11/26/2002 Minutes
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OFFICIAL PROCEEDINGS
CITY OF GRAND ISLAND, NEBRASKA
MINUTES OF JOINT CITY/COUNTY SPECIAL MEETING
November 26,2002
Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, a Special Joint Meeting of the City Council of the City of
Grand Island, Nebraska and the Hall County Board of Supervisors was conducted in the Council
Chambers of City Hall, 100 East First Street, on November 26, 2002. Notice of the meeting was
given in the Grand Island Independent on November 21,2002.
Mayor Ken Gnadt called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. The following members were present:
Councilmembers Pielstick, Seifert, Ward, Larson, Hornady, Whitesides, Haase, Murray, Walker
and Sorensen. The following Hall County Supervisors were present: Richard Hartman, Pam
Lancaster, Bud Jeffries, Robert Humisten, Scott Arnold, and Jim Ericksen. The following City
Officials were present: City Administrator MarIan Ferguson, City Clerk RaNae Edwards,
Finance Director David Springer and Interim City Attorney Dale Shotkoski.
REVIEW, DISCUSSION, AND CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSED MEMORANDUM OF
UNDERSTANDING REGARDING JOINT CITY/COUNTY FACILITIES. City Administrator
MarIan Ferguson reported that for over two years, the City and County have been working
collaboratively on the development of a long-term city/county facilities plan. This
comprehensive assessment and the resulting plan were the result of many meetings with city and
county staff, the joint city county facilities committee, and updates to the City Council and
County Boards. The Strategic Plan addressed current and future space needs for the next 5-10
years. The effort was predicated on a beliefby both the city and county that efficiencies could be
realized, and public funding best utilized when government entities worked cooperatively to
identify ways of saving dollars.
Both the City and County identified earIy on, the importance of co-location for services that
"make sense". During the course of the last two years, the Joint City and County Facilities
committee had analyzed the current facility needs and uses and developed projections. The
results of the Plan indicated that, for the most part, the City was in relatively good shape when it
came to sufficient space. Of noticeable exception were the Police Department and Fire Station
#1.
The City and County discussed at great length the potential of relocating the joint Police/Sheriff
facilities to a property outside of the downtown area. Ultimately the City and County agreed that
collocation of these services were more important than locating outside the governmental center
area. The issue of relocating Fire Station #1 was a city issue only and had not been solved at this
time.
Another cooperative effort of the City and County was the Health Department. The placement of
the Health Department had been a source of great concern to the County, City and Health
Department. The City and County agreed that public health was critical to the well being of the
community and were working toward an acceptable solution for all.
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Page 2, City Council Special Meeting, November 26, 2002
A memorandum of understanding supporting the work of the Joint City and County Facility
Committee had been prepared and reviewed by the City and County Attorneys.
Mayor Gnadt introduced Marty Schukert, Project Coordinator for the Hall County/Grand Island
Joint Strategic Facilities Plan. Mr. Schukert explained the process and presented a power point
covering the current facilities and their needs. The following facilities were in need of more
space:
Attorney's Building General Administration
Health Building Health & Human Services
Court Support Functions located at the Courthouse
Corrections Facility Police and Sheriffs Department
The following recommendations were presented:
Courts and Corrections
. Relocate Corrections to a new facility outside of Downtown
. Expand Public Safety Center (PSC) with a new wing
. Maintain co-located Police and Sheriffs Department and move to new PSC wing
. Remodel original PSC, maintaining Sally Port and Booking in lower level and converting
upper level (jail) to office use
. Locate court support functions and other future office needs in upper level
. Remodel - restore historic Courthouse
Attorney's and Health Department
. Locate County Attorney, State Child Support Division, County Child Support
Enforcement to Beltzer Building
. Locate Public Defender, Juvenile Service and District 8 Probation in Attorney's building
. When Child Support moves, open additional space in County Administration Building
. Health Department relocates off campus
Independent Moves
. Relocate Welfare and Social Services from existing Welfare Building
. Optional move of Nebraska Health & Human Services from Elks Club (County Annex)
. Long-term potential move of Department of Motor Vehicles to a Westside site
. Relocate Fire Administration to a new Fire Station 1 facility
Campus
. Demolish Health Building and Welfare Building
. Build new wing on PSC
. Develop new parking between Law Building and Administration Building, off Pine
Street, serving the Courthouse and expanded PSC
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Page 3, City Council Special Meeting, November 26,2002
. Complete Civic circle
A 5-year plan was presented. Discussed was the potential cost of $12,763,820 of which
approximately one-half of these costs recommended being bonded.
ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 6:50 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Qo.\\Cl9- ffiw~
RaN ae Edwards
City Clerk