02/20/2001 Minutes (2)
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OFFICIAL PROCEEDINGS
CITY OF GRAND ISLAND, NEBRASKA
MINUTES OF CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION
February 20,2001
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
February 20, 2001. Notice of the meeting was given in the Grand Island Independent on
February 14, 2001.
Mayor Ken Gnadt called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. The following members were present:
Councilmembers Pielstick, Ward, Seifert, Larson, Hornady, Whitesides, Haase, Murray, Walker
and Sorensen. The following City Officials were present: City Administrator MarIan Ferguson,
City Clerk RaNae Edwards, City Attorney Charlie Cuypers and Steve Riehle Public Works
Director.
Discussion Concerning Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Financial Software. David Springer,
Finance Director and Paul Mueller, Accounting Manager, updated the Council on the financial
software for the Finance Department. Request for Proposals have been sent and demos have been
reviewed. The project will take up to 1 Yz years to complete. Future enhancements will include
internet bill paying, account inquiry, web enabling, and integration with public safety software.
Presentation by Clark Enerson Partners, Phase I of the Feasibility Study Report for the Library
Expansion. Gerald Bryant, President of the Library Board presented the Library Building
Expansion Feasibility Report. Introduced were Joe Cook Vice President of Library Board, Steve
Fosselman Library Director, Duane Burns Foundation President, Kris Nolan Brown and Lea
Thomas members of the feasibility study. Lowell Berg representing Clark Enerson Partners Inc.
presented the findings of the feasibility study. Three options were presented for the expansion of
the library. Expansion to the east and west was recommended. Parking was discussed along with
estimated costs. Estimated Project Cost was $5,045,000. A new library at a new location was
estimated at $7,040,000 not including site acquisition. Councilmember Larson commented the
option of a second story. Councilmember Haase asked whether a new site had been picked out
for a new library. Mr. Berg stated that this study did not look at a specific site. Gerald Bryant
stated that the current location was ideal for this project.
Discussion Concerning Extending Independence A venue from Manchester Road to 13th Street.
Steve Riehle, Public Works Director, reported on the study of extending Independence A venue
from Manchester Road to 13th Street. Reviewed were problems of congestion at the intersection
of North Road with Cannon Road/State Street, traffic volumes and intersection geometric at the
intersection of Mansfield and Cannon Road which are dangerous for school children, poor
roadway cross-section with narrow lanes, poor drainage, and dirt medians with street lights in the
middle ofthe median.
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Page 2, City Council Study Session, February 20, 2001
Some solutions mentioned were widening Independence Avenue, allow no parking, have limited
access, improve the road geometric and improving traffic and pedestrian safety.
Recommended to Council was: Option #1) extend Independence Avenue from Manchester to
13 th Street and improve intersection in front of Westridge Middle School, or Option #2) not
extend Independence Avenue, improve intersection in front of Westridge Middle School,
improve Cannon Road from Mansfield to North Road and install traffic signal at the intersection
of North Road with Cannon Road and State Street.
Councilmember Pielstick and Murray mentioned that this has been an issue for some time and
felt Council needs to either do it or forget about it. Councilmember Murray asked about the cost.
Mr. Riehle stated $800,000 estimated cost for Independence Avenue. Mr. Murray would like to
see firm figures before Council acts on this. Councilmember Larson mentioned the fact that there
is a lot of congestion around Westridge Middle School and suggested that we keep in contact
with the school with regards to this.
Craig Anderson, 2126 Viking Place, spoke regarding Cannon Road to Capital Heights and the
problems with Cannon Road. Mr. Anderson spoke in support of Independence Avenue. Jim
Eriksen, 4233 Nordic Road, Char Kruse, 4217 Texas Avenue, and Brian Stutzman, 4220
Vermont Avenue, spoke in support of extending Independence Avenue to 13th Street. Doug
Samuelson, 2314 West George Street, spoke in favor of Option #2.
Councilmember Seifert and Ward recommended that this item come before Council with the
recommendation to extend Independence Avenue to 13th Street.
Presentation of Fire Committee Report. Mayor Ken Gnadt gave an overview of the Fire Services
Committee Report. Mark McCue, Chairman of the Fire Services Committee, presented the
findings of the committee. Issues looked at were the firefighters and ambulance services.
Comparisons were made of other towns the same size as the City of Grand Island.
Key Recommendations:
1. City would be best off if they were not in the business of routine long distance ambulance
servIces.
2. The City has two fire stations that are over 50 years old and it would be in the best
interest of the City to abandon these stations and build one new fire station at a new
location.
3. Reduce staffing due to fewer fire stations.
4. Reduce the amount of overtime.
5. Shift schedule 24 hours on - 48 hours off was recommended to change to one of 10 hours
on and 14 hours off.
6. Reduce excessive equipment.
7. Discontinue using fire engine companies with ambulance calls.
8. Increase attention to yearly inspections and fire prevention programs.
Councilmember Whitesides stated that this report was based on a good business approach and
was an excellent report, but that public safety is very important and worth the cost. He also
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Page 3, City Council Study Session, February 20,2001
agreed that there needs to be some changes in the Fire Department that could save the City
money. Councilmember Pielstick commented on a volunteer fire department and stated it would
not be feasible and it was her understanding that routine transfers were supported by off duty
firefighters.
Councilmember Walker asked whether the committee had any feedback from the employees of
the Fire Department. Mr. McCue stated that the Fire Chief was on the committee and there was
no direct communication with the employees.
Councilmember Sorensen thanked Mr. McCue for the report but mentioned that Station #2
should not be closed because of it's location. Councilmember Ward asked about the cost of long
haul transport and requested that Mr. McCue get him that infol111ation. Councilmember Murray
thanked Mr. McCue and the Committee members for the time and effort put into this report. He
stated budget constraints were an issue and the balance act is difficult, and felt that the report
brought out some very good points. Councilmember Haase stated that the employees need to be
heard. Councilmemeber Pielstick felt that there were some very good issues brought forward and
that money can be saved but not at the expense of public safety.
Mel Gosda and Kris Nolan Brown spoke with regards to the report and that the figures were
legitimate based on information from the Fire Chief for the City of Grand Island. Public safety
was of utmost importance for the committee and that they were asked to look at the cost and give
recommendations that would save the City money. Councilmember Haase stated that the facts
brought out in the study will allow the Council to make the best decision for the City.
Mayor Gnadt stated that this issue would be moved forward with input from everybody involved.
Jim Swanson, 2316 West Louis Street, complimented the committee on the report, but felt that
by doing all the items recommended, would not save the City $1,000,000 a year. Ed Hoeser,
1810 South Arthur, related an incident with regards to his son and the services provided by the
firefighters and paramedics. Neal Kelley, 2106 Circle Drive, spoke with regards to the long
distance ambulance calls. Kay Collins, 1003 West Louis Street, spoke with regards to letting
everyone speak.
Scott Kuehl, 4357 Manchester Road, Firefighter, spoke with regards to the fact that the
employees were not included in this study and that this impacts all the families of the employees.
Mr. Kuehl stated he would have been more than willing to represent the Fire Department. Chuck
Haase, 3024 Colonial Lane, stated that each Administrator has studied the Fire Department and
that costs need to be analyzed. He also stated that the Fire Department union should have been
involved and that the public feels this is an unfair labor practice. Glendale Reiss, 910 North
Boggs, stated that he is very proud of the Fire Department and EMT's. Gary Quandt, 924 West
15th Street, spoke of concern in closing Station #2. Tom O'Neill, 802 West Stolley Park Road,
spoke regarding the importance of our firefighters.
Lewis Kent, 624 East Meves Avenue, questioned the need for a fire station to be located on
South Locust Street due to the South Locust interchange and the need for Station #2. Former Fire
Chief Ron "Dutch" Schwieger, 1319 North Sycamore Street, spoke with regards to 24 hour
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Page 4, City Council Study Session, February 20,2001
shifts, engine company response along with the ambulance, local and long dishl11ce transfer calls
and stated ambulance services have been in Grand Island since the 1940's. John Thiel, 4228
Calvin Drive, Captain Mark Luebke, 512 East Meves Avenue, Mark Fhuere, 515 East 5th Street,
Bryan Stutzman, 4220 Vermont Avenue and Tim O'Neill, 1203 South Sylvan Street spoke in
support of the firefighters.
ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 9:45 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Q~\\~ U1J~
RaNae Edwards
City Clerk