Kearney City Council Meeting - July 22, 2025
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Kearney City Council Meeting - July 22, 2025
The Kearney City Council met on July 22, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. in Council Chambers. The meeting included two public hearings, approval of a consent agenda with 16 items, and a regular agenda item. Council members present were Vice President Randy Buschkoetter, Tami James Moore, and Pete Kotsiopulos (transcribed as “Stratman”); Mayor Jonathan Nikkila and Council Member Kurt Schmidt were absent. All votes were unanimous among those present.
Consent Calendar
- Items 1–16 (all approved unanimously): Approval of meeting minutes (July 8 regular and July 10 joint), claims, Planning Commission recommendations setting an August 12 hearing, Resolution No. 2025-82 (authorizing signatories for city checks), annual renewal of manufactured home court license for Valley View Mobile Home Court through May 31, 2026, Resolution No. 2025-83 (board appointments), Resolution No. 2025-84 (qualification standards for satellite Keno operations), Resolution No. 2025-85 (awarding a $111,744 bid to Miller Painting, LLC for Harmon Park swimming pool tub sandblasting and painting), and Resolutions No. 2025-86 through 2025-93 (approving Keno-type lottery operations at eight establishments operated by Endgame West, LLC dba Big Red Keno).
Public Hearings
- Public Hearing No. 1 – Permanent Sanitary Sewer Easement (Butler Machinery Company): Andy Harder, Director of Public Works, presented a 10-foot-wide sanitary sewer easement along 56th Street to serve the Tech One Force subdivision. The easement was granted by Travis Solberg, CFO of Butler Machinery Company. No public testimony was offered. The council closed the hearing and adopted Resolution No. 2025-80 (3-0).
- Public Hearing No. 2 – Permanent Utility Easements (Fox Creek Development, LLC): Mr. Harder presented 18 utility easements (including two sewer easements) for the Arbor View Third and Fourth subdivisions, granted by Timothy J. Norwood Sr. of Fox Creek Development, LLC. These easements provide electric and public utility access for the development. No public testimony was offered. The council closed the hearing and adopted Resolution No. 2025-81 (3-0).
Regular Agenda
- Open Account Claim – Jonathan Nikkila ($634.64): The council considered a claim against Mayor Nikkila (who was absent). A motion to approve the claim was made and seconded. The vote was 3-0 in favor.
Reports
- City Manager Brenda Jensen thanked volunteers for the Art in the Park event (noting rain diminished attendance but artwork was excellent). She reported that a pump for Centennial Pool had been ordered; because of extended delivery time, the pool was drained and will require three days to refill, reheat, and reclorinate. The pool is expected to reopen by the end of next week (approximately 10 days of remaining season). Council members expressed support for the decision to repair rather than close the pool for the season.
- Council Member (Vice President Buschkoetter) thanked department heads and staff for budget information presented earlier that day, acknowledging the effort put into the budget process.
Key Outcomes
- Resolutions adopted: No. 2025-80 (sewer easement), No. 2025-81 (utility easements), No. 2025-82 (check signatories), No. 2025-83 (board appointments), No. 2025-84 (Keno standards), No. 2025-85 (Harmon Pool contract), and No. 2025-86 through 2025-93 (Keno operations).
- Consent agenda approved as a block (items 1–16).
- Open account claim approved for $634.64.
- Next meeting: A public hearing for Planning Commission recommendations is set for August 12, 2025, at 5:30 p.m.
Note: The transcript refers to a council member “Stratman” who voted; the published agenda lists council members as Mayor Jonathan Nikkila, Vice President Randy Buschkoetter, Tami James Moore, Kurt Schmidt, and Pete Kotsiopulos – with Nikkila and Schmidt absent. “Stratman” may be a transcription error for Kotsiopulos.
Meeting Transcript
Moment, we would like to hold a um moment of silence. Please stand. Please join us for 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. 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. Peggy, please call roll. Mayor Nicola absent Bushcutter. Here. Schmidt absent Stratman. Here. There are no oral communications and there is no unfinished business. So that brings us to public hearing number one, pertaining to the proposed acquisition of a permanent sanitary sewer easement granted by Travis Solberg, CFO of Butler Machinery Company, a North Dakota Corporation. Andy. As you can see, we're uh bringing forward a sanitary sewer easement that runs along 56. This is to serve the uh tech one force subdivision and the development going on out there. Please approve it because we've already put it in the camera. No. Um you're here to make the sales pitch for it. So yeah. Oh, so this will run over to city owned property development and uh serve all that area just just to the east of the substation. So okay. Pretty straightforward. Any questions? This is public hearing, so is there anyone in the audience like to address public hearing number one? Hearing none, entertain a motion. I move to close public hearing one and move for the adoption of resolution number 2025-80 for the acquisition of a permanent sanitary sewer easement granted by Travis Solberg, CFO of Butler Machinery Company. Second. Motion and second. Peggy, please call roll. Mayor Nicola Absent Moore. Aye. Schmidt absent stratman. Aye. Bush Cutter. Aye. All right. Public hearing number two pertains to several proposed permanent utility easements granted by Timothy J. Norwood Sr. Member of Fox Creek Development LLC, a Nebraska Limited Liability Corporation. Andy. Again, Andy Harder, Director of Public Works. Uh this is for the Arbor Rue Third and Fourth Subdivisions. There's 18 easements involved in this one. And uh really it's for electric utility, public utility to serve uh the subdivision. Uh typically we see more of these on the plat, but just based off of how the developer desired to serve these um areas. We're bringing forth the needed easements now. And um, so involved with 18 of them, one sewer easement is also in there, or two, excuse me. So again, pretty straightforward.
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