City Council approves reappointments, liquor licenses, zoning changes and pay-range update

Lincoln City Council on March 17, 2025, voted unanimously on a series of consent and ordinance items covering board reappointments, liquor license approvals, neglected-building assessments, a personnel pay-range change and several land-use actions.

The package of votes included routine reappointments and financial housekeeping, approval of five liquor-license applications and manager endorsements, assessment of fees for properties on the city’s neglected-buildings list, and final votes on multiple zoning and annexation applications. Each roll call recorded in the minutes shows a 6-0 outcome on the matters brought to a vote.

Votes at a glance

- Reappointments to Examining Board of Plumbers (Item 1A): Reappointed Mike Boyd and Jeffrey Cooper to terms ending Feb. 1, 2028. Motion carried, 6-0. (Introduced by Councilmember Bowers.)

- Distribution of interest earnings on short-term investments (Item 1B): Approved distribution for month ended Jan. 31, 2025. Motion carried, 6-0.

- Set hearing date for a liquor resolution (Item 2A): Motion to set hearing date approved, 6-0.

- Liquor license applications and related manager endorsements (Items 4A–4E): Council approved a bundle motion to grant the applications and manager approvals for: • On the Run Quick Shop LLC (doing business as On the Run Quick Shop), class C license for downtown location at 100 North 12th Street, Suite 102, manager application noted. • Laughing Crab NE Inc. (doing business as Laughing Crab), class I license for 6100 [street] Suite 256, manager Kang Zhao. • Ken’s Liquor Inc., addition of an approximately 10-by-40-foot indoor area at 1350 North 40th Street (storage area addition noted). Motion carried, 6-0. (Items introduced and heard together; action recorded as one bundled motion approving items 4A–4E.)

- Report of new and pending claims (Item 5A): Accepted report for claims dated Feb. 16–Feb. 28, 2025. Motion carried, 6-0.

- Neglected-building assessments and cleanup costs (Item 5B): Council assessed fees and penalties and authorized assessment of cleanup/boarding costs for multiple properties listed in the clerk’s packet. Motion carried, 6-0. (Properties and fees were presented by the chief housing inspector; the council noted some properties had come into compliance but fees remained unpaid.)

- Ordinances, third reading (personnel and zoning items): Council approved several third-reading ordinances and zoning actions, including: • Pay-range change for classification 2,255 (Human Rights Manager) from W2 to W4 (Item 7A). Motion carried, 6-0. • Text amendment (25001) to Lincoln Municipal Code §27.620.11 regarding food-and-drink establishment use group (Item 7B). Motion carried, 6-0. • Annexation (25001) of ~67 acres for Rokeby Investments LLC and Southview Inc. (Item 7C). Motion carried, 6-0. • Change of zone requests for Rokeby Investments (AG to R-3), Lost Bridge Crossing LLC (to RT Residential Transition), and Lincoln Sports Foundation Inc. (H-2 to H-3) (Items 7D–7F). Motions carried, 6-0 on each item.

Meeting procedure and quorum

Roll-call votes in the minutes show the six council members present voting in favor on all recorded items: Beckius (identified in roll calls as Beckius/Beckett in the transcript), Weber, Bowers, Doudin, Shope (Schaub in parts of the transcript), and Washington. Where motions and seconds were voiced, the record sometimes shows only “So moved/Second”; the roll-call tallies above reflect the recorded votes.

What the actions mean

- The reappointments and interest-distribution approval carry routine administrative effect and maintain board continuity and short-term cash management processes.

- The liquor licenses authorize on-premises and package sales at the listed locations subject to any remaining licensing requirements; manager endorsements were announced at the hearing.

- The neglected-building assessments formalize fees and potential liens for property owners who did not resolve code violations after notice; the housing inspector said properties remain registered every 90 days while in violation.

- The pay-range change alters the compensation band assigned to the Human Rights Manager classification; budgetary implementation steps were not detailed at the meeting.

Sources and minutes

The actions summarized here are drawn from the clerk’s reading of agenda items and the roll-call votes recorded in the March 17, 2025 council meeting minutes.

Ending

The council adjourned after approving a series of first- and third-reading matters and placing several items on the pending list for future dates.