Council conducts first reading to change park, cemetery and tree board residency rule

The Scottsbluff City Council held a first reading of an ordinance that would amend residency requirements for the Park, Cemetery and Tree Board, changing the composition of members who may live outside city limits.

City staff presented a proposed revision to chapter 6, article 2, section 1 11 of the Scottsbluff Municipal Code to increase from two to three the number of board members who may live in the county rather than inside Scottsbluff. Staff said the change would correct a membership imbalance that occurred after a board member moved outside city limits in 2022.

Council discussion focused on representation and precedent. One councilmember read concerns submitted by constituents and said voters generally expected advisory board members to be city residents. That speaker said a quorum of the seven‑member board (four members) could produce recommendations where a majority of voting officers lived outside the city — a point that prompted other councilmembers to describe the board's advisory duties and the fact that parks and cemeteries serve regional users.

Councilmembers also discussed alternatives such as limiting non‑city members to the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction or requiring business owners located inside the city to serve as the non‑city appointees. No final vote was taken during the meeting; the ordinance received its first reading and staff indicated the matter will return for subsequent readings as required by city code.

The ordinance text was read into the record as "An ordinance of the city of Scottsbluff, Nebraska, amending chapter 6, article 2, section 1 11 of the Scottsbluff Municipal Code dealing with the establishment of a park, cemetery, and tree board by amending the residency requirement for membership of board members, providing for an effective date and providing for publication in pamphlet count."