06/20/2023 MinutesC1TY OF �
GRAND�ISLAND
City Council Meeting Minutes
Council Chambers
City Hall
100 East First Street
Study Session of June 20, 2023
7:00 PM
CALL TO ORDER
Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, a Regular Meeting of the City Council of the City of
Grand Island, Nebraska was conducted in the Council Chambers of City Hall, 100 East First
Street, on June 20, 2023. Notice of the meeting was given in The Grand Island Independent on
June 14, 2023. Mayor Roger G. Steele called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM. The following
City Council members were present: Maggie Mendoza, Bethany Guzinski, Jack Sheard, Mike
Paulick, Mitchell Nickerson, and Doug Lanfear. Councilmembers Chuck Haase, Mark Stelk,
Jason Conley and Michelle Fitzke were absent. The following City Officials were present: City
Clerk RaNae Edwards, Interim City Administrator Laura McAloon, Finance Director Patrick
Brown, Assistant City Attorney Stacy Nonhof and Interim Public Works Director Keith Kurz.
2.
ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION
a. State Fair Presentation
Jaime Parr, Executive Director of the Nebraska State Fair; Terry Galloway, Chair of the
Nebraska State Fair 1868 Foundation Board of Directors; and Brian Friedrichsen from Olson
presented the State Fair Campus Master Plan.
The Master Plan proposed significant improvements to the critical infrastructure of the campus
and in 2022 the Nebraska Legislature awarded $20 million ARPA dollars to the State Fair for
wastewater and stormwater infrastructure improvements. The State Fair and its Foundation
anticipate needing an additional $7.6 million in funding.
Revenues and expenses for infrastructure were reviewed. Presented were 3 zones of work to be
completed. They were requesting the City to budget $7.6 million for funding assistance by 2026.
Discussion was held regarding the term "Ag Capital of the Midwest" as a future goal for the
State Fair. Mentioned was the ARPA Funds in the amount of $20 million awarded from the state.
The total budget requested from the State Fair for this project was $27.6 million.
Chris Kotulak, Executive Director of Fonner Park spoke in support of the State Fair project. Mr.
Kotulak answered questions regarding Fonner Parks funding toward this project. He stated the
Page 2 of 3, City Council Study Session, June 20, 2023
casino had not been asked for funds but were willing to work with the State Fair. Mentioned was
the parking lots in need of repair.
b. Revisions to City Code Chapter 5 Relating to Chickens
Assistant City Attorney Stacy Nonhof reported that the Animal Advisory Board held several
meetings with a group of citizens wanting to change City Code as it pertained to chickens. The
proposal was to allow any residential lot in the City to have up to eight (8) chicken hens with a
minimum of three (3) hens. For lots of a minimum of one acre, the owner could have up to
twenty-four (24) hens. Mentioned were the required setbacks that would need to be followed.
Kathy Nabity gave a PowerPoint presentation regarding the requested changes in City Code.
Amos Anson spoke in support. Ms. Nonhof answered questions regarding apartment complexes,
renters, etc. if chickens would be allowed. She stated it would be the property owner's decision
to allow them as City Code does not deal with this issue. Home Owners Association (HOA)
could be more restrictive than the City and not allow chickens. Enforcement would be under
Animal Control or after hours it would be the Police Department.
c. Council Goal; Settin�
Interim City Administrator Laura McAloon reported that on June 3, 2023, the City Council
engaged in its initial goal-setting exercise at their Retreat. A list of issues was compiled to be
addressed in the next 5 years and what needed to be addressed in the next year if they had
unlimited resources. Input and feedback from Administration and Department Directors on
existing or planned projects was gathered. This Study Session was an opportunity to narrow the
current list of issues and potential goals.
City Administration recommended that Council consider the feedback from the Department
Directors and provide input on the removal (or addition) of issues from the broad list of potential
goals. Further refinement of these issues and development of the final list of goals would be done
in additional Council retreat sessions, with final adoption of the 2024-2028 Goals taking place in
a regular meeting session.
Ms. McAloon requested the Council narrow down the list to be brought forward to a further
Study Session. Mentioned were the following goals:
• Heartland Events Center
• Welcoming Community
• Facilitating the Development of 4th Street and enhancing sidewalks
• Traffic concerns between Stuhr Road and Highway 30
• Traffic Safety concerns on Highway 281
• Rerouting bypasses/trucks out of town
• Utilizing Grand Island TV to add more programming
• Implementing a newsletter to the community
• Creating the position of Assistant City Administrator and Chief Financial Officer for
economic development
• Profession development for staff
Page 3 of 3, City Council Study Session, June 20, 2023
• Emergency Communication System Interconnected
• Fire Station #3
• Public greenspace maintenance & appearance
• Heartland Public Shooting Park Management & Marketing
• Camp Augustine Acquisition
Police Chief Kevin Denney answered questions concerning rerouting trucks out of town and
enforcement which was shared with the State Patrol. Interim Public Works Director Keith Kurz
answered questions regarding Claude Road, Diers Avenue, Wendy's/Pumpers, and State Street
to Capital Avenue. He also answered questions regarding the east lakes area with costs being
$15.3 million. This would be a multi-year project.
3.
ADJOURN
The meeting was adjourned at 9:04 p.m.
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RaNae Edwards
City Clerk