OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Kearney City Council Meeting - December 10, 2024: Awards, Reorganization, and Farewells

City Council — Tuesday, December 10, 2024
BodyKearney, Nebraska
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, December 10, 2024
StatusFILED
Video Record
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0:00

This is uh an exciting meeting for us.

0:02

Uh a lot of changes in the air, and uh Bruce, uh this crowd is not just for you and me.

0:08

We got some great awards coming up, and it's it's uh gonna be a fun council meeting.

0:12

So uh with that, first let's uh stand and have a moment of silence and then join us in a pledge of allegiance.

0:26

Thank you.

0:26

Join us on the Pledge of Allegiance.

0:28

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

0:35

One nation under God, individual with liberty and justice for all.

0:41

Thank you.

0:43

In accordance with Section 841412, the Nebraska Revised Statutes, the current copy of the open meetings act is available for you.

0:49

It's posted on the wall of the council chambers.

0:51

We take roll, please.

0:52

Mayor Klaus here.

0:55

President Nicolas Moore.

0:56

Here.

0:57

Okay, thank you.

0:58

Um item number five is the approval of the regular meeting minutes of the November 26th, uh, 2024 council meeting.

1:05

Uh Councilman Lear, would you like to approve those?

1:07

I move to approve the minutes of the November 26, 2024 council meeting.

1:10

Second.

1:11

Roll call, please.

1:12

Mayor Klaus, Lear.

1:14

Nicola, Cutter.

1:16

Hi.

1:17

Thank you.

1:18

That's probably your last motion, Bruce.

1:19

So probably is.

1:22

Okay, Oral Communications.

1:24

Uh, we're gonna invite Chief Wah uh to come up because we have some Carney Police Department Awards that they're very special.

1:30

So, Chief.

1:31

Thanks, Mayor Council, for uh the opportunity to be here today.

1:35

This is, as you said, Mayor, this is a special night for for you and Councilmember Relier, and it's really special.

1:42

Actually, we we kind of postponed this event to make sure that we could do this today when you're both still here with us.

1:48

So I appreciate the opportunity.

1:50

If I could get Officer Are Revelo and Officer Ionetic to come on up as well.

1:55

They're undercover today, so might not recognize when for once you're not.

2:03

Yeah, we should have had Officer Aurelos sing the national anthem for us.

2:08

I never thought about that.

2:09

All right.

2:09

Yeah, he does a good job at that as well.

2:11

So if you don't mind, typically I don't like to read these things, but I but I took a moment to uh to write uh some details about why we're here today on the special uh recognition.

2:20

On Friday, February 2nd, 2024, at approximately 8 p.m., Officer Johnny Ionetic, a 17-year Carney Police veteran, and Officer Luis Revelo, a three-year Carnival Police veteran, were on duty assigned to the Uniform Patrol Bureau.

2:34

Both officers were working a mental health investigation at Good Sam Emergency Room.

2:40

This call involved a combative adult subject who had been transported to the emergency department by ambulance following a Czech welfare call for service.

2:48

While inside an examination room of the ER, the subject became agitated and combative toward officers at and hospital staff, resulting in the subject being placed in handcuffs for her own safety and the safety of hospital staff.

3:01

The subject continued to be agitated and aggressive toward officers.

3:05

At one point, the subject stood up, approached Officer Ionetic, reaching for his holstered duty pistol while she was still handcuffed.

3:12

Body worn camera video clearly shows the subject reaching for Officer Ionetic's pistol, and Officer Ionetic ordering her to not reach for the gun or touch his gun, acting on his training to prevent the subject from removing the pistol from its holster.

3:28

It was at that time a single gunshot was heard and fired into Officer Ionetic's leg from his holster duty pistol.

3:37

After being shot, Officer Ionetic falls to the ground while also controlling the subject's arm.

3:43

And Officer O'Revallo immediately assists with securing the subject, assisting Officer Ionetic, and communicating with dispatch for additional support.

3:52

Officer Ionetic was shot in the right leg during this dynamic incident.

3:56

Following the gunshot, a radio call of shots fired was put out, resulting in an overwhelming response by KPD and BCSO to the ER.

4:05

Thankfully, Officer Ionetic did not receive life-threatening injuries that night.

4:10

He was treated and released to recover at home.

4:13

We are incredibly thankful he has recovered and is returned to full duty just a few short months later.

4:20

As the chief of police, getting the call of an officer injured in the line of duty is the call we never want to get.

4:26

In this case, getting the call of an officer shot in the line of duty is one I will never forget.

4:33

I was incredibly relieved to learn the injury was not life-threatening.

4:36

I was also relieved to see Officer Ionetic and Officer Revlo at the hospital that night.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural█████████████████████████████████████████████85%
Public Safety████████15%
Summary of Proceedings

Kearney City Council Meeting

December 10, 2024, 5:30 p.m. | City Council Chambers, 18 East 22nd Street

This meeting featured special awards to two police officers, the certification of the November 5 general election, swearing-in of new council members, election of the new mayor and vice president, and farewells to outgoing Mayor Stan Clouse and Councilmember Bruce Lear. The consent agenda was approved without discussion.

Consent Calendar

  • Claims: Approved unanimously.
  • Apron Reconstruction Project at Kearney Regional Airport: Plans and specifications approved; bid opening set for January 7, 2025 at 2:00 p.m.
  • HVAC Replacement at Kearney Public Library: Plans and specifications approved; bid opening set for January 7, 2025 at 2:00 p.m.
  • Golf Advisory Board Appointment: Resolution No. 2024-164 adopted appointing a member to fill the term vacated by Kurt Schmidt. (All approved by voice vote, no objections.)

Presentations & Recognition

  • Police Department Awards: Chief (name not given in transcript) presented:
    • Officer Johnny Eynetich – Law Enforcement Purple Heart for injuries sustained on February 2, 2024, when a handcuffed subject reached for his holstered duty pistol, causing a discharge that struck his leg.
    • Officer Luis Arevalo – Certificate of Commendation for his swift assistance during the same incident. The subject later pled guilty to felony assault on a police officer and was sentenced to 18–15 years in prison.
  • Kearney Elks Lodge #984: Doug Kramer presented a certificate of appreciation to outgoing Mayor Stan Clouse for his years of support, noting the lodge’s 360 members and the 4,500 state Elks.

Farewell Comments

  • Councilmember Bruce Lear (20 years of service): Thanked the community, his wife, and his mother; expressed no regrets but noted lessons learned; welcomed new members to bring fresh energy.
  • Mayor Stan Clouse (21 years of service): Praised the closeness of city government to the people; said he will miss welcoming events and ribbon cuttings; expressed pride in Kearney’s accomplishments and confidence in new leadership.

Election Certification and Oath of Office

  • The certificate of vote from the Buffalo County Election Commissioner was accepted unanimously. Results from the November 5, 2024 general election:
    • Jonathan Nikkila: 7,695 votes
    • Alex Straatmann: 8,502 votes
    • Bryce Nelson: 2,772 votes
    • Kurt Schmidt: 5,564 votes
    • Shauna Meyer: 5,512 votes
  • City Clerk Peggy Eynetich administered the Oath of Office to Jonathan Nikkila and Kurt Schmidt. (Alex Straatmann was absent; his oath will be administered on December 17, 2024.)

Reorganization – Election of Officers

  1. President of Council / Mayor (also serves as President of Kearney Area Solid Waste Agency):
    • Nomination: Jonathan Nikkila (by Councilmember Moore, seconded).
    • Vote: Unanimous (ayes: Buschkoetter, Schmidt, Nikkila, Moore).
    • Jonathan Nikkila declared President/Mayor.
  2. Vice President of Council:
    • Nomination: Randy Buschkoetter (by Councilmember Schmidt, seconded).
    • Vote: Unanimous (ayes: Nikkila, Moore, Buschkoetter, Schmidt).
    • Randy Buschkoetter declared Vice President.
  3. Reappointment of City Clerk:
    • Motion to reappoint Peggy Eynetich; unanimous approval (ayes: Moore, Buschkoetter, Schmidt, Nikkila).

Reports

  • Councilmember Tami James Moore thanked outgoing members and welcomed new councilors.
  • Councilmember Kurt Schmidt thanked citizens and acknowledged the mentorship of Stan Clouse and Bruce Lear.
  • Councilmember Pete Kotsiopulos (unclear from transcript but present) may have offered brief remarks; the summary focuses on recorded statements.
  • City Manager Mike Morgan praised the outgoing leaders and noted the new downtown Christmas tree tradition and a snowplow naming contest.

Key Outcomes

  • Police officers received Purple Heart and Commendation awards.
  • Election results certified; new council members sworn in.
  • Jonathan Nikkila elected Mayor; Randy Buschkoetter elected Vice President.
  • Peggy Eynetich reappointed City Clerk.
  • Consent agenda items approved with no separate discussion.
  • Meeting adjourned after council reports.

Meeting Transcript

This is uh an exciting meeting for us. Uh a lot of changes in the air, and uh Bruce, uh this crowd is not just for you and me. We got some great awards coming up, and it's it's uh gonna be a fun council meeting. So uh with that, first let's uh stand and have a moment of silence and then join us in a pledge of allegiance. Thank you. Join us on the 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, individual with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. In accordance with Section 841412, the Nebraska Revised Statutes, the current copy of the open meetings act is available for you. It's posted on the wall of the council chambers. We take roll, please. Mayor Klaus here. President Nicolas Moore. Here. Okay, thank you. Um item number five is the approval of the regular meeting minutes of the November 26th, uh, 2024 council meeting. Uh Councilman Lear, would you like to approve those? I move to approve the minutes of the November 26, 2024 council meeting. Second. Roll call, please. Mayor Klaus, Lear. Nicola, Cutter. Hi. Thank you. That's probably your last motion, Bruce. So probably is. Okay, Oral Communications. Uh, we're gonna invite Chief Wah uh to come up because we have some Carney Police Department Awards that they're very special. So, Chief. Thanks, Mayor Council, for uh the opportunity to be here today. This is, as you said, Mayor, this is a special night for for you and Councilmember Relier, and it's really special. Actually, we we kind of postponed this event to make sure that we could do this today when you're both still here with us. So I appreciate the opportunity. If I could get Officer Are Revelo and Officer Ionetic to come on up as well. They're undercover today, so might not recognize when for once you're not. Yeah, we should have had Officer Aurelos sing the national anthem for us. I never thought about that. All right. Yeah, he does a good job at that as well. So if you don't mind, typically I don't like to read these things, but I but I took a moment to uh to write uh some details about why we're here today on the special uh recognition. On Friday, February 2nd, 2024, at approximately 8 p.m., Officer Johnny Ionetic, a 17-year Carney Police veteran, and Officer Luis Revelo, a three-year Carnival Police veteran, were on duty assigned to the Uniform Patrol Bureau. Both officers were working a mental health investigation at Good Sam Emergency Room. This call involved a combative adult subject who had been transported to the emergency department by ambulance following a Czech welfare call for service. While inside an examination room of the ER, the subject became agitated and combative toward officers at and hospital staff, resulting in the subject being placed in handcuffs for her own safety and the safety of hospital staff. The subject continued to be agitated and aggressive toward officers. At one point, the subject stood up, approached Officer Ionetic, reaching for his holstered duty pistol while she was still handcuffed. Body worn camera video clearly shows the subject reaching for Officer Ionetic's pistol, and Officer Ionetic ordering her to not reach for the gun or touch his gun, acting on his training to prevent the subject from removing the pistol from its holster. It was at that time a single gunshot was heard and fired into Officer Ionetic's leg from his holster duty pistol. After being shot, Officer Ionetic falls to the ground while also controlling the subject's arm.

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