The Kearney City Council met on July 23, 2024 at 5:30 p.m. in City Council Chambers. The meeting included a badge-pinning ceremony for newly elected officers of the Kearney Volunteer Fire Department, a public hearing and adoption of a conditional use permit for telecommunications co-location, approval of a consent agenda with 13 items, a presentation of NPPD's 2023 Energy Report, and approval of an open account claim to NPPD. Mayor Jonathan Nikkila was absent.
Good evening, everyone, and welcome tonight's uh city council meeting. Uh Stan is uh indisposed, so uh the council will begin with uh a uh moment of silence followed by the pledge. Please stand join us with a pledge. I pledge an allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation, our God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. In accordance with section 84-1412 of the Nebraska Revised Statutes, a current copy of the Open Meetings Act is available for review and posted on the wall of the council chambers. Uh Peggy, please call roll. Mayor Klaus, absent bushcutter. Here. Present Nicola Moore. Here uh first up is oral communications. At this time, we'd like to invite Fire Administrator Jason Whalen and Fire Chief Aaron Jameson up to the podium for the pinning ceremony for our newly elected officers of the Carney Volunteer Fire Department. Always an event we enjoy. You can hear the new blood in the room. Right. Good evening, members of the council, city staff, and members of the public in attendance tonight. My name is Aaron Jameson. This is uh fire chief of the Carney Volunteer Fire Department. This is Deputy Chief Jason Whalen. Uh I'm proud to be the Carney Volunteer Fire Department's 28th Fire Chief, and I would like to thank you for the opportunity to conduct our badge pinning at your meeting tonight. Annually, typically in April, we hold our elections in accordance with our bylaws to fill various positions within our department. Well, the Carney Volunteer Fire Department is governed by the both the city and the suburban fire district number one of Buffalo and Kearney Counties. The Kearney Volunteer Fire Department Corporation is governed by our board of directors. The board of directors is comprised of the board president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and the fire chief. In addition to those positions, three other members are elected from our general membership to also serve on the board. All the board positions serve a vital role in ensuring that the Carney Volunteer Fire Department runs smoothly. With that said, I would like to begin tonight by introducing our newly elected board members. In attendance tonight is our new president, Bill Shafnet. Oh, sorry. Bill Shaft. Our new board member Tony Redshue was not able to make it tonight. In order for our organization to run effectively, our officer structure is built to maintain the proper span of control while splitting responsibilities as equally as possible to each officer level. We utilize the officer positions of chief, deputy chief, battalion chief, captain, and lieutenant. Our battalion chiefs oversee at least one company. Some oversee specialty operations and some oversee other important functions such as training, ARF, equipment and apparatus, etc. With each battalion chief's responsibility, it depends on the result of the elections. Personnel makeup that makes up the best use of their strengths, certifications, and interests. Please help me to congratulate our newly elected officers, beginning with Battalion Chief 3, Seth Lumberry. And I would like uh Becca, his wife, and Frankie, his daughter, to join us and help assist pinning Seth. Yeah, yeah. Go ahead. You can get up there. You're fine. Yeah, just get in front of us. Don't worry about it. Good picture. You go where you get the good picture. Yeah, that's a good picture. Well, not there. You want to borrow this.