Kearney City Council Meeting: June 10, 2025
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Kearney City Council Meeting - June 10, 2025
The Kearney City Council met on June 10, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. in Council Chambers. The meeting included the postponement of three public hearings related to the McCaslin subdivision, a public hearing and vote on a rezoning request for a property east of Cherry Avenue, approval of the consent agenda, and a vote on an open account claim.
Consent Calendar
- Approved minutes from May 27, 2025.
- Approved claims.
- Appointed a member to the Civil Service Commission to fill the term vacated by Chris Loofe (Resolution 2025-62).
- Authorized letters of no recommendation to the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission for liquor license applications for Whiskey Creek Woodfire Grill and Elevated Catering.
- Approved Change Order No. 5 ($13,944.60 increase), final payment ($23,846.00), and certificate of substantial completion for the Water Resource Recovery Facility Phase 2 Improvements (Resolution 2025-63).
- Approved purchase of an Enforcer Pumper and Enforcer 100-foot Ascendant Tower from MacQueen Equipment, LLC for the Fire Department (Resolution 2025-64).
- Approved an agreement with BerganKDV for auditing services (Resolution 2025-65).
- Approved Change Order No. 1 ($4,052.00 increase) for the Harmon Pool Pump Replacement Project (Resolution 2025-66).
Public Hearings & Testimony
Postponed Hearings (Items III-1, III-2, III-3): Public hearings on the McCaslin subdivision rezoning and final plat were postponed from May 13, 2025, and further postponed to June 24, 2025, by unanimous council motion.
Rezoning Hearing (Item III-4): A public hearing was held on the application by Roger Harders (applicant) for West Limited, LLC (owner) to rezone property from District C-3 (General Commercial) to District AG (Agricultural). The property is located east of Cherry Avenue and south of East 11th Street (Parcel 2). The Planning Commission recommended approval by majority vote.
- Roger Harders (Applicant/Owner Representative): Explained the property is 30 acres. He was approached by Keith Becker to operate a sand and gravel extraction site. Harders stated he initially tried commercial development but lacked sewer access. He described plans to plant trees (Ponderosa pines, spruce) and build a berm to screen the operation. He noted the Development Review Team (DRT) confirmed a 35-foot height limit for gravel piles and said the operator keeps sites tidy. Harders mentioned a potential need for sand/gravel for county roads and I-80 expansion. He also discussed a sewer line crossing Highway 2 that could benefit northward development. Harders confirmed he has applied for a conditional use permit for the sand/gravel operation, which would require future council approval.
- Council Discussion: Council members clarified that the current vote is solely on rezoning to AG, not on the specific use. The city attorney noted that rezoning to AG allows any use permitted in that district; a sand/gravel operation would require a separate conditional use permit. Council member observed that the area already has significant AG zoning.
- Public Comment: One audience member commented that the proposal is similar to the development of Cunningham's on the Lake, where a lake created value; suggested that as context.
- No other public testimony was offered.
Discussion Items
No separate discussion items beyond the public hearing and consent agenda were scheduled. The regular agenda included only the open account claim.
Key Outcomes
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Postponement of McCaslin Subdivision Hearings: The council unanimously voted to postpone public hearings III-1, III-2, and III-3 (rezoning and final plat for McCaslin subdivision) to June 24, 2025.
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Rezoning Approved (Ordinance 8751): The council voted to close the public hearing and adopt Ordinance 8751, rezoning the property east of Cherry Avenue and south of East 11th Street to AG Agricultural District. The motion to suspend reading on three successive days and pass the ordinance was seconded and passed unanimously (roll call: Council Members Schmidt, Stratman, Buschkoetter, Moore all voted aye; Mayor Nikkila also voted aye). The ordinance was then passed on final passage unanimously.
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Consent Agenda Approved: Items 1-9 were approved unanimously.
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Open Account Claim Approved: The claim of $697.50 to the University of Nebraska Board of Regents was approved by a vote of 2 ayes (Mayor Nikkila, Council Member Buschkoetter) with 2 abstentions (Council Members Moore, Stratman). "Barely passed" as noted by a council member.
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Meeting Adjourned: The council adjourned shortly after reports.
Meeting Transcript
Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under uh indivisible with Library and Justice Roll. In accordance with section 84 1412 of the Nebraska Revised Statutes, a current copy of the Open Meetings Act is available for review and is posted on the wall of the council chambers. Um Peggy, please say call. Mayor Nicolas. Here. Bushcutter. Here more. Yeah. Schmidt. Stratman. Here. All right. There are no oral communications or unfinished business. Public hearings one through three pertaining to the development of McCaslin subdivision, located on a vacant parcel north of 6740 North Second Avenue, submitted by Miller and Associates. Applicant for Keith L. McCazlin owner have been requested to be further postponed until June 24th, 2025 council meeting. Therefore, a motion to postpone is needed. I moved to further postpone public hearings one through three pertaining to the development of McCaslin subdivision until the June 24th, 2025 council meeting. Second. Roll call, please. Mayor Nicola. Moore. Applicant for West Limited LLC owner to consider rezoning the property to District Agricultural District. By majority vote, Planning Commission recommended approval. And is Roger here to present? All right. Roger, come on up. And uh Rogers, can you just tell us a little bit what what you have in mind and tell us about the project? Okay. Um or the proposal. The back 30 acres, which is where you see the C three threes on. Um I guess I'm hitting things here. We can start over. Anyhow, let's see. I don't know which one is this one so you get to this part here. Keith uh Keith Becker has approached me to put a sand and gravel operation there. And uh and this would be this part would keep commercial. Um we I've had this for a couple years now, and I did try developing this commercial, but without sewer and stuff there right now, it's a little difficult. And uh people I also looked at uh going with chief buildings and putting a kind of a flex unit uh spacing space unit there myself and uh I had cancer in the last couple last year year and a half and I've had seven operations. My wife told me I wasn't going to do that. She said, but anyhow, Keith Keith has approached me on this, and uh we were putting I don't know if we have more exhibits or not, but um we have the let's see what now I hit it okay. Yeah. We're gonna put trees around the front and a berm. Keep hitting the little buttons. Um we're gonna put uh Pondarosa pines and spruce here, and then along here we we we're eliminating the uh I got a note from Melissa that they wanted that role eliminated, so we're putting pine trees here and pine trees down here to block the visibility of it through construction. Uh they also uh the DR DRT, I think it's called, um said that we can't pile um gravel over 35 feet high, and he says he's never had gravel piled that high, so he was very okay with that. So and he said you're you're welcome to visit his site. He says he keeps it very neat and clean. Um it's southeast of town here, somewhere. I have never been out there myself.
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