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Record of Proceedings

Grand Island City Council Regular Meeting - October 13, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, October 13, 2026
BodyGrand Island, Nebraska
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, October 13, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 15:45

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

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:25

Welcome to our meeting.

0:27

The date is October 13, 2026.

0:30

The time is 7 p.m.

0:33

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

0:37

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

0:41

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

0:48

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

0:56

Now I ask that you join us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Speaker 2

1:08

And to the Republic for which it stands.

Unassigned speaker

1:20

The

Speaker 1

1:20

City Clerk will now perform roll call.

Speaker 3

1:23

Councilmember Sheard.

Speaker 1

1:24

Present.

Speaker 3

1:25

Councilmember Stelk.

Unassigned speaker

1:26

Present.

Speaker 3

1:27

Councilmember Conley.

Speaker 2

1:28

Present.

Speaker 3

1:28

Councilmember Nickerson.

Speaker 2

1:30

Present.

Speaker 3

1:30

Councilmember Brown.

Speaker 2

1:32

Present.

Speaker 3

1:32

Councilmember Hazi will be absent.

1:34

Councilmember Mendoza.

1:36

Present.

1:36

Council President O'Neill.

1:38

Present.

1:38

Councilmember Pollock.

1:40

Present.

1:40

Councilmember Lanfair.

Speaker 4

1:42

Present.

Speaker 3

1:42

And Mayor Steele.

Speaker 1

1:43

Present.

1:44

Also present are Jill Grinier, the City Clerk.

1:48

Patrick Brown, the City Administrator, Chelsea Steinkey, the Finance Director, Carrie Fisk, the City Attorney, and Keith Kurtz, the public works director.

2:02

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

2:13

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

2:21

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

2:29

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

2:43

Hearing none, we shall continue.

2:49

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

2:57

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.

3:14

No one has come forward, so we shall continue.

3:19

A motion is in order, Mr.

3:21

Sheard, on the consent agenda.

Speaker 5

3:23

Thank you.

3:23

I move that we approve the consent agenda items 6A through 6W.

Speaker 1

3:29

Mr.

3:29

Brown.

Speaker 6

3:30

I second that motion.

Speaker 1

3:31

Any discussion?

Speaker 3

3:34

Please vote.

Unassigned speaker

3:38

Motion adopted the We will now take up our public hearings.

Speaker 1

3:46

Public hearing 7A.

3:48

Public hearing request from AVAT Hospitality Inc.

3:52

doing business as Avid Hotels slash At Well Suites, 1717 Conestoga Drive, Grand Island, Nebraska for a Class C liquor license.

4:04

Mrs.

4:05

Grenier.

Speaker 3

4:06

An application for a Class C liquor license was filed with the Liquor Control Commission and received by the City on September 14th, 2026.

4:14

A notice to the general public of date, time and place of hearing was published on October 3, 2026.

4:20

A notice to the applicant of date, time and place of hearing was mailed on September 14, 2026, along with Chapter 4 City Code Alcoholic Beverages.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural███████████████████████████27%
Personnel Matters█████████████████████████25%
Public Safety██████████████14%
Public Hearings███████████11%
Engineering And Infrastructure██████████10%
Pending Litigation███████7%
Veterans Affairs██████6%
Summary of Proceedings

Grand Island City Council Regular Meeting Summary - October 13, 2026

The Grand Island City Council held its regular meeting on October 13, 2026, at 7:00 PM in Council Chambers. Mayor Steele presided, and all council members were present except Councilmember Hazi. The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance, roll call, and approval of the consent agenda. Key actions included approval of a collective bargaining agreement with firefighters, retention of outside legal counsel for a land sale, adoption of a salary ordinance, code amendments to streamline permitting, and a brief executive session on litigation and real estate negotiations. No public testimony was offered.

Consent Calendar

  • The council unanimously approved the consent agenda (items 6A through 6W) without discussion or removal. This included minutes of September 22, 2026; payment of claims totaling $11,376,038.94; a liquor manager designation for B&B Theatres; receipt of a tort claim; reappointments of Jason Roe and Tom Gdowski; appointment of Zitlalic Parra Valencia to the Public Art Commission; bid awards for concrete pavement, storm sewer repairs, and drainage work; purchases of a dozer and a pickup; certificates of final completion for multiple projects; engineering services for Moores Creek Drainage; ERP consulting services; an electrical conduit installation bid; and change orders for Stolley Park and Island Oasis improvements.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No members of the public signed up or came forward to speak on any agenda item.

Discussion Items

  • Firefighters Collective Bargaining Agreement (Resolution #2026-277): City Administrator Patrick Brown presented the terms of the three-year agreement with IAFF Local 647. Highlights include a first-year wage increase combining market adjustments with a 5% COLA, followed by 3% across-the-board increases in years two and three. The contract also defines the work week for a life safety inspector, clarifies overtime rules, and reinstates the quartermaster system. All costs are accounted for in the FY27 budget. Councilmember Sheard praised the agreement and also commented on the successful coordination of public safety with the Secret Service during the president’s recent visit.
  • Retaining Outside Legal Counsel (Resolution #2026-278): Mayor Steele recommended hiring Mike Bacon as outside legal counsel for the sale of the Veterans Village property to Woodsonia GI GLD, LLC, citing the complexity of the public-private partnership and coordination with the Good Life District Agreement. Bacon’s fee schedule and retainer have been reviewed and approved by City Attorney Carrie Fisk.
  • Salary Ordinance No. 10,093 (Ordinance 9A): Finance Director Chelsea Steinkey explained that the ordinance incorporates the IAFF contract wage changes and adds a previously approved utility position. Red-line changes remove duplicate language from the code.
  • Amending City Code Sections 30-30, 32-25, and 32-72.8 (Ordinance 9B): City Attorney Fisk stated the ordinance allows Public Works discretion to extend permits beyond the standard six months under objective criteria (e.g., weather delays), reducing administrative burden for both the city and applicants.
  • Executive Session (Item 10A): The council unanimously voted to enter executive session to discuss active litigation and strategy regarding real estate purchase, sale, and contract negotiations. Upon returning to open session, they approved Resolution #2026-279, authorizing the City Engineer to facilitate due diligence information needed to develop a strategy for future decisions.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent agenda approved unanimously.
  • AVAT Hospitality Class C liquor license (Public Hearing 7A) approved unanimously.
  • Resolution #2026-277 (Firefighters CBA) approved unanimously.
  • Resolution #2026-278 (Outside legal counsel) approved unanimously.
  • Salary Ordinance No. 10,093 adopted unanimously after suspension of rules.
  • Ordinance 10,094 (Code amendments) adopted unanimously after suspension of rules.
  • Motion to enter executive session approved unanimously.
  • Resolution #2026-279 (Due diligence facilitation) approved unanimously after returning to open session.
  • Meeting adjourned after the vote on Resolution #2026-279.

Meeting Transcript

Welcome to our meeting. The date is October 13, 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 I ask that you join us in the Pledge of Allegiance. And to the Republic for which it stands. The City Clerk will now perform roll call. Councilmember Sheard. Present. Councilmember Stelk. Present. Councilmember Conley. Present. Councilmember Nickerson. Present. Councilmember Brown. Present. Councilmember Hazi will be absent. Councilmember Mendoza. Present. Council President O'Neill. Present. Councilmember Pollock. Present. Councilmember Lanfair. Present. And Mayor Steele. Present. Also present are Jill Grinier, the City Clerk. Patrick Brown, the City Administrator, Chelsea Steinkey, 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 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. No one has come forward, so we shall continue. A motion is in order, Mr. Sheard, on the consent agenda. Thank you. I move that we approve the consent agenda items 6A through 6W. Mr. Brown. I second that motion. Any discussion?

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