4:00pm - 5:00pm
Board of Public Works Meeting (Board of Public Works)
100 E. 4th Street, York, NE 68467; Council Chambers
12:00pm - 1:00pm
12:00pm - 1:00pm
Noon Sertoma Club Meetings (Noon Sertoma Club)
Chances R
5:30pm - 7:30pm
City of York Airport Committee Meeting (City of York Airport Committee)
100 E. 4th Street, York, NE 68467; Council Chambers
12:00pm - 1:00pm
Rotary Club Meetings (Rotary Club)
Chances R
1:00pm - 3:30pm
Living Well with Chronic Pain (Four Corners)
2101 N Lincoln Ave, York, NE 68467
3:00pm - 5:00pm
5:00pm - 6:30pm
City Auditorium
5:30pm - 6:30pm
York City Council Meeting (City Council)
100 E. 4th Street, York, NE 68467; Council Chambers
8:30am - 2:00pm
Building Resilience to Strengthen Youth and Family Workshop
Memorial Health Care Systems Third Level Meeting Room, 300 N Columbia Ave, Seward, NE
10:30am - 11:30am
Preschool Storytime (Preschoolers and their caregivers)
Kilgore Memorial Library
12:00pm - 1:00pm
Academic Resource Center, York University
4:30pm - 7:00pm
Fish Fry (St. Joseph Church & School)
5th and East Ave
5:00pm - 7:00pm
Celebrate Education- After Hours Event
York Country Club
10:00am - 1:00pm
City Auditorium
7:00am - 8:00am
Morning Sertoma Club Meetings (Morning Sertoma)
Wendy's
1:00pm - 2:30pm
New Heights Church 1522 S. Grant Ave. - York
12:00pm - 1:00pm
Adulting Series - Landscaping 101 (Young Professionals)
Library
12:00pm - 1:00pm
Noon Sertoma Club Meetings (Noon Sertoma Club)
Chances R
12:00pm - 1:00pm
Rotary Club Meetings (Rotary Club)
Chances R
1:00pm - 3:30pm
Living Well with Chronic Pain (Four Corners)
2101 N Lincoln Ave, York, NE 68467
6:30pm - 8:00pm
10:30am - 11:30am
Preschool Storytime (Preschoolers and their caregivers)
Kilgore Memorial Library
12:00pm - 1:00pm
Kilgore Memorial Library, 520 N Nebraska Avenue, York
6:30pm - 8:00pm
11:00am - 12:00pm
Easter Egg Hunt sponsored by the York Lions Club
East Hill Park
7:00am - 1:00pm
Sunrise Easter Service First Presbyterian church
Recharge lake First Presbyterian Chruch York
7:00am - 8:00am
Morning Sertoma Club Meetings (Morning Sertoma)
Wendy's
1:00pm - 2:30pm
New Heights Church 1522 S. Grant Ave. - York
In March York Police Department released their 2023 Annual Report. The annual report summarizes key statistics for the department and highlights achievements from the past year. Key achievements this past year include letters of commendation for exemplary and life saving work for 7 officers and nearly 2,000 hours of training and education. The report notes that YPD is now fully staffed, unlike many law enforcement agencies around the country. Technology improvements in 2023 include a Rigaku laser substance analyzer that allows officers to detect the presence of fentanyl during a stop which allows them to act quickly and safely to stop drug trafficking. Two other key technology improvements in 2023 are new citation software and the implementation body-worn camera technology.
While law enforcement agencies coast to coast remain short-staffed, the York Police Department is now fully staffed. Chief Edward Tjaden notes the debates across the country on whether hiring practices and standards need to be adjusted in light of the continuing law enforcement shortage and states, “I am proud to say that throughout this debate and shortage, the York Police Department has not only maintained, but strengthened our hiring standards.” Chief Tjaden attributes YPD successes in recruiting and retaining officers to the positive culture of the department and the support of city leadership for the police officers. “Our positive culture is visible and felt daily at York PD. We’re investing in our officers with new technologies, wellness options, and training opportunities and these investments are paying increasingly positive dividends.”
Proactive work by the police department includes building relationships with the kids in the community. Officers regularly visit schools and preschools to provide safety trainings. Officers also get called to protect children caught in family abuse situations as well as follow up wellness checks and school checks.
Full staffing and new electric citation technology allowed YPD to step up traffic enforcement stops by about 50% in 2023. Traffic stops play important roles in proactive policing. The presence of police in heavy trafficked areas helps to deter crime as well as reduce dangerous driving that can lead to accidents and injuries. The I-80 interchange brings a high volume of traffic through York, which increases the need for traffic control measures.
The 2023 report summarizes various measures of calls for service for York Police from 2021 to 2023. The highest volume single type of call are animal calls. YPD’s civilian support officer handles these calls and calls regarding nuisance weeds and junk on properties. In 2023 there were almost 600 animal calls.
The statistics in the 2023 report summarize calls from all parts of the community. Sometimes people assume that the interchange area creates more calls than other parts of the community. A comparative analysis of how many calls come from the interchange area for three categories shows that police are hard at work responding to calls all throughout the community.
The relatively low number of criminal offense calls in the community also demonstrates the proactive work of YPD. These numbers are lower because police are working hard at proactive policing. The report does not show the high volume of calls that YPD takes each year to respond to situations, like disturbances or individuals in mental crisis, that YPD handles so that they do not become crime calls. The results of this proactive work can also be seen the comparison of the average level of crime victimizations in rural areas reported to the Department of Justice to the average number of calls in York. Over the past three years there has only been 1 homicide arrest in the entire community. The average number of assault calls compares favorably to the expected number based on rural averages. The property rate calls also compare favorably to national average victimizations.
Type of Call |
3-year average city-wide |
3-year average interchange area |
National Crime Victimization Rural Survey Comparison |
Assaults |
62 |
4 |
88.8 violent crimes |
Larceny/Thefts |
244 |
67 |
461.6 property crimes
|
Vandalism |
79 |
6 |
Looking ahead to next year, the York Police Department has been working with York Public Schools to develop a School Resource Officer Program to further enhance their outreach in the community. In 2024 the two newest officers will complete training so all shifts will be at full capacity for the first time in five years.
Chief Tjaden notes that safety in the community is a collaborative effort. Community vigilance and support makes the work of the police department even more effective. “This department cares about the community, and we feel the community’s support.” Chief Tjaden
Where are the 850 feet of school trail, 1,700 feet of Village 81 Trail and nine additional tracks listed on page two of exhibit A?
The proposed trail locations will become public information when the maps are released for public comment this spring. Information on how to access the information and how to provide public comment will be published in local news outlets, the city website, the city Facebook page, and the city app notifications.
Have any of you council members received clarification on these locations?
Yes. Council members have been briefed on the proposed locations.
Will I be notified that you intend to take my property for your trail?
Property rights in the form of permanent right-of way, permanent easements, or temporary easements would be required from portions of properties to construct and maintain the trail. Any property rights that are required will be negotiated directly with the property owner. The property owner will be compensated for the use or acquisition of property rights. In past similar projects, other accommodations, like fences have commonly been a part of the negotiation as well.
How did we get from no maps, to contacting property owners in one month?
The routes are still under review. Before maps of the potential routes are made public, the city and the engineers will meet with the property owners whose land the trail could cross. We want to give those landowners the courtesy of having a chance to review the proposed trail and talk with the engineers and the city before the maps become public.
Is the village 81 trail being a pedestrian trail or is that the bicycle trail?
In transportation discussions the word “pedestrian” often refers to any non-vehicle mode of transportation. The same word sometimes refers to people walking. The trail will be designed for non-vehicle traffic including bicycles and people walking.
Will this trail be an ADA compliant trail?
Yes.
Is the village 81 trail going to be lit? At what intervals?
The lighting options are a component that will be addressed as we get nearer construction. It is our hope that by that point solar trail light technology will be more affordable.
If a 14-year-old girl closes at McDonald’s in the winter time, will be riding back home in the dark or will the trail be lit?
McDonalds will not hire a 14-year-old to close, it would violate child labor protections. Parents will have full information about trail lighting so they can make responsible choices about their teenagers’ transportation needs.
Will there be any snow control? Is the city responsible? What is the priority?
Yes. The city will be responsible for clearing the trails in all locations. Between now and 2028 the city will clarify a snow removal workflow that includes how the trails are prioritized compared to other transportation corridors.
Is there any tree removal this April?
No. Not for Project Access York. Construction is not anticipated to begin until the spring of 2027.
Who’s going to control that kids will be riding on the trail at the 80/81 corridor and not riding on the service roads?
Parents.
What’s the estimate by the city of how many people walk to and from interstate to town each day, week? When this trail is built, what the estimate would be on how many people would use it on a weekly, daily basis?
Data from a 2019 Census study projected that about 4% of York employees walk or bike to work. The benefit/cost analysis for the trail grant assumed a 2% increase per year for the first three years after construction. The benefit/cost ratio calculated for the Project Access York project with this assumption is 1.865. This means that the trail is expected to bring economic benefits to the community over the next 10 years of at least $29 million dollars.
Why would we put it in a poorly visible area, low accessibility?
Abandoned rail corridors are often used safely for trails. Trees that have overgrown those abandoned rail corridors would be cleared with the project opening up sight-lines for long distances down the trail.
What law enforcement has city council talked to?
A law enforcement representative was part of the original planning process. As we go through the stages of design law enforcement will be consulted for input. Law enforcement will lead discussions of security measures and policies for the trail.
Trail Safety Questions
Some questions and comments concerned the safety of the trail. The most recent study of rural trails found in a search for scholarly articles on trail safety was a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. This study of trails in 12 rural Missouri counties found that only 1% of the users perceived unsafe conditions[i]. Those results measure perception of safety. A study of 372 trails that measured crime on trails in an objective way compares crime rates on rural trails to crimes rates in rural communities more generally. It’s an older study, but it is a comprehensive and direct study of crime rates on rural trails. The study finds that in 1995 there were 19 muggings per 100,000 population in rural communities. That same year there were 0 muggings reported on rural trails. In that same year there were 203 assaults per 100,000 persons in rural communities and .01 assaults per 100,000 on rural trails[ii]
Clarification in response to questions related to the various roles of NDOT, Olsson, and the city.
NDOT’s role is to help us complete the federal grant project on time and to meet all federal and state transportation department requirements, including safety and public input rules. Olsson’s role is to design the project to meet the criteria of the federal grant and all federal and state transportation requirements. NDOT, Olsson, and the city all work together to help control costs on the project. Olsson is responsible for facilitating public input, analyzing the input, and reporting to NDOT, the city and the federal government how they responded to public input. The city council approved NDOT’s involvement and Olsson’s contract. The city council will vote to approve the final Olsson plan
[i] Brownson, Ross C. et. al. 2000. Promoting Physical activity in rural communities: Walking trail access, use, and effects. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 18: 235-241.
[ii] Tracy, Tammy and Hugh Morris. 1998. Rail Trails and Safe Communities: The Experience on 372 Trails. National Park Service.
On Tuesday, March 12, 2024, the city of York sent certified letters to the 21 property owners whose property lies in the path of the proposed Project Access York trail expansion. The letters invite the property owners to individual meetings with engineers and city officials before the proposed trail location gets released to the public for comment later this spring. The meetings will allow the landowners to discuss concerns that they have about where the trail crosses their land and other questions. Once the trail location is finalized, compensation for use of property and accommodations, like fences, to reduce the impact of the trail on the property will be negotiated with each of the landowners.
The city asked the engineers to design the trail to be as least intrusive as possible for property owners. The current trail proposal mostly sits on city property that runs alongside city streets and connects to trails in city parks. The proposed trail locations for about 9 miles of new pedestrian and bike access all throughout the city will only require negotiating permanent access to 21 properties.
In 2022, the City of York was awarded a $15.6 million federal grant for Project Access York – a pedestrian and bicycle trail project to improve safety and connectivity throughout the city and expand the current network of trails. On March 30, 2023, the city held a public open house to share information about the project and receive feedback from the public on the proposed trail location. Prior to the public open house, a day-long design meeting was hosted by the City of York and the city’s consultant, Olsson, and included input from business owners, law enforcement, city council, school district, chamber of commerce, county and city officials, and the Nebraska Department of Transportation.
This spring the city will work with the project engineers to present the proposed trail locations to the public and collect public input on the proposed locations. Notices for these meetings will be in local news outlets, and the city web page and Facebook page. If you want to receive notices about future meetings, sign up for the City of York app, or send your name and email address to Dr. Sue Crawford (scrawford@cityofyork.net).
York, NE. In July 2022 the City of York was awarded $15.6 for Project Access York, a major trail and pedestrian safety project. Project Access York will fund almost 9 miles of trail expansion throughout the city, a pedestrian overpass over Highway 81 near the interstate and safety improvements for school crossings. “Extending our trail systems has been on our city wish list for many years. I can't wait to see the great things we can do for York with this opportunity” said Mayor Barry Redfern.
The project builds infrastructure that has been identified by community members as key priorities over the years. Although the City of York led the effort to pull the grant together, the project idea and the grant proposal benefited from multiple collaborative efforts in the community. The trail ideas were developed by York residents in the 2017 comprehensive plan process and the need for safer crossing options for Highway 81 was also identified in the 2006 comprehensive plan.
In 2022, a community coalition of many organizations, businesses and public sector representatives in York worked together as a Walkability Coalition to conduct walk audits and hold conversations about how to improve pedestrian access throughout the city. Walk audits and conversations with York Public School students reinforced the need for more safety measures at the school crossings. York City Administrator, Dr. Sue Crawford, noted “this massive grant effort would not have been successful without the collaboration of many in the community and the clear stories about how the grant responds well to community needs.”
The grant proposal submitted in the spring of 2022 included letters of support from many community organizations. York Public Schools noted in their letter that conversations on the need to improve safety for students getting to school had been happening for at least 22 years.
Four Corners Health Department noted that Project Access York responded well to community conversations that Four Corners had helped to sponsor through their Local Food Local Places project, which involved public engagement sessions with diverse stakeholders who identified safer access to the area by the interstate and better trails throughout the city as key priorities.
The letter of support from York County Development Corporation reinforced the level of community engagement that led to the ideas in the Project Access York grant proposal. These public input sessions that stressed the need for more trails and safer access to the interstate area included the 2017 Comprehensive Plan, Local Food Local Places meetings, two York County Housing studies and a Walkability study funded by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
The York Chamber of Commerce letter discussed their involvement with groups and studies over the years centered on walkability and removing barriers for visitors and residents.
In the fall of 2022, the City of York invited Senator Deb Fisher to visit to talk about the opportunities that Project Access York would create and to thank her for her vote for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill that helps to fund the project. Throughout the late summer and fall of 2022 Mayor Redfern and City Administrator Sue Crawford visited many community organizations to talk about the new Project Access York project. “The responses that I heard in all of those conversations were very positive,” said Crawford. Likewise, Mayor Redfern noted that he heard a lot of enthusiasm in the community about the project.
Last year, in March 2023, the engineers spent a day in York meeting with city officials, including law enforcement, public works, and parks staff. This meeting also included school leaders, county staff, state transportation staff and York University students. In the afternoon there was an open house for everyone in the community to come and see a proposed alignment and make comments. The public comments for this open house were overall very positive. The main concern raised was the original location of the pedestrian bridge. One clear example of the engineers responding to the comments was that they changed the bridge location due to comments that afternoon. Notices for this meeting were in the news and social media and through organizational newsletters.
Based on the feedback from the March 2023 meeting, the engineers have been working on a revised trail design. The engineers expect to be ready to present the new design and gather input sometime this spring. Announcements for this open house for viewing the maps and providing public comment will be in the York news outlets, the city Facebook page, and the city website. The best way to be sure to get the announcements is to sign up for the City of York app to get announcements of the meetings to your phone.
Project Access York Overview
To receive notices of meetings and events - for Project Access York and other City happenings - sign up for the City of York app and activate notices.
Project Schedule
Grant Awarded - July 2022
Design Planning Community Day & Public Open House 1 – March 2023
Appointment opportunities for effected land owners to learn more about their specific property impacts - Late March 2024 (Effected landowners will receive certified letters with details on how to register for an appointment.)
Public Open House 2 – April or May 2024
Documentation & Approval – June 2024 to October 2024
ROW Appraisals, Negotiations & Acquisitions – November 2024 – April 2026
Final Design Submittal – June 2026
Project Letting – August 2026
Construction - 2027 - 2028
Update 6:15 PM 1/19/2024...street area is now open to traffic!
Please avoid the area of North Grant from 19th Street to the Hospital. Crews are working on a water leak.
Come be a part of shaping the future of York!
See possible future ideas for the area by the interstate interchange and give your input. All ages welcome!
Interchange Area Public Input Session - January 31 - 4:30 to 6:00 PM at the Holthus Convention Center.
If you need transportation assistance to attend, call 402-362-7626 Ext 1.
Please monitor the following resources below for information regarding snow event updates for the City of York! Also below is a map of the emergency snow routes to reference. The map can be helpful in the event a snow emergency is declared for the city or a section of the city and if vehicles need to be moved off the route for snow removal operations.
Website: https://www.cityofyork.net//
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CityofYorkNE