Hall County Regional Planning Commission Director Chad Nabity gives a presentation at the March 10 City Council meeting about two blight and substandard studies. (Carol Bryant, Central Nebraska Today)
GRAND ISLAND – Grand Island’s City Council received information March 10 about referring two blight and substandard studies to the Hall Council Regional Planning Commission.
Both matters were approved by 10-0 votes.
The first study was submitted by Grand Island Area Habitat for Humanity, according to a memo to City Council from Regional Planning Director Chad Nabity. It concerns 16.5 acres of property south of Capital Avenue and east of Saint Paul Road. Habitat for Humanity would like to construct single-family homes at the site.
Lindsey Jurgens, executive director of Habitat for Humanity, said that the proposal would allow Habitat for Humanity to construct a lot of affordable housing. She noted that the land currently is not being used. She declined to say how many houses may be constructed at the site.
The second study was for The Tree Folks. This study involves approximately 172.5 ares of property east of North Road between Nebraska Highway 2 and Capital Avenue. The Tree Folks is interested in redeveloping the property for commercial/industrial uses. The property to the south of theirs along Capital Avenue is planned for residential uses, Nabity wrote.
Ryan Schmitz, city utilities director, gave a presentation about banners across Second and Third Streets in downtown Grand Island that are hung for nonprofit organizations. The number of organizations that have requested to have banners placed is 11.
The banners attach to wood power poles that also hold up power cables, telecommunications cables, pole top switches, and a streetlight. The banners are an average width of two feet wide by 30 to 40 feet long.
When the banners are exposed to wind, they can create an external force that the power poles must resist.
The city currently does not charge to put up or take down the banners. Schmitz said the task requires a lineman crew of four people, a bucket truck, and a pickup truck, and takes one hour to complete. The total cost to put up a banner is $465, and the cost to take down a banner is $465.
Schmitz wrote that options for hanging the banners include continuing to hang the banners for free, stop hanging the banners, or charge to hang the banners. He said that the city’s Legal Department does not recommend to continue hanging the banners because of insurance and liability issues.
City Council member Chuck Haase said he liked the benefit to the community for the banners.
City Council member Mitch Nickerson said that the banners provided limited marketing exposure for an organization, compared to what is available on platforms such as Facebook.
City Council member Jack Sheard mentioned that he has noticed a banner promoting Acts of Kindness Week. He said he may not have known about the event without seeing the banner. He likes the quaintness of the banners, and said that using banners for marketing purposes is “not dead.”
City Council member Doug Brown, who is involved with Hometown Heroes, noted the organization raised $15,000 annually to put up banners in the area of the former Nebraska Veterans Home.
Mayor Roger Steele asked that the topic be returned to the agenda for a future City Council meeting.
The City Council voted 10-0 to approve changes to Chapter 15 of the City Code involving electric utility commercial deposits. The matter has been discussed at previous City Council meetings. It was recently discovered that the Chapter 15 Ordinance language included in the February 10 City Council packet was the original version rather than the intended revised edition. The purpose of the current item was to include have the intended language included for the City Code.
In another matter, the consent agenda item to approve monthly claims was removed from the consent agenda for discussion of a claim from the Central Nebraska Humane Society. According to the list of claims, Central Nebraska Human Society submitted a claim for $7,903 for shelter and care services.
In the end, the City Council voted 10-0 to approve claims, excluding the claim from the Humane Society. That claim will be reconsidered at a future meeting.
City Council member Chuck Haase had a number of questions about the claim. He noted that the Humane Society charges $45 a night to house a pet, which people commonly picture dogs or cats. He asked whether it was fair to charge $45 a night to house a snake.
Haase questioned whether the city was responsible for paying for pets that people had dropped off at the Humane Society, versus pets that Police Department animal control officers had picked up.
“I think we need to pay them fairly,” Haase said.
Haase noted that one pet had been housed for 23 nights at the Humane Society at a cost of more than $1,000. At that time, the owner did not pick up the pet.
City Administrator Pat Brown noted that numerous city staff members, including representatives from the legal department review the Humane Society’s monthly claims. The City Council is looking for further clarification from the Humane Society regarding the claims it submits.
The City Council voted 8-1-1 to deny a request from 3rd City Trees, 305 N. Broadwell, for a Class D liquor license, based on recommendation from the Police Department to deny the request. City Council member Mark Stelk voted against the motion, and City Council member Mitch Nickerson abstained from voting. Liquor Manager Melissa Fieldgrove briefly addressed the City Council. The business sells THC and CBD products.
According to a police report included in the City Council packet, the Police Department would not approve the application. The department also recommended that Fieldgrove not receive a liquor license. The police report gives “various reasons for the denial, based on character and reputation.”
