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Residents criticize proposed Highway 77 'road diet' and council transparency at public forum
Summary
Multiple residents urged the council to reconsider a proposed road diet on Highway 77 (West Court) and criticized the council's transparency and agenda/packet access; comments included calls for more engagement and concerns about conflict of interest and missed public notice.
At the public forum on May 18, several residents delivered extended criticism of council decisions related to planned roadway changes on Highway 77 (referred to in testimony as a four‑lane/three‑lane conversion or “road diet”) and raised concerns about transparency and access to background materials.
David Raburn opened with an extended statement saying residents felt ignored and that council decisions — including changes to West Court Street — did not reflect public preference. He told councilmembers they “aren’t representing any of your citizens in your ward” and urged accountability from elected officials. Later speakers raised related concerns.
Billy Hoffling urged clearer public engagement consistent with the Beatrice Code (citing sections 2‑94 and 2‑95), saying the public forum should allow discussion and that the city should acknowledge and clarify concerns even if officials cannot take immediate action under the Open Meetings Act. James Nelson pressed for advance posting of council packets and background materials, noted broken links to prior comprehensive-plan documents on the city website, and raised a potential conflict-of-interest concern involving a councilmember’s family connection to a developer; he recommended abstention where appropriate.
Dwayne Party, who lives outside the city limits, said changes to Highway 77 would affect farm equipment and urged councilmembers to follow constituent preferences within their districts.
Council did not take formal action on Highway 77 during the meeting. Staff later described planned engagement with the state regarding Highway 77 and scheduled follow‑up meetings; a separate Lincoln Street grant discussion (Safe Streets for All) addressed corridor improvements on a different arterial.
Representative quotes from public commenters (attributed to speakers who spoke on the record):
"You won't say a word... you guys are just mute. You just stay that way" — David Raburn
"Transparency is meaningful. Engagement is needed to build public trust and confidence in local government." — Billy Hoffling
What happens next: Residents asked for better access to materials and more visible engagement on roadway changes; council and staff signaled follow-up meetings with the state and pledged additional study and public outreach before any binding action.
