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Record of Proceedings

Hastings Planning Commission Regular Meeting – October 20, 2026

Planning Commission — Tuesday, October 20, 2026
BodyHastings, Nebraska
SessionPlanning Commission
DateTuesday, October 20, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 31:58

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

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

4:39

Well, you call the role play.

Speaker 2

4:51

Shannon Adler.

Unassigned speaker

5:00

Will you please stand for the pledge of allegiance?

Speaker 3

5:09

And to wait for God.

5:14

Indivisible.

5:17

Justice

Speaker 4

5:17

for

Speaker 3

5:17

all.

Speaker 1

5:18

Thank you.

5:19

May be seated.

5:22

At this time, I would like a motion to adopt the current agenda for today.

Speaker 5

5:28

So move.

5:29

Okay.

Speaker 1

5:30

Greg so moved and Sean second.

5:33

Okay.

5:34

Any questions on the agenda?

5:36

If not, please vote.

Unassigned speaker

5:55

I

Speaker 2

5:56

need Lou and Collin.

5:57

All right.

5:57

Thank you.

5:58

Sean.

Speaker 6

6:04

I'm guessing move your.

Speaker 2

6:06

Oh, switch your mice.

6:10

There you go.

6:13

Right?

Speaker 1

6:14

There you go.

Unassigned speaker

6:15

Thank you.

Speaker 2

6:17

Thank you.

6:18

All those received.

Speaker 1

6:22

And that motion passes to adopt the current agenda.

6:26

Item number five is citizen communication.

6:29

I'm not seeing any citizens out here to communicate.

6:33

So we'll move on to number six item, which is the public notice, and I'll have Melissa read that into the record, please.

Speaker 2

6:41

Official notice of the regular meeting was published in accordance with Nebraska revised statute section 84-1411.

6:48

Pursuant to Nebraska revised statutes section 84-1412.

6:52

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.

7:00

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

Speaker 1

7:06

Thank you.

7:07

Item seven, approval of the minutes.

7:10

Hopefully, if you looked over your packets on that, and I would need a motion to approve.

Speaker 6

7:16

I'll make a motion to approve the minutes from the last meeting.

Speaker 1

7:18

Thank you, Sean.

7:19

A motion by Sean.

Speaker 6

7:20

I will second.

Speaker 1

7:21

Second by Joe.

7:23

Is there any questions on the minutes?

7:26

Seeing none, uh, please vote.

Unassigned speaker

7:37

All

Speaker 2

7:38

votes received.

Speaker 1

7:42

And the motion passes to approve the minutes on the September 22nd meeting.

7:49

Moving down the list, we have no special order of business.

7:53

Uh no unfinished business, which includes uh conditional uh conditional applications, table applications or postpone applications.

8:04

We have no public hearings and no subdivision.

8:07

Very unusual.

8:08

Uh item 12 is reports.

8:11

I think I'm gonna do uh we don't have a committee, so I'll defer uh those uh comments until after the uh staff does their work session to address the Roberts rule of order.

8:24

So I'll at this time uh staff can present that uh program.

Speaker 7

8:30

Okay, uh so I'll start off with in your packet.

8:34

You should have a uh two-page document.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Engagement█████████████████████████████████████████████46%
Procedural███████████████████████████████████36%
Engineering And Infrastructure█████████████13%
Economic Development█████5%
Summary of Proceedings

Hastings Planning Commission Meeting – October 20, 2026

The Hastings Planning Commission met on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at 4:00 PM at City Hall, 615 W 3rd St., Hastings. The meeting was largely administrative: the commission adopted the agenda and previous minutes, heard no public testimony, and took up no public hearings, subdivisions, or unfinished business. The main substantive item was a staff-led worksession on Robert's Rules of Order and ex parte communication, followed by brief city project updates.

Consent Calendar

  • The commission adopted the current agenda by unanimous vote (motion by Greg, second by Sean).
  • The commission approved the minutes of the September 22, 2026 meeting by unanimous vote (motion by Sean, second by Joe).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No citizens appeared to offer public comment during Citizen Communication.

Discussion Items

  • Staff led a worksession on Robert's Rules of Order, covering main motions, amendments, tabling versus postponement, and the eight-step procedure for handling a motion. Staff advised that the chair typically restates motions verbatim and that commissioners may propose amended conditions if they do not support staff's recommended motion.
  • Staff also explained ex parte communication: any discussion of a quasi-judicial matter outside the public meeting, such as a conditional use permit, subdivision plat, or rezoning, can violate due process if other parties are not present to respond. Commissioners were instructed to end such conversations, disclose them on the record, and consider recusal if the communication affects impartiality.
  • In response to commissioner questions, staff clarified: a legal conflict of interest requires a direct financial interest; personal relationships can justify voluntary recusal; a subcontractor who has only submitted a bid generally does not have a conflict yet, but the situation is case-by-case; and commissioners should avoid discussing commission business with other commissioners outside the meeting, especially if a quorum is involved.

Staff Reports and Project Updates

  • Chairman comments were deferred until after the worksession.
  • Danny reported that Tommy's was expected to begin work the prior week and has not yet officially confirmed; Hartwell Renewables hopes to receive train cars within a couple of weeks and begin biodiesel production by the end of 2026 or early 2027; Air Chief is expanding with grain bins and grant support to roughly triple ethanol production; and residential new construction and expansions continue in the city.

Key Outcomes

  • No special order of business, unfinished business, public hearings, or subdivisions were considered.
  • The commission completed the worksession on Robert's Rules of Order and ex parte communication.
  • The meeting adjourned by voice vote after a motion by Greg and a second by Lou.

Meeting Transcript

Well, you call the role play. Shannon Adler. Will you please stand for the pledge of allegiance? And to wait for God. Indivisible. Justice for all. Thank you. May be seated. At this time, I would like a motion to adopt the current agenda for today. So move. Okay. Greg so moved and Sean second. Okay. Any questions on the agenda? If not, please vote. I need Lou and Collin. All right. Thank you. Sean. I'm guessing move your. Oh, switch your mice. There you go. Right? There you go. Thank you. Thank you. All those received. And that motion passes to adopt the current agenda. Item number five is citizen communication. I'm not seeing any citizens out here to communicate. So we'll move on to number six item, which is the public notice, and I'll have Melissa read that into the record, please. Official notice of the regular meeting was published in accordance with Nebraska revised statute section 84-1411. Pursuant to Nebraska revised statutes section 84-1412. 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. Additionally, a current copy of the Nebraska Open Meetings Act is posted and accessible to the public. Thank you. Item seven, approval of the minutes. Hopefully, if you looked over your packets on that, and I would need a motion to approve. I'll make a motion to approve the minutes from the last meeting. Thank you, Sean. A motion by Sean. I will second. Second by Joe. Is there any questions on the minutes? Seeing none, uh, please vote. All votes received.

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