The Kearney City Council met on October 22, 2024 at 5:30 p.m. in City Council Chambers. The meeting included a recognition of Assistant Library Director Christine Walsh for receiving the Excalibur Award for Outstanding Public Librarian, a public hearing on a right-of-way easement, a presentation from the Kearney Visitors Bureau, and approval of numerous consent agenda items and open account claims.
Public Hearing on Permanent Right-of-Way Easement – Sarah Son, Director of Utilities, explained that the 80-foot wide easement is needed for a section of Country Club Lane from 56th Street to 58th Street that was not previously platted. The council asked clarifying questions (city vs. county jurisdiction) and then closed the hearing and adopted Resolution 2024-146 approving the acquisition.
Kearney Visitors Bureau Presentation – Roger (last name not given), representing the Visitors Bureau, delivered an informational presentation. Key points included:
Open Account Claims – The council approved claims totaling $330,358.70: $268.70 to Tami James Moore, $330,000 to University of Nebraska Kearney, and $90 to UNK Emarket. Council member Tami James Moore abstained from the vote on this item due to her personal claim. All other members voted yes.
SkyWest Airlines Update – Council member noted that the SkyWest agreement is on track and will begin next week (November 1st).
If you'll rise, we'll have a moment of silence and then the pledge of allegiance. Thank you. 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. Thank you. In accordance with section 841412 of the Nebraska revised statutes, current copy of the open meetings act is available for you to post on a wall of the council chambers. So we take roll, please. Mayor Cloud. Here Learn Nicola. Here. Okay, and at this time we'd like to invite Matt Williams, our library director, and Christine Walls, uh Walsh, Assistant Library Director to the front. Christine's got a speech. Good evening. Yeah, it's my pleasure to uh present for recognition. Christine Walsh. She is the assistant director. She's been at the library for 20 years. And she got the uh it is the public library and trustees section of the Nebraska Library Association. Uh they gave a prestigious award called the Excalibur Award for Outstanding Librarian. Um of the things that uh she has done to earn that is she is a past president of uh NLA, Nebraska Library Association. Uh she has been president of the Nebraska Center for the Book, and she's also on the committee that chooses the one book Nebraska. Um she's also uh locally on the uh Carney Cultural Partners and they has been on that committee to get that arts district uh passed and everything. And um some people may know her too from the one author Carney that we have every year at um the world. She coordinates all of that. Okay, good well. We have a certificate, and uh you want to say some things? Um mostly my colleagues were really awesome at keeping this a secret. I had no idea until I got to the lunch and they announced it. So I was really surprised um but humbled and honored, and when you're passionate about something you do, um it's really easy to continue doing your job and sharing it. So but thank you for the recognition. Well, congratulations and and Matt has your check. Oh we'll take some pictures. Unless you spend it, of course. It's really cool. Doing two. We have a longer way to walk. No, that's right. I know, it's okay. Matt, here you go. All right, we're gonna go. Thank you. Okay. What are we doing? I thought she was taking note. We're good. We're good. Congratulations. Oh, I actually want a picture. I'll send it to you. Well, in all the years, I don't know that we've ever given somebody from the library an award.