The Kearney City Council met on August 22, 2023, at 5:30 p.m. in City Council Chambers. The meeting included swearing-in of two police officers, public comments on Memorial Field safety, multiple public hearings, approval of consent agenda items, second readings of several rezoning ordinances, adoption of General Business Occupation Tax (GBOT) agreements for two redevelopment projects, review of the One- and Six-Year Street Improvement Plan, and approval of open account claims to NPPD.
If you'll uh please rise, we'll have a moment of silence followed by the presentation of colors from the uh police honor guard. Okay, thank you. And if we have the honor guard. They're down the hall. They're down the hall. Okay, please join us in a pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. In accordance with section eighty-four fourteen twelve, the Nebraska revised statute is a current copy of the open meetings act that is available for views, posted on the wall of the council chamber. Should we take roll, please? Mayor Klaus. Here. Bushcutter. Here. Nicolas. Here. And Oral Communications. First item is uh Chief Waugh will administer the uh oath office and pinning of badges. We'll turn it over to you. Thanks, Mayor and Council. Uh if I can have officer switch daughter and all three more. It's another special uh evening for the Carney Police Department, and more importantly, um these two officers family. Um they're both going to be sworn in general as members of the Carney Police Department. I'll talk a little bit about each of them. Uh Grant Bushgutter, uh you probably recognize the name. Uh he's got a proud dad here in the room today, Captain's member Bushgarter uh is here with us as well as his mother Kim, and his kind of girlfriend Bethany is here. Um special moment we see all these other police officers in the room as well to support these two officers as they begin their careers with Carney Police Department. We're a family. Um Grant is an example of that as a family tradition of service to this community. Um started with your father, obviously uh serving this community on city council. Uh Grant was a Carney Catholic dragon. Um K, graduated UK, played football. There's a really cool picture out there. If you Google Grant Bush Cotter, you'll see a picture of him with the golden locks of hair. Uh in the football. So I that's a really fun picture. We'll have to use that someday, I'm sure, uh, throughout your career. I think he became an intern with the Carnegie Police Department during the time at UNK. Got exposed to a lot of the facts of the job. And we hired him on as a community service officer to learn more, uh, fit in really well, and then we hired him back in March to become a certified police officer, and he just graduated from Law Enforcement Academy after 15 weeks of of extensive training. And they'll go on for more training. This is Michael Reeves, another dedicated public service. You have the United States Army veteran. Um we hired Michael from he was currently previously employed at YRTC, uh supervisor, his wife 40 here, their children, Harrison and Dea, as well as a mother-in-law and his dad are here to join us today. Once again, showing that how important it is that our family is surrounded by us during these moments in our careers. Um I think both these young men are gonna be fine additions to our police department. Uh we are a family. Uh we'll take care of uh each other uh and we take care of this community with an extreme sense of pride and professionalism in it and both being gentlemen uh embody that uh so I wish you nothing but the best, and I'd like to ask for you work to uh present the uh oath of office. I do solemnly swearing swear.