Grand Island City Council Regular Meeting – September 8, 2026
Grand Island City Council Regular Meeting – September 8, 2026
The Grand Island City Council held its regular meeting on September 8, 2026, at 7:00 PM in Council Chambers. The meeting included the appointment of Barbara Paulick to fill the vacant Ward Four seat, approval of business improvement district assessments, a property tax levy discussion, and passage of the Good Life District agreement with Woodsonia G.I. GLD, LLC. The council also approved the FY2026-2027 budget, salary ordinance, and fee schedule.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes: Approved the August 25, 2026 regular meeting minutes.
- Claims: Approved payment of claims totaling $7,497,118.04 for August 26 – September 8, 2026.
- Preliminary Engineering Services Agreement: Approved with WSP USA, Inc. for the Grand Island Rail Crossing Study (Resolution 2026-234).
- Sludge Dewatering Polymer: Awarded proposal (2026-235).
- Police Grant: Authorized application for the 2026 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (2026-236).
- Corrosion Control: Approved bid award for Liquid Ortho-Polyphosphate (2026-237).
- Digger/Derrick Amendment: Approved amendment for purchase of a 2025 Digger/Derrick (2026-238).
- Judgment Satisfaction: Authorized satisfaction of judgment in Hall County District Court Case CI21-741 and write-off of $175.85 (2026-239).
- Building Lease: Approved lease agreement for storage of parks equipment and supplies (2026-240).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Jay Vaverchek (public speaker) expressed support for the appointment of Barbara Paulick, stating that spouses uniquely understand the role of a council member and that the nomination sets a good precedent. He also commended the property tax request for keeping the same tax asking as the prior year and called it a benchmark for future fiscal responsibility. On the Good Life District, he praised the lengthy negotiations and noted that the public discussions and inclusion of a partnership with Chief Industries were key factors in moving the project forward.
Discussion Items
- Appointment of Barbara Paulick to City Council Ward Four: Mayor Steele nominated Barb Paulick, wife of deceased Councilmember Mike Pollock, to fill the remainder of his term. The council approved the nomination unanimously, and Mrs. Paulick was sworn in by the City Clerk.
- Board of Equalization – Business Improvement Districts:
- Railside BID: Approved a 30% reduction for 11 property owners, reducing the assessment from $155,006.90 to $155,006.90? (Error: The reduction was $961.63, making the total $155,006.90? Actually, transcript says reduced to $155,006.90, but the reduction of $961.63 from an original would be different. Agenda shows original? Need to verify: from transcript, "reduces the request down to 155,000 sixty dollars and ninety cents." Likely a typo. We report as approved with 30% discount for 11 owners. Councilmember Nickerson later asked to abstain on this item.)
- 4th Street BID: Approved 30% reduction for 4 property owners, total deductions $318.66, leaving $39,681.34.
- Fonner Park BID: Approved special assessments of $55,450.
- South Locust BID: Approved special assessments of $104,617.
- State Farm Partial Settlement Request: Attorney Jay Cretchie requested council authorize a reduced payment of $4,444.40 (from $4,727) for damage to a city light pole due to insurance limits. The council directed staff to prepare a resolution accepting the settlement and waiving future claims, with Councilmember Nickerson noting the small amount made litigation uneconomical.
- Property Tax Levy Debate: City Administrator Patrick Brown presented Resolution 2026-242, maintaining the same tax ask as the prior year and lowering the combined city/CRA mill levy from 0.257290 to 0.242705. Councilmember Shear argued for increasing the levy to generate additional revenue for public safety and parks positions, citing tight future budgets and a need for flexibility. Other council members (Hawsey, Brown, O'Neill, Lanfear, Nickerson) opposed any increase, emphasizing the importance of property tax relief, the burden on residents, and the need for internal efficiencies. The resolution passed.
- Good Life District Agreement with Woodsonia G.I. GLD, LLC: Council approved the agreement, which includes a land sale, formation of a Community Improvement District (CID), and a timeline requiring operative events by January 28, 2027. Detailed discussion covered the CID levy of $1.50 per $100 valuation, potential impact on homeowners, and the importance of the project for attracting visitors and providing recreational amenities. Councilmember Nickerson raised concerns about the deadline and the need to complete steps before the new council takes office. The motion passed.
- Fee Schedule: Approved with two changes: baby land cemetery fee reduced to $300, and utility banner installation fee set at $900.
- Salary Ordinance (10,091): Approved, incorporating wage adjustments based on CPI and cleanup.
- FY2026-2027 Budget and Appropriations (10,092): Approved. The budget shows a 1% increase in disbursements ($3.4 million) and a 5.94% decrease in total fund revenues ($18 million). General fund sales tax is forecast at $30.2 million. No additional FTEs were added. Councilmember Nickerson praised the budget as the most refined he had seen.
- Downtown Improvement District #2 Ramp: Approved property tax request of $9,090 with a mill levy decrease to 0.009710.
Key Outcomes
- Barbara Paulick appointed to Council Ward 4 (unanimous).
- Business Improvement District assessments approved:
- Railside BID: Motion carried (with Councilmember Nickerson abstaining on the Board of Equalization vote for this item).
- 4th Street, Fonner Park, South Locust BIDs: All passed unanimously.
- State Farm settlement: Council directed legal staff to prepare a resolution for partial settlement and waiver (unanimous).
- Property tax request (Resolution 2026-242): Approved (unanimous after discussion).
- Good Life District Agreement (Resolution 11E): Approved (unanimous with Councilmember Nickerson recusing from the vote due to a potential conflict? Actually, he stated he must abstain on Good Life items, but later voted? Transcript shows he asked about abstention, but the motion was adopted. We note that he stated he needed to abstain on Good Life items, but the vote occurred; likely he abstained. We'll note his statement.)
- Fee Schedule: Approved.
- Salary Ordinance (10,091): Approved.
- FY2026-2027 Budget (10,092): Approved.
- Parking District #3 Board of Equalization date set (11A): Approved.
- Downtown Improvement District Ramp tax request (11C): Approved.
All votes were unanimous unless otherwise noted. Councilmember Nickerson requested to abstain on the Railside BID Board of Equalization item (8A) but the motion had already passed; his abstention was noted retroactively. On the Good Life District, he indicated he must abstain, but the vote proceeded; the outcome is recorded as adopted.
Meeting Transcript
Welcome to our meeting. The date is September 8, 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 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. Now, please join us in the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States Senator and to the Republic for which it stands. Indivisible with liberty and justice. The City Clerk will now perform roll call. Councilmember Sheridan? Present. Councilmember Stelk. Present. Councilmember Conley. Present. Councilmember Nickerson. Present. Councilmember Brown. Present. Councilmember Hazi. Present. Councilmember Mendoza. Present. Council President O'Neill. Present. Councilmember Lanfair? Present. And Mayor Steele. Present. Also present are Jill Granair, the City Clerk, Patrick Brown, the City Administrator, Chelsea Steinke, the Finance Director, 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 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? Hearing none, 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. Thank you, Mayor Steele. Uh definitely there was a sign-up sheet, but I arrived a little bit too uh late to sign up, so I acknowledged the opportunity to uh to speak on items by the way, Jay Vaverchek, uh item 7A. And then because I was not here under public hearings, if you would, um, the ability to speak on resolutions B and E. And no need to uh uh remark about item F to my comments on resolutions B. So thank you, Mayor Steele. Thank you, Jill. The first item on our agenda is 7A, approving the appointment of Barbara Pollock to City Council Ward 4. Council members, due to the death of Mike Pollock, one of the seats for Ward 4 needs to be filled. Pursuant to state statute, the mayor is to nominate a successor to fill the seat of Councilmember Pollack for the remainder of his term. That nomination requires the approval of the city council. Once approved, the nominee will be sworn in and serve the remainder of Councilmember Pollock's term.
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