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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Hastings City Council Regular Meeting - January 12, 2026

City Council — Monday, January 12, 2026

BodyHastings, Nebraska

SessionCity Council

DateMonday, January 12, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

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Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

5:00

Here.

5:00

Hoffman?

5:01

Here.

5:02

Fong?

5:02

Here.

5:03

A quorum is present, mayor.

Speaker 2

5:04

Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance.

Unassigned speaker

5:12

Pledge

Speaker 3

5:13

allegiance

Speaker 2

5:14

to the United States of America.

5:35

I'd like to call for a motion to adopt the current agenda.

Speaker 4

5:38

I'll motion to approve the current agenda.

5:41

Minus item two A.

Speaker 2

5:44

Second

Unassigned speaker

5:45

that.

Speaker 2

5:46

Motion by Fong, second by Hoffman for to uh adopt the current agenda, minus item two A.

5:55

Please vote.

6:35

And that passes seven to one.

6:38

Public notice, official notice of the regular meeting was published in the Hastings Tribune on Friday, January 9, 2026, pursuant to Nebraska revised statute section 84-1412.

Unassigned speaker

6:50

The

Speaker 2

6:51

public is advised that a copy of today's agenda and all reproducible written material, which will be discussed at today's meeting is available for public review.

Unassigned speaker

6:58

And

Speaker 2

6:59

a current copy of the Nebraska Open Meetings Act is posted and accessible to members of the public.

7:05

With that, I'd like to move on to council communication to my left.

Speaker 5

7:08

Anyone?

Speaker 6

7:10

Yeah.

7:10

Um first off, I would like to uh uh thank Troop 207 and Scott Master Brian Avers.

7:18

Uh I think there's they're in the in the audience right now.

7:21

If you guys wouldn't mind standing.

7:26

Um thanks for showing up tonight.

7:28

And uh some of us council members will be here after the council.

7:32

And if you have questions about what's going on in the session, certainly we can answer those questions after the the meeting.

7:39

But uh I guess they're working on

Unassigned speaker

7:40

their

Speaker 6

7:41

citizenship in the community and their communications bear badge.

7:44

Is that right?

7:45

Excellent.

7:46

I'm an Eagle Scout and I applaud for the efforts that you guys do.

7:49

So thank you for coming tonight.

Speaker 7

7:59

At the museum board lately, we're we're trying to find different ways to bring in more income and to cut some costs.

8:07

If people have good ideas for things, the museum seems to be quite creative and good about trying to figure out things to do, like we do the NAD tours and they do uh thing called CIPS, and and they're they're always trying to do things to make the museum more and more of a desirable place and also to show off what what they have.

8:28

So if you have input, Teresa.

8:30

Are you here tonight?

8:31

Miss Teresa, can you wave your hand?

8:33

She's the head of the museum and and um someone we'd sure appreciate you g giving some input to um thank you.

Unassigned speaker

8:44

Speaker 4

8:44

just a quick shout out here.

8:46

Uh just a quick shout out to Parks and Rec.

8:48

I think uh Parks and Rec has done a really great job recently of hosting some new events that uh I think have garnered some good interest over the course of the last couple of months.

8:57

Uh I've seen lots of updates on social media, lots of posts and uh photos, so uh a big kudos to Parks and Rec and the team who's doing lots of good stuff to uh engage members of the community, certainly during a time where hey, maybe there's a fewer things for uh for families and individuals to do.

9:14

So appreciate those uh added events.

Speaker 2

9:20

Anything to my right

Speaker 5

9:25

to say thank you to all the citizens who have communicated to me.

9:29

Um I've had quite a few communications in the last week, but um one of them that really stands out was a citizen talking about cars parked across sideway sidewalks, garbage in alleys.

9:41

Um that's what we're here for.

9:43

So if you have concerns like that, feel free to contact your council member.

Speaker 3

9:52

No one else?

Unassigned speaker

9:54

Only thing is you might want to explain what we just did by pulling the Heartland pet connection thing and why it was done.

Speaker 3

10:00

Yeah, I'll get that in citizens communication here.

10:03

So you bet.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Zoning Code███████████████████████████████████35%

Procedural███████████████15%

Public Safety███████████11%

Museum Operations█████████9%

Energy Management███████7%

Pending Litigation██████6%

Economic Development██████6%

Engineering And Infrastructure████4%

Personnel Matters███3%

Summary of Proceedings

Hastings City Council Regular Meeting - January 12, 2026

The Hastings City Council held its regular meeting on Monday, January 12, 2026, at 6:00 PM at the Hastings Municipal Airport. All eight council members were present. The council voted 7-1 to approve the agenda after removing an item concerning the Heartland Pet Connection agreement. The meeting covered property developments, zoning code updates, interlocal fire agreements, a renewable energy credit contract, and a museum membership fee increase. The meeting adjourned at 7:35 PM.

Consent Calendar

Routine Approvals (Items 1a-1f): The council approved the December 8, 2025 minutes, claims and payroll, a gas main extension for Central Community College, underground electric lines for the Cedarpark development, a power line rebuild along 12th Street, and streetlight installations for a residential development. All passed unanimously.
WAPA Contract Amendment (Item 1g): Approved separately, 8-0. Utility Manager Derek Zeisler said the amendment clarifies terms to allow the city to collect renewable energy credits (RECs) from its hydropower allocation.
Attorney Engagement (Item 1h): Approved 7-1. The council ratified the engagement of Woods Aitken LLP to represent the city in a unionization case (IBEW Local 1597). City Attorney Jesse Oswald noted the tight 20-day response window and that unionization law is not his specialty. Councilmember Larry Consbruck voted no, questioning the need for outside counsel.

Public Comments & Testimony

Citizen Communications: No members of the public spoke during the designated citizen communications period. The mayor noted that persons who came to comment on the Heartland Pet Connection item (removed) were welcome to leave.
Public Hearing - Garages 7th Addition Annexation: Matt Langston of Olssen spoke in support of the project, explaining that the replat would make lots more desirable. He answered questions about lot count and development plans.
Public Hearing - Zoning Change (Osborne Drive West): No public testimony. Staff reported that nearby property owners initially had concerns about retail but were satisfied after learning the intended use remained residential (duplex).
Public Hearing - Zoning Code Update: No public testimony.

Discussion Items & Key Outcomes

Garages 7th Addition (Plat Vacation & Annexation): Ordinance 4820 (plat vacation) and Ordinance 4823 (annexation) were approved unanimously. The final plat was also approved. The replat adds one lot, improves lot sizes, and brings the property into city limits. Development Services Director Kevin Kubo confirmed that infrastructure and fire access meet city standards.
Garages 8th Subdivision (Plat Vacation & Final Plat): Ordinance 4821 (plat vacation) and the final plat were approved unanimously. The subdivision conforms to the Comprehensive Plan and zoning. The developer sees strong demand for this type of garage/workshop development.
Zoning Change for Alan Anderson: Ordinance 4822 rezoned 205 North Shore Drive from R-1 to C-O, allowing a duplex. Council discussed floodplain issues; the applicant is working with engineering on elevation. Nearby property owners supported the change. Approved 8-0 on first and second readings.
Zoning Code Amendments (Ordinance 4824): Approved 8-0 on both readings. City Planner Ember Batelaan detailed changes to comply with the Fair Housing Act, RLUIPA, and state telecom statutes. Key changes include making churches and group housing permitted uses, removing the unused R-5 and R-4 districts, adjusting R-3 setbacks, and recodifying the code for online access. The changes address legal and consistency issues.
Acceptance of Lot 2, Eastside Estates: The council accepted a narrow, landlocked strip from the Community Redevelopment Authority to consolidate city ownership for potential future development. The city already maintains the property. Approved 8-0.
Renewable Energy Credit Contract (25-UPGR-146): Approved 8-0. The contract with WAPA allows the city to receive and sell RECs from its hydropower allocation. Zeisler estimated potential revenues in the thousands of dollars and noted that local businesses may be interested in purchasing the credits.
Interlocal Fire Agreements: Two agreements approved 8-0. The Hastings Rural Fire agreement automatically dispatches the rural department for confirmed structure fires, speeding response. The Juniata agreement renews and expands a 2011 pact to include concurrent dispatch for structure fires. Fire Chief Troy Vorderstrasse explained that both improve safety and help meet NFPA response time recommendations.
EPA Brownfield Grant Management: Approved 8-0. The council authorized a $20,000 agreement with SCEDD to manage the grant program. Staff are undergoing training to manage future grants in-house.
Museum Membership Fee Increase: Resolution 2026-01 raised the Friends and Family membership from $95 to $125, approved 8-0. Museum Director Teresa Kreutzer-Hodson said the increase was necessary to retain eligibility for the ASTC passport program, which allows reciprocal admission at science and technology centers nationwide. The museum remains competitively priced.
Worksession Reschedule: The council approved moving the January 19 worksession to January 20 due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
Appointment of Street Superintendent: The council unanimously appointed Lee Vrooman as the city's Street Superintendent.

The meeting adjourned at 7:35 PM.

Meeting Transcript

Here. Hoffman? Here. Fong? Here. A quorum is present, mayor. Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance. Pledge allegiance to the United States of America. I'd like to call for a motion to adopt the current agenda. I'll motion to approve the current agenda. Minus item two A. Second that. Motion by Fong, second by Hoffman for to uh adopt the current agenda, minus item two A. Please vote. And that passes seven to one. Public notice, official notice of the regular meeting was published in the Hastings Tribune on Friday, January 9, 2026, pursuant to Nebraska revised statute section 84-1412. The public is advised that a copy of today's agenda and all reproducible written material, which will be discussed at today's meeting is available for public review. And a current copy of the Nebraska Open Meetings Act is posted and accessible to members of the public. With that, I'd like to move on to council communication to my left. Anyone? Yeah. Um first off, I would like to uh uh thank Troop 207 and Scott Master Brian Avers. Uh I think there's they're in the in the audience right now. If you guys wouldn't mind standing. Um thanks for showing up tonight. And uh some of us council members will be here after the council. And if you have questions about what's going on in the session, certainly we can answer those questions after the the meeting. But uh I guess they're working on their citizenship in the community and their communications bear badge. Is that right? Excellent. I'm an Eagle Scout and I applaud for the efforts that you guys do. So thank you for coming tonight. At the museum board lately, we're we're trying to find different ways to bring in more income and to cut some costs. If people have good ideas for things, the museum seems to be quite creative and good about trying to figure out things to do, like we do the NAD tours and they do uh thing called CIPS, and and they're they're always trying to do things to make the museum more and more of a desirable place and also to show off what what they have. So if you have input, Teresa. Are you here tonight? Miss Teresa, can you wave your hand? She's the head of the museum and and um someone we'd sure appreciate you g giving some input to um thank you. Uh just a quick shout out here. Uh just a quick shout out to Parks and Rec. I think uh Parks and Rec has done a really great job recently of hosting some new events that uh I think have garnered some good interest over the course of the last couple of months. Uh I've seen lots of updates on social media, lots of posts and uh photos, so uh a big kudos to Parks and Rec and the team who's doing lots of good stuff to uh engage members of the community, certainly during a time where hey, maybe there's a fewer things for uh for families and individuals to do.

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Hastings City Council Regular Meeting - January 12, 2026

Consent Calendar

Routine Approvals (Items 1a-1f): The council approved the December 8, 2025 minutes, claims and payroll, a gas main extension for Central Community College, underground electric lines for the Cedarpark development, a power line rebuild along 12th Street, and streetlight installations for a residential development. All passed unanimously.

WAPA Contract Amendment (Item 1g): Approved separately, 8-0. Utility Manager Derek Zeisler said the amendment clarifies terms to allow the city to collect renewable energy credits (RECs) from its hydropower allocation.

Attorney Engagement (Item 1h): Approved 7-1. The council ratified the engagement of Woods Aitken LLP to represent the city in a unionization case (IBEW Local 1597). City Attorney Jesse Oswald noted the tight 20-day response window and that unionization law is not his specialty. Councilmember Larry Consbruck voted no, questioning the need for outside counsel.

Public Comments & Testimony

Citizen Communications: No members of the public spoke during the designated citizen communications period. The mayor noted that persons who came to comment on the Heartland Pet Connection item (removed) were welcome to leave.

Public Hearing - Garages 7th Addition Annexation: Matt Langston of Olssen spoke in support of the project, explaining that the replat would make lots more desirable. He answered questions about lot count and development plans.

Public Hearing - Zoning Change (Osborne Drive West): No public testimony. Staff reported that nearby property owners initially had concerns about retail but were satisfied after learning the intended use remained residential (duplex).

Public Hearing - Zoning Code Update: No public testimony.

Discussion Items & Key Outcomes

Garages 7th Addition (Plat Vacation & Annexation): Ordinance 4820 (plat vacation) and Ordinance 4823 (annexation) were approved unanimously. The final plat was also approved. The replat adds one lot, improves lot sizes, and brings the property into city limits. Development Services Director Kevin Kubo confirmed that infrastructure and fire access meet city standards.

Garages 8th Subdivision (Plat Vacation & Final Plat): Ordinance 4821 (plat vacation) and the final plat were approved unanimously. The subdivision conforms to the Comprehensive Plan and zoning. The developer sees strong demand for this type of garage/workshop development.

Zoning Change for Alan Anderson: Ordinance 4822 rezoned 205 North Shore Drive from R-1 to C-O, allowing a duplex. Council discussed floodplain issues; the applicant is working with engineering on elevation. Nearby property owners supported the change. Approved 8-0 on first and second readings.

Zoning Code Amendments (Ordinance 4824): Approved 8-0 on both readings. City Planner Ember Batelaan detailed changes to comply with the Fair Housing Act, RLUIPA, and state telecom statutes. Key changes include making churches and group housing permitted uses, removing the unused R-5 and R-4 districts, adjusting R-3 setbacks, and recodifying the code for online access. The changes address legal and consistency issues.

Acceptance of Lot 2, Eastside Estates: The council accepted a narrow, landlocked strip from the Community Redevelopment Authority to consolidate city ownership for potential future development. The city already maintains the property. Approved 8-0.

Renewable Energy Credit Contract (25-UPGR-146): Approved 8-0. The contract with WAPA allows the city to receive and sell RECs from its hydropower allocation. Zeisler estimated potential revenues in the thousands of dollars and noted that local businesses may be interested in purchasing the credits.

Interlocal Fire Agreements: Two agreements approved 8-0. The Hastings Rural Fire agreement automatically dispatches the rural department for confirmed structure fires, speeding response. The Juniata agreement renews and expands a 2011 pact to include concurrent dispatch for structure fires. Fire Chief Troy Vorderstrasse explained that both improve safety and help meet NFPA response time recommendations.

EPA Brownfield Grant Management: Approved 8-0. The council authorized a $20,000 agreement with SCEDD to manage the grant program. Staff are undergoing training to manage future grants in-house.

Museum Membership Fee Increase: Resolution 2026-01 raised the Friends and Family membership from $95 to $125, approved 8-0. Museum Director Teresa Kreutzer-Hodson said the increase was necessary to retain eligibility for the ASTC passport program, which allows reciprocal admission at science and technology centers nationwide. The museum remains competitively priced.

Worksession Reschedule: The council approved moving the January 19 worksession to January 20 due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

Appointment of Street Superintendent: The council unanimously appointed Lee Vrooman as the city's Street Superintendent.

The meeting adjourned at 7:35 PM.

Meeting Transcript