07/10/2001 Minutes
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OFFICIAL PROCEEDINGS
CITY OF GRAND ISLAND, NEBRASKA
MINUTES OF CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING
July 10, 2001
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 July 10, 2001. Notice of the meeting was given in the Grand Island Independent on
July 4,2001.
Mayor Ken Gnadt called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. The following members were present:
Councilmembers Pielstick, Ward, Larson, Hornady, Whitesides, Haase, Murray, Walker and
Sorensen. Councilmember Seifert was absent. The following City Officials were present: City
Administrator MarIan Ferguson, City Clerk RaNae Edwards, Finance Director David Springer,
Public Works Director Steve Riehle and City Attorney Charlie Cuypers.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE was said followed by INVOCATION given by Pastor John Hayes,
Grace Baptist Church.
RESERVE TIME TO SPEAK ON AGENDA ITEMS: Four individuals reserved time to speak
on agenda items.
PUBLIC HEARINGS:
Public Hearing on Proposed Revision to FY 2000-2001 Annual Budget. David Springer, Finance
Director, reported that a revision to the Fiscal Year 2000-2001 Annual Budget was proposed to
reflect an increase in appropriations for the Electric Utility Fund by $25,000,000.00 for the
purpose of payments for the combustion turbine project. The revision also increases the budgeted
revenues for the Electric Utility Fund by $51,401,672.00 for bond proceeds. Gary Mader,
Utilities Director, answered questions from Glendale Reiss, 910 North Boggs and Lewis Kent,
624 Meves. No further public testimony was heard.
ORDINANCES:
Ordinance #8684 - Consideration of Creating Sidewalk District 1, 2001 was pulled from the
agenda.
Councilmember Sorensen moved that the statutory rules requiring ordinances to be read by title
on three different days be suspended and that ordinances numbered:
#8682 - Consideration of Revision to FY 2000-2001 Annual Budget
#8683 - Consideration of Conveyance of Former City Hall to Civic Redevelopment
Group LLC
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Page 2, City Council Regular Meeting, July 10,2001
be considered for passage on the same day upon reading by number only and that the City Clerk
be permitted to call out the number of the ordinances on their first reading and then upon final
passage and call for a roll call vote on each reading and then upon final passage. Councilmember
Murray seconded the motion. Upon roll call vote, all voted aye. Motion adopted.
Mayor: It there anyone in the audience interested in this ordinance? Lewis Kent, 624 Meves,
questioned the cost to the City with regards to Ordinance #8683. City Attorney Charlie Cuypers
stated that under the sale agreement, the city would pay up to $274,000.00. Mr. Cuypers also
stated that the city would spend approximately $400,000.00 to tear down the former City Hall
building.
Tim O'Neill, 1203 South Sylvan Street and Tom O'Neill, 802 Stolley Park Road, spoke in
opposition of selling former City Hall and questioned the procedures of filing a remonstrance
petition. Mike Johnson, Attorney representing Civic Redevelopment Group L.L.C. spoke in
support.
City Clerk: Ordinances #8682 and #8683 on first reading. All those in favor of the passage of
these ordinances on first reading, answer roll call vote. Upon roll call vote, Ward, Larson,
Hornady, Whitesides and Murray voted aye. Councilmembers Haase, Walker and Sorensen
voted no. Councilmemeber Pielstick voted in opposition to Ordinance #8683. Mayor Gnadt cast
the sixth and deciding vote in support. Motion was adopted.
City Clerk: Ordinances #8682 and #8683 on final passage. All those in favor of the passage of
these ordinances on final passage, answer roll call vote. Upon roll call vote, Ward, Larson,
Hornady, Whitesides and Murray voted aye. Councilmembers Haase, Walker and Sorensen
voted no. Councilmemeber Pielstick voted in opposition to Ordinance #8683. Mayor Gnadt cast
the sixth and deciding vote in support. Motion was adopted.
Mayor: By reason of the roll call votes on first reading and then upon final passage, Ordinances
#8682 and #8683 are declared to be lawfully passed and adopted upon publication as required by
law.
CONSENT AGENDA: Councilmember Pielstick requested that item G-3 be removed from the
Consent Agenda. Councilmember Haase requested that item G-4e be removed from the Consent
Agenda. Motion by Pielstick, second by Whitesides, carried unanimously to approve the Consent
Agenda.
Receipt ofthe Following Official Documents: Civil Service Minutes of June 14.2001.
Approving Minutes of June 26. 2001 City Council Regular Meeting.
#2001-176 - Approving Revision to Resolution #2001-88 for Tree Trimming Proiect 2001-TT-1
to Wright Tree Service. Inc.. Des Moines. Iowa. in the Amount of $49.100.00 and to Sheffield
Tree Service. Grand Island. Nebraska. in the Amount of $42.100.00.
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Page 3, City Council Regular Meeting, July 10, 2001
#2001-177 - Approving Bid for GITV Equipment through State Contract with Alpha Video &
Audio, Edina, Minnesota, in the Amount of$16,572.00.
#2001-178 - Approving Proposal for Development of Web Application with WindS tone, me.,
Lincoln, Nebraska, in the amount of $9,296.00.
#2001-179 - Approving Bid for Wetlad Monitoring Services for South Locust Street Proiect
with AZ Environmental LLC, Lincoln, Nebraska, in the amount not to exceed $62,00.00 over a
Three Year Period.
#2001-181 - Approving Continuation of Sanitary Sewer District #500, Dahlke and Sass
Subdivisions.
#2001-182 - Approving Certificate of Final Completion with Galvan Construction, Grand
Island, Nebraska, for Skate Park Concrete Pad.
#2001-183 - Approving Confidentiality Agreement with Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska
(MEAN) and Hastings Utilities for Possible Coal Fired Power Plant Development.
Approving Request for Street Vendor Permit for Tacos de Carne Pops. RaNae Edwards, City
Clerk, reported that Gerardo Rodriquez, dba Tacos de Came Pops, had made application with the
City Clerk's Office for a Street Vendor's Permit to provide for use of Stolley Park for the sale of
tacos. Approval was recommended contingent upon satisfactory inspection of the product and
equipment by the Health Department. It was noted that the Health Department recommended
denial of the permit. Motion by Pie1stick, second by Whitesides, to deny the vendor permit.
Motion carried unanimously.
#2001-180 - Approving Contract for Integrated Financial Program with Process, Inc. d/b/a
Munis, Falmouth, Maine, in the Amount of $522,572.00. David Springer, Finance Director,
reported that the Finance Department had submitted a request for awarding a proposal for an
Integrated Financial Program. Three proposals were received. After reviewing the proposals, it
was recommended that Process, me. d/b/a Munis, Falmouth, Maine, be awarded the proposal
with a first year capital outlay estimated at $522,572.00.
Councilmember Pielstick asked if this software would reduce the number of staff in the Finance
Department. Mr. Springer stated that approximately 3 to 5 employees could be reduced in 1 to 1
1/2 years time, but felt that this would happen through attrition over a longer period of time.
Councilmember Haase questioned the cost per year comparing the old and new systems. Paul
Mueller, Accounting Manager, stated that the old system cost between $35,000 to $40,000 per
year with additional cost for programs written by in house staff. Discussion was had with regards
to hiring a technical person to run the integrated financial program at a cost of approximately
$60,000 per year.
Councilmember Larson stated that at the June 5, 2001, City Council Study Session, Council gave
the Finance Department the responsibility to look into an accounting software package, and felt
that the Finance Department had chosen the program that best fitted their needs.
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Page 4, City Council Regular Meeting, July 10,2001
Councilmemeber Walker asked how long this program would benefit the City. Mr. Springer
stated approximately 10 years.
Motion by Larson, second by Walker, to approve the purchase of the Integrated Financial
Program from Process, Inc. d/b/a Munis, Falmouth, Maine, in the amount of $522,572.00. Upon
roll call vote, Ward, Larson, Hornady, Whitesides, Haase, Murray, Walker and Sorensen, voted
aye. Councilmember Pielstick voted nay. Motion adopted.
RESOLUTIONS:
#2001-184 - Approving Agreement for Sale and Purchase of Former City Hall with Civic
Redevelopment Group L.L.C. Charlie Cuypers, City Attorney, reported that the Option
Agreement for the purchase of the former City Hall by Steve Rasmussen which was approved by
Resolution #2001-71 on March 27, 2001, and was exercised on June 22, 2001, by the Civic
Redevelopment Group, L.L.c. Conveyance of the former City Hall to Civic Redevelopment
Group, L.L.C. in the amount of $100.00 was recommended. Motion by Ward, second by Larson
to approve. Upon roll call vote, Ward, Larson, Hornady, Whitesides, Haase, and Murray voted
aye. Pielstick, Walker and Sorensen voted nay. Motion adopted.
PAYMENT OF CLAIMS:
Motion by Whitesides, second by Sorensen, carried unanimously to approve the Claims for the
period of June 27, 2001 through July 10, 2001, claims #1071099, #106850, #105980, #108221
and #107986 through #108512 for a total claims amount of$2,397,889.54.
EXECUTIVE SESSION: Motion by Whitesides, second by Ward, to adjourn to Executive
Session for the purpose of discussing Union Contract Negotiations. Motion was adopted
unanimously at 7:45 p.m.
RETURN TO REGULAR SESSION: Motion by Ward, second by Pielstick, carried unanimously
to return to Regular Session at 8:35 p.m.
ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 8:35 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Q<A\\~ W~
RaNae Edwards
City Clerk