Kearney City Council Meeting - February 10, 2026: Easement Acquisitions and UNK Softball Field MOU Approved
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Kearney City Council Meeting - February 10, 2026
The Kearney City Council met on February 10, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. in City Council Chambers. The meeting included three public hearings on sanitary sewer and utility easements, followed by approval of the consent agenda, which featured a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK) for improvements to the softball field at Dryden Park. No public comments were received, and no unfinished business was discussed.
Consent Calendar
- Approved minutes of the January 27, 2026 regular meeting.
- Approved the claims.
- Adopted Resolution No. 2026-16 accepting public improvements under the Developer Constructed Infrastructure Agreement for Arbor View Second; 63rd Street.
- Adopted Resolution No. 2026-17 approving the MOU with the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska for the UNK softball field at Dryden Park. Council Members Tami James Moore and Kurt Schmidt disclosed that they had no conflict of interest regarding the MOU, having confirmed with the city attorney that they were not involved in the contract’s creation and had no oversight obligations. The MOU maintains public access to Dryden Park and the field, with improvements funded by UNK and community donors.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public addressed the council on any agenda item.
Discussion Items
- Public Hearings on Easement Acquisitions (Items III-1,2,3): The council held three public hearings together but voted separately on each. The easements are for permanent sanitary sewer and utility purposes to serve the development on 39th and Antelope, following subdivision of Lot 3 in Saadi First. Specific parcels included:
- 0.05 acres from Camil Saadi, Managing Member of WinStar Enterprise, LLC (permanent 10-foot sanitary sewer easement).
- 0.003 acres from Jeffery S. and Kimberly A. Baker (permanent sanitary sewer easement).
- 0.02 acres from Jeffery S. and Kimberly A. Baker (permanent 5-foot utility easement). The council closed the hearings and adopted the corresponding resolutions without public comment.
- UNK Softball Field MOU: Council members expressed support for the partnership. Council Member Tami James Moore highlighted that the MOU exemplifies Kearney’s collaborative approach, noting that the city will continue to maintain Dryden Park, the field remains available for public use, and improvements are funded by UNK and donors. Mayor Jonathan Nikkila thanked Mark Bauer from UNK and praised the partnership for enhancing the field’s college feel while benefiting the neighborhood.
Key Outcomes
- Resolution No. 2026-13: Adopted (7-0 roll call) to accept the permanent sanitary sewer easement from Camil Saadi/WinStar Enterprise LLC.
- Resolution No. 2026-14: Adopted (7-0 roll call) to accept the permanent sanitary sewer easement from Jeffery S. and Kimberly A. Baker.
- Resolution No. 2026-15: Adopted (7-0 roll call) to accept the permanent utility easement from Jeffery S. and Kimberly A. Baker.
- Consent Agenda (Items IV-1 through IV-4): Approved unanimously (7-0 roll call).
- The meeting adjourned without further business.
Meeting Transcript
All right, would you please join me with in 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 uh indivisible with liberty and justice for all. In accordance with section 84 1412 of the Nebraska revised statutes, the current copy of the Open Meetings Act is available available for review and is posted on the wall of the council chambers. Uh Peggy, please take roll. Mayor Nicola Moore. Here. All right, thank you. There are no oral communications, there's no unfinished business. We'll go right to public hearings one through three. They can be discussed together but voted on separately. They pertain to the proposed acquisition of permanent sanitary sewer and permanent utility easements. Sir, these are all sanitary sewer easements. Um or utility easements, but they're pertaining to sanitary sewer, and it is to serve essentially the big law on 39th and Antelope. Um so they've divided that up differently than what was initial initially plotted. I think they've subdivided um lot three. And so it's just to serve that area. And so there's three of them. One's just kind of to capture a manhole. So any questions? I don't think so. Anybody have any questions? Okay. Um this is a public hearing. Does anyone in the audience wish to address public hearings one through three? Okay, if any final questions seeing none, can have a motion. I moved to close public hearing one and adopt resolution number 2026-13, accepting the permanent sanitary sewer easement granted by Camille Saadi, managing member of Windstar Enterprise LLC. Second. Roll call, please. Mayor Nicola. Aye, Schmidt. Stratman. I move to close public hearings two and three and adopt resolution number 2026-14 and 2026-15, accepting the permanent sanitary sewer easement and permanent utility easement granted by Jeffrey S. Baker and Kimberly A. Baker, a married couple. Second roll call, please. Mayor Nicolette. Schmidt. Stratman, Bush Cutter. Moore. Aye. Okay, uh, there are four items on the consent agenda. Any item listed on the consent agenda made by the request of any single council member be considered as a separate item under the regular agenda section of this agenda. Are there any items that the council needs to remove from the consent agenda? Uh Mr. Mayor, not an item that needs to be uh removed, but um just so it's it's it's on the record in case there was any question. Uh council member more and I have asked separately the city attorney for uh permission to vote on the consent agenda items as they do contain an item that pertains to the university. Neither one of us are involved in the uh making of the contract or the MOU or have any oversight or any uh obligation to the University of Nebraska Board of Regions for said contract. So um we have done our due diligence to ensure that we are capable to vote on this resolution on these items. All good that is correct. Thank goodness we're lawyers.
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