Sidney City Council Swears in New Members at December 10 Meeting

MIKE MOTZ

Sidney Sun-Telegraph

SIDNEY--On December 10, 2024, the City of Sidney council swore in Robert J. Kuhns and Burke Radcliffe as the certified results of the 2024 election were accepted. The official tallies were Brock M. Buckner, 802 votes, Brian Fort, 1059 votes, Robert J. Kuhns, 1,182 votes, and Burke Radcliffe, 1230 votes. As the top two finishers, Radcliffe and Kuhns were sworn into office.

The council adjourned, and the city attorney managed the meeting until the new council members were sworn in and the council voted on a new mayor and vice mayor. The council chose Brad Sherman to serve a second term as mayor and Paul Strommen to serve as vice-mayor. The council then resumed, with Kuhns taking his seat and Radcliffe resuming his seat.

The first order of business after the reconvening of the council was to speak with Electricity Superintendent Tom Mathine about purchasing 45-foot and 60-foot bucket trucks. The purchase was approved in a council meeting last month. Mathine discussed open market sourcing versus the Sourcewell acquisition process that Councilman Radcliffe asked about in a previous meeting. Mathine clarified that Altec goes through Sourcewell, and then there is an open market option. Mathine said the estimated delivery of the trucks is in 2028. He noted that Altec had experienced a five to seven percent increase every year in open market items, and by the time of delivery, the costs could rise or fall. The council can back out of the purchase agreement if the cost goes over budget or if they decide to buy a used model. The council decided to approve the purchase of the bucket trucks, however, if an acceptable used truck is found, they would back out of the purchase of the new truck.

At the City of Sidney Council Meeting on December 17, 2024 several issues were discussed, starting with a Public Hearing to consider approval for a Retail Class “C” Liquor License for Cassie Barber. Barber addressed the council and said that she had been operating a beauty salon for the past 20 years in Sidney, and had the opportunity to purchase the building at 1108 10th Avenue in Sidney. The business will still do hair appointments but also plans on expanding services to Bridal Shower Hair appointments and other types of events that would benefit from the serving of alcoholic drinks. Although they currently have a cosmetology license, they will also soon be licensed medically, specifically in trichology, a paramedical science combining the study of hair and skin to treat a variety of hair and scalp issues. She said that as part of that new service, they will have medical beds inside the facility to offer a full-service program for clients. The council approved the application 5-to-0.

City Manager David Scott next addressed the council concerning two nominees for the Historic Preservation Board. Two current board members will not be continuing their service, and Scott presented two new nominees. The first was Marva Ellwanger, who had served on the board previously. She currently serves on the Visitors Committee, the Nebraska State Historical Association Board of Trustees, and several other committees and foundations. The second nominee was Brody McKnight, a 2015 graduate of Sidney High School and 2019 graduate of UNK. He is currently part of the Rotary Club, E3, ESO13, and the Cheyenne County Chamber of Commerce. He addressed the council and said he was looking for more ways to be involved in the community, as he is the marketing director for Safe at Home, and believes he could be of additional service to the community. The council approved both nominations 5-to-0.

City of Sidney Wastewater Treatment Superintendent Todd Sukup then spoke with the council concerning a bid for contractor service for a project approved earlier in the year. Sukup said that the replacement of a grit washer, bar screen, influent pumps, and the installation of a stop gate would be ready to be performed in early 2025. The equipment was approved for purchase in March of 2024, and the materials were due to arrive soon. It was time to approve a contracted installer for the project, and Sukup had worked closely with the engineers at M.C. Schaff & Associates to find a contractor with experience in this type of installation project for the City of Sidney. Sukup said that they had received two bids, and the bid from Midwest Mechanical was far lower than the bid from Myers and Sons Construction. Additionally, the equipment manufacturer recommended Midwest because of their familiarity with the equipment and had performed installations previously without any problems. The Midwest bid was for $445,000.00, far below the Engineer’s Estimate of $580,000.00. Sukup was looking for approval so the process could move forward and the project would be ready to start upon the arrival of the equipment. Sukup said the project would be completed within 180 days of start, and no later than December 1 if the company decided to wait until warmer weather to start the project. The council approved Midwest Mechanical's bid of $445,000 5-to-0.

Next, the council took up the issue of the resignation of Paul Stommen from the council. This resignation had been anticipated since Strommen won his election for State Senate representing the 47th District in November. Strommen’s resignation was effective December 17, 2024.

Strommen addressed the council and said, “Thank you to everybody who has been so spectacular over the past couple of years, I appreciate the opportunity and I am proud to have been able to serve the City of Sidney and the people of Sidney. Hopefully, we can find someone to fill the spot and you guys can continue doing all of the great things you’ve been doing for the city.”

Mayor Sherman and the council nominated Councilman Brandon Bondegard to fill the role of Vice-Mayor, and he was approved 4-to-0. Mayor Sherman then detailed the process of filling the vacant council seat. The council will be accepting letters of interest accompanied by resumes and qualifications from any registered voter residing within the corporate limits of Sidney that is interested in filling the remainder of Strommen’s term. The council will decide on an applicant and make their decision known at the January 14 council meeting. The term will start on January 14, 2025, and end on December 8, 2026. The deadline for application packets is January 6, 2025, at 5 pm MT. Application packets should be mailed to: Mayor & City Council, Care of Clerk, City of Sidney, P.O. Box 79, Sidney NE 69162. Applications can also be dropped off in person at the City Offices, 1115 13th Avenue in Sidney.