes team if they have if you know just in case uh council has questions for them.

Um I was gonna make a special note.

I know um the shooting park, um, the Hornaday team had had given us a um a uh request to uh um renovate the a storage building.

It was a 390,000 dollar request, it's in your packet.

Um we had we were looking at that to be in part of our five-year plan, but I think Jason's here, he can probably talk to you more about that.

I I know he was hoping for that to be sooner than that, so it's in our five, it's in our five year plan, but it's not in this plan.

So, and again, I think Jason's here, he can talk, he can talk to you.

Thank thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Uh Todd, uh I have uh a suggestion for you.

Um for you and your staff.

The last couple of months it's come out with a study that there's like only one or two parks west of highway 281.

My suggestion for you and your staff is to consider the new subdivisions that are being developed and take a proactive approach and get an option to buy some of that land, or buy some land for future parks.

Um, you'll save a lot of money that way before the values really go up.

But but that's that's just my thoughts on future development and being proactive for it.

What's your thoughts on that?

No, you know, I I uh I totally agree.

That is one area that we're um targeting.

We do own the city, does own some some land by the uh um the uh fire station, the emergency management building, uh kind of by uh um the middle school there.

So that's a potential park space that's to the west that we're hoping to develop in the future too.

But but the um yes, good point.

Thank you.

Yes, I just hate to see the can kick down the road and us not doing anything, especially where when we're growing the way we are.

Uh, we should look at the parts of the city that are underserved and they're and that's where the development's going.

Thank you.

So, with that, that that's my presentation.

I'd I'd like to give an opportunity if uh, like I said, the Hornet team or the landscapes team would uh like to say anything.

Jason, do you want to come up?

Okay, and then council members, just use your speaker button, not your lights, so we can keep track of the speakers.

Thank you.

Hi, everybody.

Thanks for taking the time.

We appreciate everything, and and we appreciate the opportunity to run the shooting park.

Uh, the big joke, as you guys probably have all heard, that's what happens when my dad goes to meetings unattended, and we are thoroughly enjoying that opportunity.

Um the uh we did have a meeting late yesterday with Todd and Laura and and Patrick.

Um, and in the slides didn't have an opportunity to get corrected.

The sporting clay loop enhancement is actually 97,000.

That is something that started um under the the city administration, um, and that was part of a 4-H request.

So I just wanted to correct that.

We'll get you guys all corrections.

The trap and skeet drainage was 47,000, and then the storage building, just for clarification, is a World War II building that we are concerned about.

Um it's uh it's fantastically built.

Um the reason it's listed at 390,000, and we can debate this, but I probably won't do it with a microphone and a newspaper reporter here.

Is there's some asbestos there.

Um, if we didn't have to talk about that, we could probably do it for about $60,000, but uh wasn't allowed to talk about any of that with uh city officials in the room.

Um, but we we're not sure that it's gonna make it through another season.

And the way we're looking at the park is this is our asset as a whole, and really what we want to do is we want to get all those deferred asset issues that have been kicked down the road for so long up to par.

Um, we don't care, we have paid all the expenses to bring the equipment up to speed, all the other things.

We've fixed tractors, we've fixed golf carts, we're fixing all those things.

We bought uh a shed that sure should you kick us off, we can actually take the shed with us, but that's where all the golf carts will be parked, all those things.

But as far as the capital structures, those are yours, and we want to get those protected and taken care of so that we can frankly get to the business of marketing the park.

Um we had an impact according to the CVB, we brought in about 2.1 million dollars to the city this last year.

We think we can multiply that by fairly substantial numbers.

We're a pretty good marketing organization.

We truly like doing that.

Um frankly, I don't want to stand here and talk to you guys about World War II structures.

I want to have places where we can put prizes and other things for people that can come enjoy the park and we can store them.

And so that's what we're asking for.

That's what we're looking to do.

We do have a five-year plan that we plan on putting in front of you.

And frankly, this is our second go-around last year.

We really knew when we did this budget thing.

Um, if you come out and see what we've done, man, the place looks great.

Even I got a while from Laura yesterday when she came out there.

I think Patrick was impressed.

But if you come out and see it, it looks like the old ski club used to on 281, which was just beautiful.

It's green.

I don't know how many trucks of white rock we've put out there.

We've got over 200 gallons of paint and stain that we've paid how many high school kids?

13.

13 kids every summer just to come out and paint because they can't drive because HR regulations won't let them drive golf carts and lawnmowers, apparently.

So we put them to get to work painting.

So those are our asks.

We're not trying to be greedy.

We're not trying to be overreaching.

That's what we're looking for.

We appreciate your consideration.

I turn it over if you want to ask financials.

Carl is here.

If you want to ask operations, Tom's here, and really Tom's the guy who boots on the ground.

Um we appreciate it, but really we are enjoying this opportunity.

Um if you have any specific questions, happen to answer them.

They're the ones really doing the work.

But that is our logic is we want to protect your asset, make it look good so that we can actually run the park and have people out there shooting and bring them to Grand Island.

Thank you for being here.

You're being here in your presentation.

I think it gives all of us great confidence in your management ability.

I'm never letting my father come to a city council meeting ever again.

Thanks.

Just answer questions, ma'am.

Okay.

Um let's see.

Mike Osberg, did you want to speak to Mike Osberg, and I live at 1626 Coventry Lane.

And uh first thing I have to admit to you, I'm a golf fanatic.

Consequently, I go to different places to play golf, different states, different cities, and I'm here to tell you that we have probably one of the nicest courses around anywhere.

Now, the second thing is about having a nice course is how how is it managed?

We had a lot of players had their doubts when we had the new management system in.

And uh those doubts have all been relieved.

They've done a heck of a job.

And I'm just here to announce the fact from a golfer standpoint.

I'm proud to have anybody come to town and play at our municipal golf course.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Suzanne Osberg, did you want to speak I live at the same address that my husband does, and um I appreciate you letting me even speak.

Um, I want to compliment Todd McCoy because I've had a garden on Suke's Lake for 35 years, and um I've done this garden.

It started with Ken Gannott.

I used to teach at Wasburn Gates, and he wanted us to do a garden.

Kim Densdale wanted us to do it with, so we said we could do it because we had this area right in front of the lake that we live.

And I'm telling you, we have uh burn survivors, we have uh from veterans' homes, the veterans, wounded people coming from the wars.

We've got different all those years, um, cancer survivors.

That lake is walked around like you wouldn't believe, and they admire uh the wolves.

Uh the Mrs.

Wolf just died this week, but the Willson I have a garden, and and there's a it's kept up, and if I ever need it weeded, I I give uh Todd an email.

You've got great messaging, and he comes, he came right the next day around the area, or if they'll pick up my weeds because it's the cities that owns it there.

But I think it's really important that we we keep up these small areas.

Now, the president I'm a tea, I've been a teacher and a sub my whole life, besides doing many other things, but I think the presidential ward's going to be started again.

And I ended up being asked to sub PE a lot, and a lot of the kids anymore can't get around the uh fields in enough time, you know.

The they uh are needing a lot of exercise, they're doing a lot of time on the phone.

So maybe you could incorporate some of these parks and some of this area with fitness goals on timing areas, and they do sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups, um, and they have to run, and they all has to be timed, they're bringing that back in.

So that would be so good because fitness is I walk.

I'm one of the only people that walk, and I'm old.

And I love my course.

Now, getting to the golf course, they do an absolutely wonderful job, and I just saw Diane Ruthie come in, she does a wonderful job.

And so she asked me to sub.

Uh I I count um I I do the state golfing for counting goals, both girls and boys, but I thought our city course did a fabulous job, and I talked uh a lot of people told me how wonderful the course was, how great it looked, they loved it from all over that were at the course for the city golf this year, and it was beautiful.

So I think it's a vital, bright, happy place.

They're always happy to see everybody.

It's a great place for exercise, and it's a great thing that you're doing.

And I mean, that golf course is gorgeous, and and they're always always really nice to all of us.

And I have a I've got golfers in my family, and I fact I had a daughter that went, she ended up scoring in the top 10 three times, and she ended up going to California to play at Sacramento.

She had a two-handicapped for golf, so I never got her back.

But anyway, it's a great sport.

You guys are doing a wonderful job with this, and I'm really impressed with everything you're doing.

Thank you.

Thank you, and thank you for bringing up the importance of exercise, especially for youth.

I appreciate that.

Uh Greg Geis, do you want to speak my name's Greg Geis?

I live at uh 1016 South Shady Bend Road.

I'm the past president and current board member of the Grand Island Men's Golf Association.

So we've been working with uh landscapes since they they came to town and took over the golf course.

Um as uh Grand Island Men's Golf Association.

We think they've done a great job the last five years.

Um the course has been recognized as most improved.

Um anybody that's been out there sees the course is in better shape, the buildings in much better shape.

Um I'm just curious why we're not extending that their contract another year, or why we're looking at you know, proposals for for others as far as we're concerned.

A required competitive process.

Is it yes?

Okay, but you know, I just speak for the our members, and we're very happy with uh the way they're running the golf course.

And so thank you, Jared Pulse.

Thank you, Mayor and Council.

I appreciate that as far as the golf course is concerned.

Yeah, those uh golf cart trails need some work.

Uh you could remove more trees instead and and plant fewer and save a little money that way, too.

Just kidding.

Uh, but basically on uh just some of the other issues, the big four.

The the train in Stolly Park, you know, you got a bunch of people, you got some people that contributed a significant amount of money, but raising 25% of the projected cost.

Uh then the taxpayers will foot the rest of the bill.

You know, one of the things that when you're elected to represent the people, if you asked, I think per person, they would all say reduce property taxes.

And the only way to do that is to cut spending.

Now, this this train is a wonderful idea.

I like to see little kids screaming through the tunnels, and I know there's some contributors that would love to see their name in lights on various features of this train, but this is really something that needs to be pushed down the road.

Just kick the can down the road.

This is this considering where your spending is right now, this is this is outrageous.

And I haven't even got to the island oasis park.

Uh you've got three million for regular maintenance.

If you put 15 million dollars into a facility that is open for what, 90 days a year.

What kind of economic sense does that make?

What would you what were your maintenance charges?

What will your maintenance uh be?

What would that cost?

What will maintenance cost if you go to those $15 million water park?

And I know you've tried to extend the season with well, we'll have a uh putt putt golf course or something, but it really you this is this is an outrageous request.

You know, you it's nice.

Oh, the little kids will love it, but the little kids don't pay the property taxes, okay?

And so I'm saying this is a this is an item that just sorry, this this just is not feasible economically.

Uh we got uh the again the trail, and I was really happy to hear someone call it a trail to nowhere.

You don't have a camp there yet.

You know, these are things that can be pushed down the road, there's savings there and the rider park field.

Can you imagine being an outfielder on artificial turf on a day like today?

You've got and part of it is you got a million dollars in engineering fees.

It's like you got grass out there, you're gonna say what two days you maybe get rained out two days a year, and you want to spend four, it'll be more than four million dollars to renovate to to put artificial turf, the major league baseball stadium.

There's only five of them that have artificial turf.

The rest are all natural grass.

You know, it's it's like somebody is I got what's the term selling a bill of goods, and I really think you need to reconsider all of those expenditures and just let's just let's be reasonable about this, and none of those are okay.

Thank you.

We'll move on to uh item five landscapes.

I'm sorry, Mayor Mayor Steele and Counselors.

My name is Justin Arlt.

I'm with Landscapes Golf Management out of Lincoln, Nebraska.

Just wanted to take a minute and thank you all and give you a high-level perspective of the relationship that we have with the city of Grand Island.

It's been fantastic over five years.

Uh we're really looking forward to 2026 and the budget that we presented.

Um I just wanted to give everybody an opportunity to answer any ask any questions uh on the budget or the operations.

We feel that uh we've improved the experience and the service providing value to the residents, taxpayers of Grand Island and the visitors that come here for golf and recreation at a very high level.

Uh I couldn't help but notice for the first time I saw the vision that you posted that said the parks and rec wants to be the premier destination for recreation, and that marries up perfectly with us wanting to do the best we can and be the best uh in the golf market here in the region on your behalf.

Um we feel like we've really made some good technology advancements.

We've automated the tea sheets, upgraded uh the website, uh applications and online tea time capabilities.

We've improved the golf cart fleet and GPS to provide a better experience, better pace of play, and monitor and geofence those carts to make sure Joel and his team can keep the golf course and the playing conditions as competitive and as good as we can to provide a lasting memory when people come out to play.

Uh we've Sedana and our team have added food and beverage services, and the golf shop is added services, so people don't need to travel somewhere else for a bite to eat before or at the turn or afterwards.

They can get something there.

Um then merchandise-wise, same thing.

They can get fit for golf clubs, they can get lessons, they can buy a shirt with the sense of pride with the Jack Rabbit logo on it, uh, so on so forth.

And then last but certainly not least, we've improved the golf course conditions and the playing conditions to levels that you heard tonight with people that are very proud to bring family and friends and business people are very happy and more than more than happy to bring their folks out and entertain them at the public municipality of Jackrabbit.

Um as you saw in one of the slides, we've we've had a five-year run of 20% uh increase of play, which is which is outstanding.

We we expect that to continue uh in our tenure.

Um that slide also showed the uh roughly half a million dollar improvement in top line revenues that help to uh improve the golf course and the experience.

Um so with that I'm happy to answer any questions anybody might have uh on behalf of the Jack Rabbit team, uh Todd and uh landscapes golf management.

No one is indicated, they have a question.

Thank you for your presentation.

My pleasure item 5B, fiscal year 2026 Heartland Events Center budget proposal venue works, Mr.

Tarwater.

Do I have to hit F5?

Thank you.

And first I want to say to the Mayor Steele, uh City and Council members, thank you for having me.

Always an honor to be here.

I also want to say thank you for Stolly Park and Todd, you as well.

Um when I moved here in January, I intentionally got a house right there across from Stalley Park, and I walk there twice a day every day.

I've seen every improvement.

I've seen the Hornity Plaza go up.

Absolutely worth it to me from a city patron, just so you know it's wonderful.

My dog loves it too.

Um real quick, and this is Chelsea Steinkear, Director of Finance with VenueWorks, and I'm Kyler Tarwater.

Um we'll run through our quick budget presentation real quick.

And if you have any questions, of course, let me know.

Um for building rent, um, basically the rent for the arena and the conference center, 294,850.

Contractually obligated revenue, naming rights, premium signage, uh, display print advertising, event sponsorships, pouring rights.

Um, we're budgeting uh 400,986 uh thousand next for this coming year, this coming fiscal year.

Um reimbursed event expense, event expenses 406,319, with a food and beverage revenue of 1.1 million, roughly.

Um other revenues include ticket merchandise, fees, et cetera, of 21,265,000 for total revenues predicted to be 4,36, and 603 dollars.

For expenses, of course, cost of goods sold, a huge portion of that at 1.9 million.

Um, personnel costs, um, 1.4 million, um, general administrative costs at 63,000 and some change.

Um, occupancy costs of about a half a million dollars, um, services and operation costs of uh just shy of 200,000, event expenses at about a half a million, a little over half a million, and food and beverage expenses at about 131,000 for a total expense of 4.8 million.

And in summary, um revenues of 4.3 million with expenses of about 4.8 uh with a loss of about 500,000 dollars.

Uh the owner operating investment, the hotel occupation tax with the half million brings us to a net income of roughly roughly even.

We're a little shy, of course, these are just estimates.

So that's what we're looking at for our budget for 2026.

Oh, Mr.

Mr.

Nickerson has a question.

Yes, got a couple of questions for you here.

First of all, the food and beverage revenue projection, you've got that over a million dollars.

Is that based on current sales you've seen, or how did you arrive at that number?

Do you feel comfortable with that?

Chelsea speak to that a little bit too if we want to.

So for the events that we've had so far, I took an average per cap from those events to estimate the the per cap that we applied to the budget.

So we finally have a little history.

When we came in, everything is based on estimated cost of what we knew from other places, estimate expenses, estimated revenues.

Now that we've had a nine-month window on what we do here, um we've taken some averages and and some extrapolated numbers to figure out okay.

Now we're we're zeroing in on what our real numbers look like.

So this year it's still a little bit, you know, we have only had nine months, so it's still a little bit of a best estimate.

By next year, we should have some pretty strong numbers that are um pretty identifiable.

Okay.

Have you been able to introduce your kiosks and things like that that you're wanting to do?

Sorry, I couldn't quite hear you.

Has that been set up the way you want to?

Yeah, they're called grab and go.

We call them grab and go.

Okay, grab and goes.

They're branded with Heartland Events Center on the side, and um they've really the real theory between our between our grab and goes, our bars, and our concessions is to eliminate some of alleviate some of the lines at the concession stands.

So if somebody just wants a bottle of water or one quick coke or a beer, they can go to that grab and go grab one without having to wait in line for people that are ordering hamburgers and hot dogs and such like that.

So it's really streamlined it, which, as you know, the more points of sale, the quicker you move people through, the more revenue we're able to generate.

So we've been really pleased with that.

Um and it looks a whole lot better now that um we just got the stickers for the sides of that, and it sounds like a really simple thing, but it really does change it.

Now it actually looks like a kiosk instead of just a couple of black walls holding off the Pepsi stands.

Very, very good.

The other question was you were talking about naming rights and all that stuff.

Are those all pretty well I'm gonna say set in stone?

Did the do you change from year to year to give other people opportunities or these bid over five-year periods, three-year periods?

How does all that work into the revenue stream that you're looking at?

It can change.

Um the naming rights deals usually we try to do five to ten years because when you invest the dollars to actually change the name, it's a there's a marketing investment, there's a signage investment, it's pretty strong.

Um, so you don't want to change that every every couple of years.

You also have the problem if you change every two years, nobody knows what to call your building, which we've all seen that in some places.

Today it's you know Stevensfield, next day it's Pepsi Field, and that's really not a good method for good sponsorship marketing.

So the bigger the size of the sponsorship, the more likely it's going to be a five or ten year opportunity.

For a smaller opportunity like the suites that we uh lease out the suites, we do that on an annual basis.

You can do it a one-year, two-year, or three-year contract on the suites.

Uh we're probably it's probably a good mix of about 30 percent or at about one year, 30 percent or about two years, and 30 percent are about three years.

And they get an incentive.

If they sign for a three-year deal, um the increase that we build into the program every year is much less, versus if somebody buys it year by year, they might be affected by the increase that we that we change to.

And and there will be a significant increase this year uh to the two suites that we have available to sell, and they'll jump up quite a bit.

So the original suite holders that have already contracted are somewhat grandfathered into a much lower cost of what the new suite holders will have.

Okay, very good.

Well, thank you.

Okay.

Thank you both for being here.

Thank you all.

Appreciate it.

Thank you.

The city clerk will take a couple minutes to reset our system for our regular meeting.