There was a third prolonged debate Tuesday at the city council meeting about annexation, but by split votes, areas along E. Sixth St. were incorporated into the city limits.

The most contentious were nine areas along E. Sixth St. — mostly between the street the Union Pacific railroad tracks. The area is eight blocks long, lying east of the 1600 block.

Also, the council annexed an area on Eugene Ave. on the south side of town.

Those votes fulfilled the three-reading requirement, officially drawing the properties into the incorporated city limits.  

The property on Eugene Ave. was first on the agenda. Without argument, the council unanimously agreed to annex it. It consists of about 3.55 acres just south of Eugene on the east side of Valley Vista Dr.

Initially, the city wanted to annex adjoining property too, but reduced their intent after adjoining property owner, Marcene Franzen, said she did not receive adequate notice, and the annexation would add an unexpected financial burden to the couple’s retirement income.

After that was approved, the council went into an 18-minute closed-door session before taking up the E. Sixth annexations, seeming girding themselves for debate.

 When members returned to open session, Council President Jim Nisley, who was presiding in the mayor’s absence, said the executive session was to discuss potential litigation and clarify several related issues.

Councilman Ed Rieker openly opposed annexing the E. Sixth properties.

Rieker questioned why the city scaled back its request for property south of Eugene Ave., allowing the Franzens to keep land outside city limits, while the property on E. Sixth St. is being annexed despite the owners voicing similar objections.

“We accommodated the Franzen property owners because they didn’t want to be annexed,” he said. “These folks don’t want to be annexed either, yet we’re forcing them in. What’s the difference?”

Planning Administrator Judy Clark said access to utilities plays a significant role. She said most Sixth St. properties already use city water and sewer at a higher, non-resident rate. In contrast, the Franzen property has no access to city services.

“That’s the biggest difference,” Clark said. “Most of these properties already rely on city services.” 

City Attorney Bill Troshynski added that the two situations are fundamentally different under state law. The Franzen annexation was initiated as a voluntary, or “friendly,” annexation, meaning an adjoining owner requested the change.

In contrast, the E. Sixth St. area is part of a city-initiated annexation, which carries additional legal requirements, including a formal annexation plan and analysis of city services. 

Clark and Troshynski both said the city followed all the required steps for the Sixth St. annexations, including a plan to extend municipal services.

Despite the explanations, Rieker was unconvinced. He argued that the city is being inconsistent by granting relief to one group of landowners while compelling annexation for another group.

“It seems incongruent,” he said. “One party didn’t want to be annexed, and we respected that. These folks (on E. Sixth) don’t want to be annexed either, and we’re disregarding their wishes.”

Several E. Sixth residents echoed that sentiment during public comment, presenting a petition and expressing frustration with drainage problems, uncertainty about tax increases, longstanding business operations, and the timing of the annexation effort.

Dotty Erickson urged the city to delay any annexation for a year or two. Others noted that the area has functioned successfully for decades without being brought into the city.

Some council members acknowledged the emotional nature of the plans. Still, they emphasized broader goals behind the effort — tax equity, long-term planning, and correcting areas that should have been annexed many years ago.

“Annexations are difficult,” Councilman Brad Garrick said. “Hardly anyone wants to be annexed unless it’s part of a new development. But we have to consider what’s fair and consistent for the whole community.”

In the end, despite objections and calls to delay the decision, the votes were taken. By a vote of 5-3, two of the nine areas on E. Sixth were annexed, with Nisley, Rieker, and Garrick opposed.

Garrick said he voted no on those two because the properties are not connected to city utilities.

The remaining seven areas were annexed 6–2, with Nisley and Rieker casting dissenting votes.

Public hearings

The council held public hearings, during which no one from the public spoke. 

The first hearing was held on whether to annex 11 other properties totaling 51.97 acres of government-owned land. That includes a large, wedge-shaped area near E. 12th and Roosevelt Ave. on the northeast corner of the city, as well as land in the Centennial Park area, next to W. Park Drive, the riverbank and the park.

The council unanimously approved the first reading of those annexations.

A second public hearing was about an existing conditional use permit to allow more storage at 3880 Hadley Dr., which is east of the new Fat Dogs Travel Center off Newberry I-80 exit (179).

The Lakeside Campground Holding Company LLC wants to expand storage beyond the two existing enclosed buildings for boats and RVs.

One new recreational-vehicle storage building would be built immediately, with three more proposed in the future. The council unanimously approved the change to the permit. 

The council ended the meeting with another 33-minute closed session to discuss potential litigation and real estate transactions.

In preliminary business, the council also approved: 

• The preliminary and final approval of the Fritz Farm Second Subdivision, specifically 1120 Andy Ave. through 1109 Gwyn Ave., two new streets just south of E. Philip. The subdivision reconfigures several single-family lots into smaller parcels to accommodate duplex development, with each new lot containing one half of a duplex.
• Subdividing 802 E. Walker Rd. from one lot to two. 
• Placing northbound and southbound stop signs at the corner of Bryan Ave. and Francis St. a new area where the Connection homes will be built for the homeless to get back on their feet.  
• No parking zones on the north and south sides of Francis St. from Tabor to Devco. 
• A resolution approving the abandonment of Vieyra Ave. as a public road by the Lincoln County Commissioners. The road falls within the two-mile zoning jurisdiction of the city. The county has discussed a formal process by which it would accept or reject the road.
• A landfill pastureland grazing lease with Billy Wilson for $9,250 per year for 2026-28. The lease limits grazing to cattle only from May 15 to Oct. 15 each year. 
• An agreement with the Nebraska Department of Roads to maintain 36.74 lane miles of state highways that are in the city limits. The state will pay the city $2,030 per lane-mile for surface maintenance and $1,430 per lane-mile for snow removal. 
• City Attorney Bill Troshynski as the successor Trustee of a Deed of Trust for four separate properties — 2301 W. 5th, 909 E. 5th, 709 W. 10th, and 2011 W. 2nd. The homes there have been improved, focusing on energy and safety. The owners borrowed $20,000 to cover the costs. The loans are forgiven after five years if the ownership of the house remains the same.
• Release of liens on four properties after the Community Development Block Grants that funded the improvements have been forgiven — 2301 W. 5th, 909 E. 5th, 709 W. 10th, and 2011 W. 2nd. 
• Reappointment of Carilee Lind to the North Platte Housing Authority Board. 
• The minutes of the Nov. 18 meeting.
• Paying the bills. 

© 2025 The North Platte Bulletin. All rights reserved!