Lincoln City Council Regular Meeting – April 7, 2025

The Lincoln City Council held its regular meeting on April 7, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. All seven council members were present. The meeting included a Mayor's Award presentation, multiple resolutions, ordinances, a reconsideration vote, and items on the pending list. Key actions included approvals of a programming agreement for the 27th Street Bridge project, appointments to the Human Rights Commission, several annexation and zoning items, and a motion to delay an emergency communications head pay schedule change. The council also voted on a motion to reconsider a previous appointment, which failed.

Mayor's Award of Excellence

• Matthew Hudson from the Finance Department received the Mayor's Award of Excellence for January 2025 in the categories of Productivity, Loss Prevention, and Customer Relations.

Consent Calendar

• 25R-107: Approved (7-0) a Programming Agreement with the Nebraska Department of Transportation for STBG funds for the 27th Street Bridge South of Rokeby Road (preliminary engineering, right-of-way, utility relocation, construction).
• 25R-108: Approved (7-0) the appointments of Dr. Karen Kassebaum and Kevin Koester to the Lincoln Commission on Human Rights, terms to expire December 31, 2027.
• 25R-109: Approved (7-0) the distribution of interest earnings on short-term investments of idle funds for February 2025.
• 1.d.: Placed on file the City Treasurer's report on cash on hand as of February 28, 2025.
• 25R-110: Approved (7-0) setting a hearing date of April 21, 2025, for the liquor license application of Textbook 21, LLC dba Residence Inn at 850 R Street.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were recorded in the agenda. The public hearing for consent agenda items and the liquor resolution (4.a.) were opened, but no testimony is noted.

Discussion Items

• Public Hearing – Liquor Resolution: 25R-113 – Application of Glacial Till Vineyard, LLC for special designated licenses at the Haymarket Farmers Market. Approved for approval (7-0).
• Ordinances – 2nd Reading: 25-25 – Street and Alley Vacation 25002 for a portion of Grainger Parkway. The item had its 2nd reading and public hearing; no further action noted.
• Ordinances – 3rd Reading:
  • 25-22 – Annexation of 2.82 acres at S 98th and Van Dorn Streets (Fire Ridge, LLC). Passed (7-0, #21716).
  • 25-23 – Vacation of a portion of Tupelo Lane right-of-way (Fire Ridge, LLC). Passed (7-0, #21717).
  • 25-24 – Change of zone from AG to R-3 at S 98th and Van Dorn Streets (Fire Ridge, LLC). Passed (7-0, #21718).
• Ordinances – 3rd Reading with Continued Public Hearing:
  • 25-8 – Amendment to pay schedule for Emergency Communications Head (class 3161) from M05 to M07. A verbal motion to move the bill to the pending list with no date certain and continued public hearing was approved (7-0).
• Reconsideration:
  • 25R-98 – Reappointments to the Lincoln-Lancaster County Board of Health (Stacie Bleicher, Katherine Garcia, Tom Randa) had been adopted earlier (6-0). A verbal motion to reconsider was made but lost (2-5).
• Resolutions – 1st Reading:
  • 25R-111 – Report of new and pending claims for March 16–31, 2025 (first reading, no vote).
  • 25R-112 – Approving the 101 North 14th Street Redevelopment Project with Tallgrass Development, Inc. (first reading, no vote).
  • 25R-114 – Reappointing Nancy Hove-Graul to the Historic Preservation Commission (first reading, no vote).
• Pending List: Items 24-129 (Verizon tower agreement), 24-130 (change of zone – Sesostris Temple), 24R-526 (special permit), and 24R-527 (conditional zoning agreement) remained on the pending list with no date certain, as no action was taken.

Key Outcomes

• Consent items: All five resolutions on the consent calendar were adopted unanimously (7-0).
• Liquor license: The special designated licenses for Glacial Till Vineyard were approved for approval (7-0).
• Annexation, vacation, and rezoning: All three related items for Fire Ridge, LLC passed 7-0.
• Pay schedule amendment (25-8): Delayed and moved to the pending list with continued public hearing, no date certain (7-0 vote to delay).
• Reconsideration motion: Failed 2-5, therefore the original appointment of the Board of Health members stood.
• Meeting adjourned: 3:40 p.m.