04/29/2025 Minutes CITY UN
GRANDtua
ISLAND
City Council Study Session Minutes
Council Chambers
City Hall
100 East First Street
April 29, 2025
6:00 PM
1. CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Roger Steele called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
3. ROLL CALL
The following City Officials were present, City Clerk Jill Granere, City Attorney Kari Fisk,
Finance Director Matthew Gleason and Public Works Director Keith Kurz.
The following City Council Members were present: Jack Sheard,Mark Stelk,Jason Conley,Doug
Brown, Chuck Haase, Maggie Mendoza, Ryan O'Neill, Mike Paulick and Mitchell Nickerson.
Doug Lanfear was absent.
4. RESERVE TIME TO SPEAK ON AGENDA ITEMS
5. OTHER ITEMS
5.a)Parks & Recreation Master Plan Presentation
Cover Page
Presentation
Master Plan Draft
Brian Trusty with Pros Consulting and Caitlin Bolte with Confluence gave a presentation of the
purpose of the master plan. Mentioned were the great public engagement involvement and the
key takeaway as follow:
• Indoor facility to include pickleball, indoor tennis, an indoor pool and an indoor fitness
center with classes for all ages.
• Connected bike and walking trail connections throughout Grand Island.
• Visible Pedestrian Crossings connecting neighborhoods to parks.
• Planning and design for pedestrian and cycling on highways, interstates, and railroads.
• Major demand for better ballfield rental affordability for club play(high potential for
hosting tournaments and more practices in G.I.)
• Resurface and improve fields (paint pickleball lines); provide lighted playfields (soccer,
baseball, etc.)
• Water activities and gathering spaces.
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• Native park areas and natural trails throughout the system. Planting more trees.
• Tidiness.
Funding and Revenue Strategies:
• Corporate Sponsorships/Advertising Sales
• Tax Incremental Financing
• Growth of Private Sector Fundraising with a Foundation
• Greenway Utilities
• Naming Rights
• Lease of Development Rights
• Partnership with Non-profit Conservancy or Friends Group
• Capital Fees
• Interlocal Agreement
Financial Goals:
• Increase the financial resources supporting park operations and maintenance to better
meet community needs and maintain infrastructure.
• Improve the financial performance of key cost centers.
• Boost funding for both capital and operational needs through new revenue strategies.
• Create and continue partnerships to leverage assets.
• Maintain ballfield affordability by prioritizing the community first.
Programming Goals:
• Improve and expand upon recreational programming offerings to better meet current and
emerging community need.
• Improve financial performance of recreational programming.
• Target program classifications to increase opportunities for added revenue.
Operations and Maintenance Goals:
• Improve the overall effectiveness of current operations and maintenance teams to meet
both community and facility needs.
• Expand and improve marketing and communications to reach all sectors of the
community.
• Expand the capabilities of the depaitiiient to attract greater sports tourism opportunities.
Park and Facility Goals:
• Provide a multi-generational indoor community facility.
• Create a consistent identity for the Grand Island Parks system that is recognizable to the
public at large.
• Transform existing mini parks into more valuable and ecologically sensitive public
spaces.
• Enhance trail network and connectivity to parks and city destinations.
• Intergrate parks and learning environments.
• Develop and maintain park facilities for all ages to attract and retain aging population.
• Enhance connection to nature.
Page 3 of 7,City Council Study Session April 29,2025
• Increase accessibility and use of ballfields.
• Expand and improve park facilities.
Jack Sheard spoke regarding leveraging the public engagement and the areas of interest to help
make decisions on what they would like to see.
Mitch Nickerson spoke regarding having a Master Plan in place and if it would help with future
grants.
Brad Mellema spoke regarding parks and how they attract people to the community.
10. ADJOURMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 7:46 p.m.
ity Clerk
Jill Granere