[{"_1":2,"_86":-5,"_87":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6134374,"mediaKeyId","5682018-fd4162d15d22f35e5176e21f746c6ede","parentId",5682018,"title","City Council approves liquor licenses, harm‑reduction vending machines, Keno amendment and budget actions; several measures pass unanimously","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",6300000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5682018-fd4162d15d22f35e5176e21f746c6ede&start=6300&end=6300","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5682018-fd4162d15d22f35e5176e21f746c6ede/thumbnail_6300000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6134374/Lincoln/Lancaster-County/Nebraska/City-Council-approves-liquor-licenses-harmreduction-vending-machines-Keno-amendment-and-budget-actions-several-measures-pass-unanimously","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6134374-e7b3aedf81b982e95839a04a71faa275/orig.mp4?Expires=1771180591&Signature=E7OgTbz9~qulEJA6ZyBEJeUc71XiTvwk9zV58NMaCJwOr0Q0sDcB8IzrW007hItWMllK-Ep01Otz71V6HTlnIN1zg9wXqFBYYTIZdH0lilWHBTmcdL0WhKdZ2M1zzMOD9m0HAeQgIOeHfJPPn3CHDw0c-jFKPWNoSy5Sm~HDCyt3xpdfy00utEqHNSWM4mPq1ipR-Q9aD8n9N1NpuZXpy9yUxE7Zbt3195cT00n8BSbvvgMRBWcaR-E0qErOIroQ-D4d4OaGy4cuxtlAL~TAU4qc7KgDbSRMTHGkNfjIYDRcG7zJpoQpyPE5vedullhEJfHmRGsskv7hoLWO015Q1g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Lincoln, NE","date","2025-08-26T01:54:13Z","article","Lincoln City Council on Aug. 25 approved a group of consent and conduct items, including liquor‑license applications, a contract to purchase harm‑reduction vending machines for the health department, and an amendment to the city’s keno contract to allow digital on‑premises wagers.

The council handled several items with little discussion and unanimous votes. Council members repeatedly emphasized support for the health department’s harm‑reduction pilot and for straightforward processing of routine licenses and contract amendments.

Among the actions taken:

- Liquor licenses and manager application: The council called items 4a–4g together and approved applications including a new Class C liquor license and manager application for Sandy's Inc. at 110 South 14th Street. Michael Tucker, who told the council he has “been general manager for over 30 years,” appeared with a part owner and answered questions about required training; the motion carried 5–0.

- Special designated licenses for outdoor event area: The council approved special designated licenses for multiple businesses to cover an outdoor area at Canopy Street on Sept. 10, motion carried 5–0.

- Report of claims: The council accepted and approved the report of new and pending claims against the city for Aug. 1–Aug. 14, 2025, motion carried 5–0.

- Harm‑reduction vending machines (Lincoln Lancaster County Health Department): Council approved a five‑year contract with You Selected Holdings Inc., d/b/a Intelligent Dispensing Solutions, to purchase harm‑reduction vending machines. Health Director Carrie Kernan described product mixes that “will include condoms, HIV take home test kits, Plan B, pregnancy test kits, Narcan, feminine hygiene products, and first aid kits.” The vote was 5–0.

- Keno amendment (EHPV Lottery Services LLC): The council approved a first amendment to the city’s keno operation contract to allow digital on‑premises keno tickets, a change the presenters said was authorized by the Nebraska Legislature in 2023. The change includes additional cybersecurity and insurance requirements; motion carried 5–0.

- Budget and administrative items: The council approved an amendment to the biennium budget reflecting final county valuations, authorized transfers of unspent capital improvement appropriations, and approved an amendment extending a Verizon site agreement; these votes passed unanimously.

Council members asked routine clarifying questions about locations, timelines and training requirements during the liquor license and vending‑machine presentations. Several council members thanked the health department for the harm‑reduction proposal and noted ongoing procurement steps for the vending machines and for the tree‑removal/planting contracting discussed elsewhere on the agenda.

Votes at a glance (selected items):
- Items 4a–4g (liquor and manager applications, and special designated licenses): approved, 5–0.
- Item 5a (report of claims, Aug. 1–14, 2025): approved, 5–0.
- Item 5b (harm‑reduction vending machine contract, 5‑year term): approved, 5–0.
- Item 5c (first amendment to keno contract to allow digital on‑premises tickets): approved, 5–0.
- Item 5d (appeal regarding Goodhue Boulevard tree removal and replacement): approved (see separate article), 4–1.
- Item 6a (amend 2024–26 biennium budget to reflect certified valuations): approved, 5–0.
- Item 6b (transfer of unspent capital appropriations): approved, 5–0.
- Item 6c (amendment to Verizon tower agreement extending term): approved, 5–0.

Several items on the agenda were informational or scheduled for later readings; the council concluded with an open‑mic public comment period on other matters.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Lincoln City Council Meeting August 25, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At its Aug. 25 meeting the Lincoln City Council approved a slate of routine and contract items including multiple liquor licenses, a contract for harm‑reduction vending machines, a keno contract amendment allowing digital on‑premises tickets, the report of claims, and several budget and contract items; most votes were unanimous.","taxTitle","Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska","taxId",2562,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6134379,"City Council approves removal of 29 Goodhue Boulevard trees and a 131-tree replanting plan after appeal",4677,1155000,5832000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5682018-fd4162d15d22f35e5176e21f746c6ede&start=1155&end=5832","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5682018-fd4162d15d22f35e5176e21f746c6ede/thumbnail_1155000.jpg","/articles/6134379/Lincoln/Lancaster-County/Nebraska/City-Council-approves-removal-of-29-Goodhue-Boulevard-trees-and-a-131-tree-replanting-plan-after-appeal","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6134379-0a6a386e4e1da1cdcaa3ff81882ad46f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771180591&Signature=FuPNNb4C5sJi9MNHKnqiyw1AVf3KAGkFMgt6FQ2YZfngXBK9oaIJME1wD8mhojrFbRx7o9gSPPkPQvdS90WkPKIR4jlKaWQ1ynudwcCsfvAGa7zyYJ0dEhf9I1mdOrlosIaTAOEn3TLtbfizgy4lrUmg3L2yUeTpqZbe3da4Z-AkvChm7ixlpGiTaF6nJvHWM6VCzHnEXjSj3gtONwm4bJ2j1Z6RRX-UWoGQiPelkbMj06z49dJoIajCiDt0gpVp4N8zbJUdLa1Mtj2EMAD7xKI2t3iU0r5xEBsChbtNkqNvDC70qEoGyQ9P4NvpeTGrw6zf6InFy0aJIPNuy8Pjxw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lincoln City Council voted 4–1 on Aug. 25 to approve a Capital Environs certificate of appropriateness authorizing removal of 29 street trees along Goodhue Boulevard and on adjacent side streets and to plant 131 replacement trees under a city-managed replanting and four‑year maintenance program.

Council action came after a lengthy public hearing and an appeal filed by Stacy Asher, a Goodhue Boulevard resident, who asked the council to overturn the Capital Environs Commission decision. The council’s majority concluded city forestry staff had documented an accelerated decline and safety risk among the identified trees and that removal plus replanting was the appropriate response.

Parks and Recreation staff described the decision as driven by repeated inspections and standardized tree‑risk evaluations. “These trees are failing and pruning is not going to stop that process,” Parks and Recreation Director Maggie Stuckey Ross told the council, summarizing the department’s written TRAC (Tree Risk Assessment Qualification) assessments. City staff said the 29 trees were examined in June–July 2025 in roughly 75 hours of field work and that many defects — including signs consistent with hypoxylon canker, fungal conks and root decay — made the trees likely to continue deteriorating.

Rick Hoppe of the mayor’s office framed the proposal as cautious and resource‑intensive. “The parks and recreation department does not go looking for trees to cut down,” Hoppe said, adding that staff had pursued neighborhood outreach and multiple technical reviews. Stuckey Ross said the replanting plan calls for 55 new trees on Goodhue proper and 76 on adjacent streets, selected for species diversity and climate resilience, with the city contracting four years of establishment care for all 131 trees.

Appellant Stacy Asher and several neighborhood residents urged a more gradual approach and raised concerns about neighborhood shade and energy costs. “The tree I am here to defend is very much alive and valuable,” Asher told the council, saying the mature canopy provided cooling, habitat and neighborhood character. A board‑certified master arborist who spoke during public comment, Graham Herbst, told the council he was “largely in favor of most of these trees coming out” but urged a mix of species and ages in the replanting plan.

City staff pointed to recent storm response and claims history to explain urgency: they reported 24 calls about failing trees and branches on Goodhue in the last 18 months, two paid claims and one pending claim that staff tied to the failing canopy. Staff emphasized that several affected trees showed internal decay, cavities and fungal indicators that increase the risk of sudden limb or whole‑tree failures in a dense, urban setting.

Council debate focused on balancing immediate public‑safety and liability risks against long‑term canopy and neighborhood impacts. Council members who supported the plan said replanting will ultimately restore a multi‑layered canopy, noting the city aims to plant a mix of sizes and species to avoid the single‑age cohort problem that led to concentrated decline. Councilman Jeff Carlson was the lone dissenting vote.

The council approved the appeal in favor of the certificate of appropriateness, allowing staff to proceed with removals and the replanting contract. Staff said their timeline, subject to contracting and procurement, aims to plant the 55 Goodhue trees this fall if approved work proceeds quickly, with the 76 side‑street plantings scheduled for spring. Minimum replacement size was described as 1.5 inches diameter at breast height (DBH) with a goal of a diverse range of sizes and species. The city also said the contract will include warranties and replacement of failed new trees during the four‑year establishment period.

Next steps described by staff include finalizing contractor selection for removal and planting, issuing public notices to directly affected properties, and implementing the four‑year maintenance contract. Staff also acknowledged continuing conversations with neighborhood groups about ongoing stewardship and longer‑term pruning cycles for the city’s broader urban canopy.","After hours of public comment, the Lincoln City Council voted 4–1 on Aug. 25 to approve a certificate of appropriateness authorizing removal of 29 declining street trees on Goodhue Boulevard and adjacent side streets and a replanting plan that adds 131 trees with four years of contracted maintenance.","actionData","errors"]

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City Council approves liquor licenses, harm‑reduction vending machines, Keno amendment and budget actions; several measures pass unanimously

City Council approves removal of 29 Goodhue Boulevard trees and a 131-tree replanting plan after appeal