Grand Island Mayor Press Conference on Good Life District Negotiations – April 22, 2026
Grand Island Mayor Press Conference on Good Life District Negotiations – April 22, 2026
Mayor Steele held a press conference on April 22, 2026, to update the public on the status of the Good Life District negotiations with Woodsonia, clarify misconceptions, and outline the city's plans moving forward. The mayor emphasized the city's commitment to building the sports complex and aquatic center, and proposed conducting all future negotiations in open city council meetings for transparency. Key discussions centered on Woodsonia's land offers, funding sources, project timeline, and community concerns.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Brad Mellama (Grand Island Tourism) asked whether funds used for tree removal and site prep work came from city funds or Good Life District proceeds. Utilities Director Ryan Schmidt confirmed the funds came from Good Life District proceeds.
- A private citizen thanked the mayor for his leadership, expressed optimism about resolving sticking points, and sought clarification on whether Good Life District revenue flows to the applicant rather than the city. Attorney Kerry Fisk explained that the city holds a restricted fund for all Good Life District revenue, with some limitations on revenue from property owned by the applicant, but the applicant does not control all revenue.
- Another citizen asked about plans to work with Woodsonia in the future and requested advice for other cities; the mayor declined to advise other mayors.
- A speaker expressed disappointment with the mayor's comments, questioned their accuracy, and asked for firm commitments: no more private executive sessions, community involvement, and a committee for transparent oversight. The mayor reiterated his preference for open city council meetings but noted he could not commit to no closed sessions due to issues like property acquisition where public disclosure could harm the city's interest.
- Spencer raised concerns about the funding flow, referencing state senators' statements that funds follow the applicant, and urged rescinding the request for proposals (RFP) to focus on a community committee. Kerry Fisk clarified that the city has never attempted to take over Woodsonia's applicant status—it is not legally possible—and that revenue distribution follows state statute and city code.
Discussion Items
- Mayor Steele detailed the history of negotiations with Woodsonia, noting that the company's initial offer of $1 for approximately 150 acres of city-owned land was rejected. A later proposal of $10,000 per acre was deemed plausible but included provisions allowing Woodsonia to terminate all agreements while keeping the land and up to $10 million in cash payments before any construction. Other provisions allowed cancellation if Woodsonia found any condition on the land unacceptable in its sole discretion, and prevented the city from forcing Woodsonia to build anything. The mayor described these as unacceptable.
- The mayor reported that the state's collection of Good Life revenue has dropped significantly and become inconsistent, reducing the city's bonding capacity. He noted that it may take a year for collections to stabilize, causing delays.
- The city is moving forward independently by issuing RFPs for design and management of the sports complex and aquatic center, as well as engineering services for infrastructure. The deadline for RFP responses is May 6, 2026. The mayor clarified that this does not close the door on Woodsonia, but is necessary to make progress.
- The mayor emphasized that other Good Life Districts in Kearney and Bellevue are already building, while Grand Island has lost many months in negotiations. He stated that building must start in 2026 is no longer feasible.
Key Outcomes
- The City Council is scheduled to discuss Woodsonia's latest proposal at its May 12, 2026 open meeting. The mayor encouraged public attendance.
- The city will not rescind the RFPs; responses are due May 6, and design work will proceed regardless of negotiations.
- The mayor committed to conducting future negotiations in open city council meetings, though he could not commit to eliminating closed sessions entirely, citing legal exceptions such as property acquisition discussions.
- No votes were taken at this press conference; it was informational only.
Meeting Transcript
Yes. Good morning. I am here today to discuss the status of the good life district negotiations and to clear up some misconceptions so we can ensure factually accurate information is available for the people of Grand Island. Almost three years ago I received a phone call from Drew Snyder from Woodsonia. Mr. Snyder asked about the veterans property that is owned by the city. So I repeated three times. From time to time, Woodsonia would renew its request that the city gift it the land, or that the city give Woodson the money to buy the land. That request was always refused for the reason I stated earlier. Last fall, I asked for Woodsonia's best and final offer, which they delivered to the city council. I wanted their best and final offer because negotiations were wasting time. As recently as December, I thought we were making progress with negotiations, but we soon discovered that their best and final offer was neither their best or final. After December, our attorneys handling the negotiations told us that the negotiations were going backward. Woodsonia says we stopped negotiating with them in February. In actuality, we were actively negotiating with Woodsonia in March. Woodsonia's attorney admitted the impasse in negotiations, and he advised that his clients wished to cease negotiations, and they intended to give the city another written best and final proposal to consider. We received that proposal on March 5. In Woodsonia's March 5 offer for approximately one hundred fifty acres of land owned by the city. Woodsonia offered one dollar as their final and best offer. An offer of one dollar for the city's land is ridiculous. And we did not have authority to accept their latest best and final offer. So the city is moving forward to build the city infrastructure, including the dirt work, the sports complex, and the aquatic center. To keep moving forward, the city requested request for proposals so that we can hire experts to assist us in the development of the sports complex and aquatic center and to enlist engineering services for key infrastructure, such as road design and mass grading. During the March 25 meeting, we told Woodsonia that the request for proposals would be issued, and as a result, the ethics rules regarding public bidding applied, and the city would not take any action that would give an unfair advantage to any bidder. The response deadline for the request for proposals is May 6. After the March 25 meeting, Woodsonia replace their March 5 and final offer with yet another new proposal, which they asked to present directly to the City Council. The new proposal is dated April 5. Woodsonia's latest proposal offers ten thousand dollars per acre for the city's land. I am happy to know that Woodsonia has made an offer for the land that is plausible. I am convinced we got a serious offer because on March twenty-five, I told Woodsonia we were moving forward with the project. But I must say for much of our negotiations, best and final offers have meant we move forward a while and then regress. These tactics have prevented productive negotiations. No sports complex, no aquatic center, and no money in the bank for development. For instance, one provision gives Woodsonia the right to terminate all agreements with the city while still keeping all of the land and up to ten million dollars in cash payment before a single structure has risen from the dirt. Another provision allows Woodsodia to cancel the agreement if they find any condition on the land which is unacceptable to them in their sole discretion. In addition to Woodsonia insisting that it can terminate the agreement for any reason, Woodsonia has included provisions that specifically stops the city from forcing Woodsonia to build anything. Again, this allows Woodsonia to terminate the project and leave the citizens with no remedy and no development. That is not acceptable. The City Council is scheduled to discuss Woodsonia's latest offers at its May 12th meeting, open meeting of the City Council. I would encourage you to attend if you are interested. It is important to note there are financial barriers in the collection of the good life revenue. Since the state took over revenue collection from the city, the revenue has dropped significantly and become inconsistent, reducing the city's available bonding capacity for building the good life district. We have been told by the State Department of Revenue that it may take a year to see how the revenue collections stabilize. That's in their hands, not ours. The drop-off in revenue collected by the state keeps the city from meeting some of Woodsonia's funding request. We have encountered a lot of delay during our negotiations with Woodsonia. But we must deliver progress to the citizens. Consider the fact that Carney already has buildings in its Good Life District. And Bellevue broke ground for its Good Life District over one year ago. Our negotiations are making us lag behind with talking when we should be building.
openpublica.com