OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Grand Island City Council Meeting - March 10, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, March 10, 2026
BodyGrand Island, Nebraska
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, March 10, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:40:27

Transcript — Verbatim
0:31

Welcome to our meeting.

0:33

The date is March 10, 2026.

0:36

The time is 7 p.m.

0:38

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

0:41

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

0:46

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

0:51

The City Council may vote to go into closed session on any agenda item.

0:56

As allowed by state law.

0:58

At this time, please stand and join us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

1:24

Councilmember Sheard.

1:25

Present.

1:26

Councilmember Stelk.

1:28

Councilmember Conley.

1:29

Present.

1:30

Councilmember Nickerson.

1:31

Present.

1:32

Councilmember Brown.

1:33

Present.

1:33

Councilmember Hazi.

1:35

Present.

1:35

Councilmember Mendoza.

1:37

Present.

1:37

Council President O'Neill.

1:39

Present.

1:39

Councilmember Pollock.

1:40

Present.

1:41

Councilmember Lanfier.

1:42

Present.

1:43

And Mayor Steele.

1:44

Present.

1:44

Also present are Jill Grenier, the city clerk, Patrick Brown, the city administrator, Carrie Fisk, the city attorney, and Keith Kurtz, the public works director.

1:57

Individuals who have appropriate items for city council consideration should complete the request for future agenda items for them located at the information booth.

2:07

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

2:14

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

2:20

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

2:28

Yes, Mr.

2:29

Hawsey.

2:31

Thank you, Mayor.

2:32

I'd like to remove uh item six C, the payment of claims.

2:36

Certainly.

2:46

And before I proceed, Mrs.

2:48

Fisk, do you have a change to our agenda?

2:51

Yes, Mayor.

2:52

Um on item 11A, it references an executive session to receive litigation status updates from the city attorney.

2:59

I'm going to handle that at the next meeting, so I'm pulling that from tonight's meeting.

3:03

Thank you.

3:07

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

3:15

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.

3:32

So we shall continue.

3:35

Council members, we have a large group of people here from venue works, and uh to accommodate uh them.

3:52

Right up to the first part of our agenda in front of the consent agenda so that they can present uh what they have to say and not have to wait around unnecessarily.

4:04

So we'll start out with resolution 9A venue works annual report and funding request.

4:17

Thank you, Mayor Steele and City and Council members.

4:19

It's always an honor to be here and talk to you.

4:22

Um it's a little bigger honor for me tonight because tonight I get to bring with me some people that help um support everything we've talked about since we've started talking about it about a year and a half ago.

4:31

Um and I'd like to just take a minute to introduce them to to begin with.

4:35

And um as you can see, we are a really large team.

4:38

Um our team of five.

4:40

We have one person that couldn't be here tonight, but the rest of the team, this is this is the group of people that make everything that we do happen at the event center.

4:47

And first here is Carson Dahland.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Event Center Management███████████████████████████████████35%
Procedural████████████████16%
Public Engagement████████████████16%
Animal Welfare█████████9%
Affordable Housing██████6%
Public Private Partnerships██████6%
Engineering And Infrastructure████4%
Cannabis Regulation██2%
Public Health██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Grand Island City Council Meeting - March 10, 2026

The Grand Island City Council met on March 10, 2026, at 7 p.m. to discuss a VenueWorks annual report and funding request, address a disputed payment to the Central Nebraska Humane Society, refer two blight and substandard studies to the Hall County Regional Planning Commission, receive guidance on cross-street banners, and approve several ordinances. All council members were present, along with city staff.

Consent Calendar

  • The consent agenda was approved with the exception of item 6C (payment of claims). The council approved items A through B and D through J.
  • Item 6C was taken up separately after a motion to amend was adopted.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Liquor License Public Hearing: Melissa Field Grove, owner of Third Street Trees LLC, spoke in support of her application for a Class D liquor license at 305 North Broadwell Avenue. She stated her commitment to strict compliance with Nebraska alcohol and tobacco laws. The police department and Nebraska State Patrol recommended denial. The council voted to deny the application.
  • Easement Public Hearing: Mr. Schmitz explained that a five-foot easement was inadvertently omitted from the original plat of a property at 3019 and 3023 Colorado Avenue. No public testimony was given, and the council approved the vacation of the easement.

Discussion Items

  • VenueWorks Annual Report and Funding Request: Jack, representing VenueWorks, presented a detailed report on the Heartland Event Center’s 2025 performance. Key statistics:
    • Economic impact: $18 million, including 35,000 room nights, $12 million direct impact, and about $500,000 in local tax contributions.
    • Total attendance of 75,000 across events.
    • Highlights included a sold-out Love Volleyball game (5,219 attendees, the highest in league history) and successful concerts (Lindsay Sterling, Ian Munsick).
    • A new naming rights deal with Big Iron Auctions for 15 years, $2.1 million ($140,000 per year).
    • Suite revenue increased 85-90% by bundling tickets with leases.
    • Funding request: $145,000 to cover a deficit, partly due to previous lack of naming rights income. Council members expressed strong support for the work and voted to approve resolution 2026-58.
  • Payment of Claims (6C): Mr. Hawsey requested to remove a $7,903.28 claim from the Central Nebraska Humane Society for kenneling per diem. He cited concerns about billing inconsistencies, including payment for a snake, chickens, and a bird at $45/night, a 23-day stay for one animal costing over $1,000, and public drop-offs being billed to the city instead of the Humane Society’s own role. The city attorney noted that the contract distinguishes between animal control (city responsibility) and public drop-offs. City Administrator Patrick Brown confirmed a review process would occur. The council approved the payment of claims as amended (total $3,951,995.34) and will reconcile the disputed amount at the next meeting.
  • Blight and Substandard Study - CRA Area 42: Approximately 17 acres in northeast Grand Island for a Habitat for Humanity development. Lindsay Jergens (Habitat) stated ambitions for affordable single-family homes. The council voted to refer the study to the planning commission.
  • Blight and Substandard Study - CRA Area 43: Property at Highway 2 and North Road for industrial flex buildings, with a need for sewer extension. Grant Calarose, the owner, was present. The council voted to refer the study to the planning commission.
  • Cross-Street Banners on Utility Poles: Mr. Schmidt asked for council guidance on continuing the free installation of banners for 11 nonprofits annually. Concerns included liability (uninsured risk if a banner falls), cost ($465 per installation using a crew of four for two hours), and fairness in selecting groups. Council members offered divergent views: some favored continuing due to community benefit, others argued against because of liability and precedent. No motion was made; staff will bring a formal proposal later.
  • Ordinance 10A - Electric Utility Commercial Deposits: Mr. Schmitz explained that a previous version erroneously attached the first reading’s redline rather than the second. The council suspended rules and approved the corrected ordinance (10-063) to match the intended changes.
  • Easement Vacation - Northwest Gateway 2nd Subdivision: Approved after suspension of rules.

Key Outcomes

  • VenueWorks Funding Request (Resolution 2026-58): Approved unanimously. The council commended the team for revitalizing the event center, noting a “hot venue” status and record-breaking attendance.
  • Payment of Claims (6C): Approved as amended, removing the $7,903.28 Humane Society claim pending reconciliation. The city will bring a report to the next meeting.
  • Liquor License Denial (Resolution 2026-56): Motion to deny passed.
  • Easement Vacation (Resolution 2026-57): Approved.
  • Blight Studies Referrals (8A and 8B): Both referred to the Hall County Regional Planning Commission for review on April 1, 2026, with return to council on May 12, 2026.
  • Cross-Street Banners: No action taken; staff will develop a formal policy considering liability, cost recovery, and consistency.
  • Ordinance 10-063: Approved to correct code changes for electric utility deposits.
  • Executive Session: The council moved into closed session to discuss real estate negotiations (item 11A). No action was taken publicly afterward.

Meeting Transcript

Welcome to our meeting. The date is March 10, 2026. 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 us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Councilmember Sheard. Present. Councilmember Stelk. Councilmember Conley. Present. Councilmember Nickerson. Present. Councilmember Brown. Present. Councilmember Hazi. Present. Councilmember Mendoza. Present. Council President O'Neill. Present. Councilmember Pollock. Present. Councilmember Lanfier. Present. And Mayor Steele. Present. Also present are Jill Grenier, the city clerk, Patrick Brown, the 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 for them 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? Yes, Mr. Hawsey. Thank you, Mayor. I'd like to remove uh item six C, the payment of claims. Certainly. And before I proceed, Mrs. Fisk, do you have a change to our agenda? Yes, Mayor. Um on item 11A, it references an executive session to receive litigation status updates from the city attorney. I'm going to handle that at the next meeting, so I'm pulling that from tonight's meeting. Thank you. 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. Council members, we have a large group of people here from venue works, and uh to accommodate uh them.

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