The Kearney City Council met at 5:30 p.m. on June 9, 2026, in the City Council Chambers. The meeting included public hearings on a new liquor license, a utility easement vacation, a rezoning and final plat, postponement of two items, approval of a consent agenda, and two open account claims. Council members present were Mayor Jonathan Nikkila, Vice-President Randy Buschkoetter, Council Members Tami James Moore, Kurt Schmidt, and (per the transcript) Council Member Stratman – the agenda lists Pete Kotsiopulos instead; this discrepancy is noted. The meeting lasted approximately one hour.
Okay, please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. For which it stands one nation. In accordance with section 841412 of the Nebraska revised statutes, a 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. Here Bushcutter. Yeah. Moore. Schmidt. Here. Stratman. Here. There are no oral communications, no unfinished business. So we're going to move right to public hearing one, which pertains to the new Class D liquor license and manager application for Speedy Mart 2766 located at 3913 Adams Avenue. And they didn't find anything concerning. So don't know if there's anybody here to speak about it. But we come on up. Yeah. I'm Andy. I am with Western Oil Operations Manager. This will be our third convenience store in Carney, Nebraska. And our 50th overall retail location. If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them. Sure. So I mean, everyone that's staff will get trained, follow the training procedures for this sort of so for all of our locations, we do a one-hour tobacco and alcohol training video that they're sat down before they're even allowed to touch the register. And then in Lincoln and now Kearney also there's additional requirement for training. I'm sure you're aware of the additional requirements, but we do put them through both training. Um the state training and then our own training. Okay. Thanks, Andy. Anyone else have any other questions? Uh what is your policy in terms of um carding people? Do you card everybody like old people like me, or do you use you say under 30? Uh the federal government is anybody under 27 gets carded. Um, so that's the FDA rule. We try to follow that. Okay. Um that's how we're training. Um, so we don't card everyone. Um guy like you probably wouldn't get guarded. Um it is you I'm a fan. No, I'm okay with that. It is up to the cashier though. We have had some cashiers who will just card everybody and we leave that to them if they want to do that, they're perfectly capable of doing that. So we won't restrict them and tell them they can't do that. Do you have any policies for um uh if if someone catches a minor trying to to purchase is there you guys have a reward system? Yep, we do have a hundred dollar bonus for um either passing a sting through a sheriff or a state patrol or a city police sting. Um, or if they catch someone and call the police, as long as there's a um some kind of proof or even surveillance video, we would take that. So and then they get a hundred dollar bonus check in their mail.