City Council - Regular Meeting

Council July 20th 2026 like to call this meeting to order and inform the public about the location of the open meeting act posted in the council chambers and Accessible to members of the public at this time. We'll have a moment of silence followed by the Pledge of Allegiance I

with liberty and justice for all.

Roll call, please.

Granquist. Here. Arns. Here. Webb. McCarthy.

Here.

Beckman. Here. Jensen. Lenge. Here. Hildebrand.

Here.

Mayer.

Here. All right, we'll move on to recommended, because there's no public comment tonight, we'll move on to recommended action. I need approval of the consent agenda. We need to amend item number 14 and replace the word Skyview Parkway to Johnson Park and move item number 25 to the regular agenda, please.

Mayor, I'll be abstaining from this vote. All right.

I'll make the motion.

Okay. Second. Motion to second. Please vote.

We'll go ahead and do verbal roll call.

Granquist? Well, sort of.

Granquist?

Yes.

Barnes?

Yes.

McCarthy?

Abstain.

Beckman?

Yes.

Lange?

Yes.

Hildebrand?

Yes.

Motion carries.

Okay. On to item number 25. What? Sorry.

Oh, yeah. Sorry.

Any approval of full agenda, please?

So moved.

Second.

Motion second.

Please vote.

All council members voting in the affirmative. Motion carries.

Okay. That brings us to item number 25. Consideration approval to advertise for bids for Tazuka softball complex improvement project. And Nate, would you come up and talk to that, please? Yeah, we need a motion and a second. I'll make a motion for consideration.

Second.

And a motion and a second. Okay, Nate.

There we go. Mayor and Council, thank you. This is pretty much a straightforward request for consideration. bid opening for the Taizuka Softball Complex. This bid package will include the earthwork and site grading, spectator area, softball field construction, irrigation, sod installation, fencing and backstop, field lighting, and also improvements such as landscaping and sidewalks for the field. The next steps would be Advertise for bids we're shooting for August right now. We're still finalizing some of the design work and then a bid opening in September and then we'll bring the full the full project forward to Council with all the dollars and We'll have a better idea on what what that's going to be after we open the bids just some information on top for the numbers and Again, the field that is part of the LWCF grant program, and it will be for softball and baseball. We do call it an adult softball complex, but that's the primary use. But also youth baseball would also be able to use the fields as well. We had about 1,200 scheduled games and practices in Taha in 2017. We're above 2,400 now in 2025. Our concession revenue has almost doubled as well, up to $202,000 from $117,000 in 2017. Our peak capacity at the Kohler Complex averages 18 games per field per week. That is our max capacity. It's not our goal. So once the fields are full, we simply have to turn away additional games and additional practices. The standard would be 14 games would be considered heavy use, 10 games is industry standard, and we're at 18. 74% of all of our softball activity is at the Kohler Complex. Tournament operations for a four-field complex. Once this complex is completed, it'll improve scheduling tournaments. It'll allow for people like the complexes because of the groups and associations like them for the restrooms, the concessions being right there at the complex. And that's why the Kohler complex gets used so much. And then the economic impact. Again, we had 91,000 visitors last year in Taha, so... Those are the numbers. That's kind of where we're at. This is a bid opening and we will be bringing that forward to council once we have the numbers.

Nate, I was the one that asked it to be put. Just reading through it, I wasn't sure if there was just like one field or if there was more. That's, I guess, what I needed.

Yeah, this will be one field. Okay.

And no roads involved in this?

It's just the... No roads involved. No parking involved. We're continuing parking on the grass as we've done in the past.

Okay. That's what I needed to know. Thank you.

All right, Nate. I think that's any other questions. Members of the public, any input to add to this? If we come forward now. Right. Oh, okay.

I just, Sasha Bone, I just want to make a statement. I've talked about this before about family involvement and things like that. So the importance of having these is beyond what, this is what our families need. So like one of the things that I do with that NOVA is talk about how much is going on. So there was 691 games, there was 886 practices. So this one field, I would actually prefer way more, but I'll take one for now to continue the investment in our kids and our families, because this is what it means. Thank you.

Thank you. Anyone else? All right, seeing none, please vote.

All council members present voting the affirmative. Motion carries.

All right. It moves us to public hearing and related action. At this time, I'd like to open public hearing at the request of Granville Custom Homes, Inc. to consider a zoning change from A, Agri-Tank Corp. District R1, one- and two-family residential district, to allow R1 and 2 on the property generally located north of Sheridan Drive, west of North 25th Street. I'd like to open this for discussion. Val will be leading this. Oh, Stephen's here. Go ahead.

I was just going to let you know, it's probably easier to see this is the zone change and this is the plat that I've put up that's associated with it. If this passes on all three readings, just to kind of see a general idea of where this is. And this is kind of different that it's A and R1 going to R1. That way we didn't have to figure out where the weird random line hit previously. And so it was just easier to do this zone change. But because R1 now is one and two family, he did not have to go to R2 or something other because there are some single family attached lots in here. Anything else, Steve, you'd like to include?

Steven Romaker is with Granville Custom Homes. I have nothing to add to that unless there's questions. Thank you.

Thank you. Any additional input from the public? All right. Planning Commission report, please.

The Norfolk Planning Commission held a public hearing on July 7, 2026, to consider a zoning change from A, Agricultural District, and R1, 1 and 2 Family Residential District, to R1, 1 and 2 Family Residential District, on property generally located north of Sheridan Drive and west of North 25th Street. The Planning Commission recommends approval of the request with a seven to zero vote.

All right, let's move to item number 29, consideration of ordinance number 5990, approving a zoning change from agriculture district to R1 on a property generally located north of Sheridan Drive, west of North 25th Street.

Go ahead and move consideration of ordinance number 5990. Second.

All right. We have a motion to second. Any questions? We will direct those to Val or Steven. I see no question of council. Any questions from the public or any additional input? All right. Seeing none, I guess we can get a short title, please.

An ordinance of the city of Norfolk, Madison County, Nebraska, amending the zoning district map of the city of Norfolk, Nebraska, providing when this ordinance shall be in full force and effect and providing for the publication of this ordinance and pamphlet form.

Please vote.

All council members present voting the affirmative. Ordinance number 5990 carries on first reading.

Your Honor, I move that we suspend the rules and pass ordinance number 5990 on second and third reading. Second.

All right, motion is second. Any further discussion? I'll open this up for the public input. Seeing none, please vote.

All council members present voting in the affirmative. Ordinance number 5990 carries on second and third.

Brings us to item number 30, consideration of resolution 2026-27, approving the final plat and subdivision agreement with BlackBerry Heights, fourth edition.

Do I move consideration of resolution 2026-27? Second.

We have a motion to second. Val, again, you'll be leading this discussion here.

Yes, thank you. This is the plat that I have up that contains both single-family detached and single-family attached lots. You'll see any lots that have an A or a B behind them, those are the single-family attached. Those that do not, those would be single-family detached, if you have any questions.

Good job explaining, I guess. Any other additional questions from anyone, input from the public on this? Well, Steve, you drove all the way from Columbus for nothing, it sounds like. That's good. I guess so. All right. Seeing none, please vote.

All council members present voting the affirmative resolution 2026-27 is adopted.

All right. On to our regular agenda. Item number 31. Consideration of ordinance number 59 70 annexing a track of land generally located one-quarter mile west of the intersection East Benjamin Avenue and Highway 35 on the south side of Benjamin Avenue this item passed on first reading at the July 6 2026 City Council meeting I'll offer for consideration ordinance number 59 70 Second in motion second Steve can lead us in discussion if you have questions.

Yeah mayor. This is the second reading for the annexation of of the property currently being developed as Hawks Crossing. It's on East Benjamin Avenue, just south of the Northeast Community College Ag Center. Though the water sewer paving infrastructure is complete and in place as a function of the annexation, we would go ahead and accept that infrastructure as city infrastructure.

Any other discussion? Any input from the public on this? All right, seeing none, please vote. Short title. Yeah, sorry, short title, please.

An ordinance of the City of Norfolk, Nebraska to annex to said city the part of the north half of the northeast quarter of Section 24, Township 24 North, Range 1, west of the 6th PM, Madison County, Nebraska.

Now you can vote.

All council members present voting the affirmative. Ordinance number 5970 carries on second reading only.

Okay, item number 33. Consideration of approval of change order number three with John T. Jones Construction for the Water Pollution Control Plant Improvements Grit Project, resulting in an increase. Oh, did I skip one? Oh, shoot. Yeah, you got my mic off anyway, so On item number 32 go ahead of myself here Consideration of resolution 2026 dash 28 Authorized in the middle of an extreme blight that's determination analysts for the site generally located at South Omaha Avenue east and west of South First Street to the Planning Commission for review and recommendation

I would introduce resolution number 2026-28. Second. All right.

We have a motion to second. Val, would you lead this discussion, please?

Yes, thank you. I've brought up the map mainly because this is a little different than our normal blight study. This is the extreme blight study. So I would describe extreme blight almost as an overlay because you have to have the regular blight and substandard designation in place before you can put an extreme blight on top of it. And so what you'll see is the red area here is the East Omaha Avenue redevelopment plan that was put in place, I believe, around 17, 2017. And then this area down here that has the green underneath it, that is what is going through the processes right now called South Norfolk Redevelopment Area Blight and Substandard. You forwarded that onto Planning Commission here a time or two ago. Because this was coming along in place, we thought that we should have the regular blight and the extreme blight to be at the same council meeting for you all. That way Hannah Keelan can come and speak to you during the public hearing time. And so that is the anticipated schedule. So you have not seen the regular blight come back. It's gone through planning commission and it's kind of paused until this catches up to it. But this is an extreme blight analysis. The area south of Omaha Avenue and the east and west sides of First Street. So this right here is First Street. And the hatched area is what we're talking about. So that's where the census block overlaps with the blight and substandard regular designation. The census block is kind of this teal turquoise area that kind of follows around like this. And that's why you see some of the census block not be patched because it does not have any blight and substandard underneath it. And this is only block group two of census tract 9611 is what we're looking at. There is a block group one, but it was not as easily with the poverty and the unemployment. So block group two meets that. This data source was from the 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey. Block two has a poverty rate of 21.6%, which is greater than the 20% requirement that was in place when this was started. We do have something that went into effect here a couple days ago actually. LB 1114 became effective and then that actually changed the requirement from 20% down to 15%. So it definitely meets the new requirement. And Block Group 2 also has an unemployment rate of 16.7%, which is 391.2% higher than the state. So that is greater than the previous 200%. And then with the LB 1114 becoming effective, that becomes 150%. So with this data, both requirements are met by the state statute for block group two, census tract 9611 to be extremely blighted. Is there any other questions that I can try to help you with? I do have, I know Councilman Beckman, you had asked about the percentages previously. So if the South Norfolk, regular blight goes into place. It could potentially be 28.45% of our 35%. However, that same 1114 law that just became effective here a couple days ago, the 35% is no longer just city limits. It is city limits and ETJ. So you can have 35% of our whole jurisdiction, not just city limits anymore. And so that would actually reduce us down to 7.44% because we have quite a bit of ETJ. Then if the extreme blight goes through, because the extreme blight does not count towards that percentage, you could potentially be down to 6.66% if all of this goes through.

Thank you for that. That's good numbers.

Val, could I ask you to maybe outline the streets, like maybe on the south portion of this, and maybe how far west that goes? Just a little clarification.

So at the bottom of kind of the purplish hatch, that would be Monroe Street. Monroe Avenue. And then this is Fifth Street right here. And then this is First. That would be, what would be the next street down from Monroe? Jefferson. Jefferson. Correct An extreme but yes, so just the hatched portion because that's the only thing that the census block overlaps with the the standard blight and substandard areas Now can you hit a little bit on how extreme blight benefits or could benefit homeowners or development I know I've heard this.

I know it's kind of loaded. I didn't I just thought I was sitting here of extreme blight just sounds horrible, but in a way there's some sort of It does spur some redevelopment of a house or Property am I right?

I believe so. I want to say isn't there a tax credit? Yeah

The $5,000 tax credit, yeah, for the homeowner.

Sorry, should have been prepared for that one.

Sorry, any other questions for Val? Any input from the audience?

Jim McKenzie, I think it's good to have some love on the south part of town, and maybe this will encourage that, but I haven't heard anything as far as what's driving this now. I mean, what's the driving force behind us doing this now? Just curious for the public. The public, as a general, might want to know what's driving it.

Well, I believe, I haven't been part of all these meetings, but there were some meetings about spurring economic development growth. We're trying to get some things started in that part of town as far as economic growth goes. And I know we've had a lot of people asking us about what we're going to do with the old... What's that? Cell barn or the cell, if you can call it a cell barn or whatever you want to call it, I guess, how that's going to move forward. So I think this is just an attempt to try to start spurring some growth in that area. It's been, like you said, hasn't had a lot of love kicked its way in a lot of years. Yeah.

There isn't any specific prospects or anything on the horizon that was looking at this right now?

If there is, that would be with economic development. And I don't know, Brooke, have you had? Yeah.

Okay. All right. Thank you.

And, Jim, I am jumping on this because it's my area of town, and it sorely needs some kind of help.

I agree with that 100%. Thank you.

Anyone else?

All right. I'm just going to make a comment that I believe, with some more information, I am going to abstain from this vote.

All right. All right, we do have a motion and a second, so please vote.

Voting in the affirmative, McCarthy, Granquist, Lange, Hildebrand, Beckman, abstaining, Ahrens, resolution 2026-28 is adopted.

We need to get some counsel into our meeting. If you abstain, Ortiz. We're getting a little light up here. I see yeah, I like it all right on the item number 33 the one I read earlier You should all be familiar with it. I know all right consideration of approval change order number three John T Jones construction company for water pollution control plant improvements. It's the grit project resulting in a net increase at sixty nine thousand nine hundred seven dollars and

I'll make a motion for consideration of approval of change order number three.

Second.

All right, motion to second. So, Steve, are you going to lead us in this discussion? No? Rob. Wrong Steve.

Wrong Steve. Good evening, Mayor and Council. Rob Holley of Wastewater. Before you tonight is a consideration of change order number three with J.T. Jones Construction for the Wastewater District. and plan improvement and grant project resulting in a net increase of $69,907. Change order three contains several owner requested changes for the addition of intrinsically safe barriers for VFCs for $3,974. Intrinsically safe barriers for PLCs, $7,022. Trench drain clean outs were added for $1,699. Mud valve on grip flow structure WPC staff will install for $5,878. Intrinsically safe flow meter $32,544. Air issue control building air valve for $1,700. And north lift station pipe support. Happy to answer any questions over these or anything about the project.

Just to clear, what was the overall budget on this particular project?

The overall budget, when it came in, we bid, the original was, excuse me, get my glasses on here, was $9,378,000. Currently, we are at 3% on change orders. I don't see too many more change orders coming. So, pretty happy with that number. It's a very complex project. A lot of things were snipped out early on. So... I think we're doing a great job with where we're at. And these items were things, there were some things that were negotiated both with the contractor and the vendors. Two of the intrinsically safe, we saved about $11,000 just by having some conversation. And there's some other pieces of this that Olsen's has helped me out with as well. So we should see some deducts coming forward as well. So very exciting. Project's moving along pretty good. The equipment's supposed to show up tomorrow. So it's been a long wait for this equipment. Any other questions about any of it?

What is the projected project?

Completion date? We're hoping to have the grid system online by October. The complete project should be completed probably next March. So that's the schedule for right now. We'll see if the truck shows up tomorrow. No, the truck will show up tomorrow. It's a... A lot of things going on, a lot of equipment that's coming. Pretty big project, so I'm pretty excited.

All right, thank you. Any input from the public here? Any other questions? None? All right. I'm going to motion to second. I would ask for a vote.

So...

All council members present voting the affirmative. Motion carries.

All right. Item number 34, consideration of approval of change order number one with Old Castle Materials Midwest Company, engineering for an asphalt overlays for 2025 project resulting in the net increase of $147,270.40. Consideration the approval of change order number one second motion second We Steve are you gonna leave some discussion on this one or Rob?

No? Thanks better Steve Yeah, this is for a scope. This is not for increasing any scope related to the project As it was bid we are adding two sections of mill and overlay One of them is 5th Street from Brosh to Prospect. The second one is Brosh Avenue from 7th to 5th. We had actually these two segments showed up on the back three years ago when we did that community survey for street needs. I think these showed up within the upper 20 community driven street repair improvements. The estimates at the total here is $63,103 for Fifth Street, $54,952.90 for Brosh Avenue, and so those are proposed to be added. I think those are even a little bit under what I estimated back in 2023. The third add to the scope of the project is for over here on the Norfolk Avenue bridge around those steel plates over the west abutment. We want to do about 35 feet of mill and overlay on either side of those steel plates, the east side and the west side. That will remove a substantial amount of that bump that you feel is your either approaching the bridge for eastbound traffic or exiting the bridge for westbound traffic. That's estimated at $29,161.50. So the total proposed change order, $147,217.40. Any questions for me? That would make a total contract of, $1,847,134.38.

When are the two new projects expected to be done?

So all of this is anticipated to be started right here at the end of July. I would expect they'll start with milling and overlay on Norfolk Avenue from 14th to 27th or 29th. Then they'll kind of do a circle. I think they'll go up to 37th Street north of 25th And then probably down to Omaha Avenue 37th to 25th and then Taha 15th Street there at Taha and then from there they'll go over and do Victory Road So that's that's pretty much the project

And we've used this company before?

Omni. I think this is the first time I've seen Omni Engineering or Old Castle on one of our projects. Typically, we've had Knife River, Western Engineering in the past ones. They're a good company. They're one of the larger companies here in Nebraska.

Thank you.

Steve, at this rate, is it the same as what we were paying before for... in length of street, I guess. I don't know how to do it as lane miles or what. Because it only seems like we're looking at five blocks long, somewhere in there of these streets. It's not very long in distance. So I'm curious how we come to 147. Is it priced off the same amount of distance or lane miles, however you look at that?

It's based on tons. So its unit price is based on square yards of mill, square yards or tons of asphalt then that are going back into that mill. We do a two-inch overlay. Usually we mill an inch and a half. I think this might be set for a two-inch mill and then a two-inch overlay. So it's the unit prices based on square yards.

So this addition is the same unit price as what we were quoted at, the original contract?

These are probably, I think these are close but a little bit higher. I'd have to pull up the original contract to actually see it, but they're close. prices have certainly are not you know I think we bid this March of 25 March or August of 25 we bid this oil prices have certainly changed so these prices that do reflect that good question any other questions Steve any input from the public

I'm glad you didn't say Chippsville. Oh, just now, right. Okay. That wasn't funny, I'm sorry. That's not funny. All right. Anyone else? All right. Seeing none, please vote.

All council members present voting the affirmative. Motion carries.

With that, we are adjourned 6.04.