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10/17/2000 Minutes I I I OFFICIAL PROCEEDINGS CITY OF GRAND ISLAND, NEBRASKA MINUTES OF CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION October 17,2000 Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, a Study Session 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 October 17, 2000. Notice of the meeting was given in the Grand Island Independent on October 11, 2000. Mayor Ken Gnadt called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. The following members were present: Mayor Gnadt, Councilmembers Larson, Hosier, Preisendorf, Whitesides, Ward, Samuelson, Murray and Sorensen. Councilmember Pielstick and Seifert were absent. The following City Officials were present: City Administrator, Marlan Ferguson, City Clerk RaNae Edwards, Finance Director David Springer, City Attorney Charlie Cuypers and Steve Riehle Public Works Director. PRESENTATION OF LIBRARY BOARD ANNUAL REPORT AND STRATEGIC PLANNING: Steve Fosselman, Library Director, reported on the Library Annual Report for October 1999 - September 2000 and the Strategic Planning Update. Internet access at the Library were mentioned as an area that is becoming widely used. An overview of other areas the library offers was reviewed. Mr. Fosselman presented the growing needs at the library as parking and drive-up access, Children's/Family Place, magazine/newspaper lounge area, audiovisual materials area, adult fiction/nonfiction stacks, multilingual services, young adult section, reference section, computer lab, bookmobile/outreach programs, staff work area, and meeting rooms. Jerry Bryant, Library Board President, presented the long-range needs of the library. Phase I provides for the architectural study to determine the feasibility of building expansion. The architectural feasibility study will be presented to the Council in January 2001. DISCUSSION CONCERNING CITY CODE AMENDMENTS: Charlie Cuypers, City Attorney, reported on a number of technical changes to the City Code. Four major changes were mentioned, those being: a.) bicycle registrations; b.) deleting the use of mini-bikes at Webb Road; c.) requiring all dogs on hikelbike trails be controlled by a leash; and d.) allowing persons of any age to be able to fish at the City lakes. DISCUSSION CONCERNING GRAFFITI TO UTILITY POLES, TRAFFIC CONTROLS AND PUBLIC PROPERTY: Charlie Cuypers, City Attorney, reported on the number of signs that are being placed around the City against City Code regulations. Mentioned were the damage done to utility poles by these signs. The change to City Code would allow for anyone to take down the signs. PRESENTATION OF ZOO REPORT: Steve Paustian, Parks and Recreation Director, presented the Zoo Report. Introduced were the Zoo Advisory Committee members and Mike Rice representing ZooPlan. Mr. Rice presented the findings of the Zoo study for the future of the Zoo. A presentation was made to the Council outlining the master plan for the zoo, using statistics compiled from the study with an estimated cost of $4,770,000. The study focused on the zoo's potential market area, similar communities with zoos, attendance potential, capital investment, and operational costs. Page 2, City Council Study Session, October 17,2000 I Mr. Rice presented a slide presentation, walking through the proposed zoo plan explaining each exhibit along the way. It was mentioned that the location and the size of the zoo were positive aspects in the overall view to the zoo plan. Councilmember Larson, Chairman of the Zoo Advisory Committee, thanked the committee for their hard work. Demographics and cost were mentioned as issues that were looked at by the committee. Councilmember Ward asked about the time frame if the Council decided to approve the zoo plan. Mr. Rice commented that this could be done within one building season in which the zoo would need to be closed, but that off-site educational programs could be continued. Dee Hanssen, 3604 South Blaine and Lori Dethloff, 4204 Kay A venue, spoke in support of the Zoo. Leo Tylkowski, 1916 North Sheridan, spoke relative to the budget and asked whether this would be put up to a vote of the people. It was stated that this will be brought back to the Council with a recommendation by the Zoo Advisory Committee and will be put to a vote of the people. Councilmember Whitesides, Murray and Larson stated that this is an issue that effects the people of Grand Island and will be put to a vote of the people. Mr. Paustian stated that the original vision of the zoo back in 1983 when the zoo was created were for a complete zoo and not just a petting zoo. Jerry Bryant, 1313 West Hagge A venue, asked the Council to take a look at the financing and operational costs. Amye Lilienthal, 5700 South Locust, spoke in support of the zoo. Allen Bartels, Farwell, Nebraska, volunteer at the Zoo, encouraged the marketing of the Zoo. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 8:40 p.m. Respectfully submitted, I QJ\~ KJw~ RaN ae Edwards City Clerk I