FRIEND CITY COUNCIL MINUTES-REGULAR MEETING September 1, 2026 Mayor Judith Knoke and City Council met in regular session on Tuesday September 1, 2026. The meeting was called to order at 7:01 p.m. at City Hall. The appointed method for giving advanced notice of the meeting was given by publication in The Sentinel. Mayor Judith Knoke presided and City Clerk/Treasurer Amie Underwood recorded the proceedings. The following were present: Kristen Milton, Phyllis Schwab, Jeremy Collier, David Sladek (arrived at 7:08 p.m.); council members. Others in attendance were Trent Roesler, City of Friend Public Works Supervisor, Mark Stutzman, City of Friend Building Inspector, and Ron TeBrink with Friend Community Health Care System. A quorum being present, the meeting was duly convened. As required by the Nebraska Open Meetings Act, Mayor Knoke announced that a copy of the Nebraska Open Meetings Act is available on the bulletin board of the meeting room in City Hall for all in attendance to review. Moved by Milton, seconded by Schwab to approve the August 4, 2026, regular meeting minutes. Roll Call: Ayes: Collier, Milton, Schwab, Sladek. Nays: None. Motion carried. Moved by Schwab, seconded by Collier to approve the August 31, 2026, Treasurer’s report. Roll Call: Ayes: Milton, Schwab, Collier, Sladek. Nays: None. Motion carried. Moved by Collier, seconded by Schwab to approve the July Hospital Financials. Roll Call: Ayes: Milton, Sladek, Collier, Schwab. Nays: None. Motion carried. Moved by Collier, seconded by Schwab to approve the claims and payroll for August 2026. Roll Call: Ayes: Sladek, Collier, Schwab, Milton. Nays: None. Motion Carried. Claims approved were August Net Payroll - $32,393.54; General & Utilities - $124,062.87 as follows: Ameritas, retire -$1,509.79; Dane Anderson, se -$100.00; Better Homes & Gardens, su -$19.00; Heather Black, reimb -$109.55; Black Hills Energy, util -$1,949.90; BCBS (Sept),ins -$16,520.75; Tori Bresson, se -$100.00; Brothers Equip, su -$42.11; Bruning Law Group, se -$2,946.50; MaKenna Burchett, se -$100.00; Cengage Group, su -$102.00; Center Point Large Print, su -$98.28; Jacob & Johnathan Clouse, se -$850.00; Country Compost, se -$2,000.00; Country Line LLC, se -$916.65; Emmett Crawford, se -$100.00; Credit Bureau Svcs, se -$235.00; Culligan Water Service, su -$181.58; Drake Refrigeration, se -$229.80; EFTPS, p/r tax -$7,534.57; Eakes Office Solutions, se -$1,007.58; EMS Connect, se -$71.50; Friend Fire Department, reimb - $2,125.00; Farmer’s Union COOP, su -$77.08; FES, se -$2,000.00; First Wireless Inc, se -$426.02; Friend Country Club, reimb -$1,296.00; Guardian Life, ins -$487.37; Heartland Sales & Pest Control, se -$85.00; Hometown Leasing, se -$131.22; J & C Cemetery Repairs, -$7,500.00; Johnson Service Co., -$12,590.00; Lichti’s, su -$629.95; MMC Consulting, se -$8,256.57; MacQueen Equip, su -$2,495.45; Menards, su -$333.00; Midwest Laboratories, se -$32.80; Midwest Pump Works, se -$3,399.00; NE Child Support, se -$46.16; NE Dept. of Rev., sales tax -$2,491.57; NE Dept of Rev., SWH, p/r -$970.18; NE Public Health Environmental Lab, se -$61.00; Nick’s Farm Store, su -$298.60; Norris PPD, se -$9,361.00; Diane Odoski, reimb -$213.64; One Billing Solutions, se -$252.15; One Call Concept, se - $19.17; Principal, ins -$325.43; Qwik 6, su -$1,459.58; Saline County Clerk, se -$318.00; Saline County Sheriff, se -$13,333.33; SCI, se -$362.04; Taylin Schluter, se- $100.00; Smithsonian, su -$14.99; State Fire Marshal, se -$162.00; Stryker Sales, su - $1,697.28; Summit Fire Protection, su -$432.64; Troyer Concrete, se -$1,805.00; Amie Underwood, su -$31.86; United Industries, su -$1,099.22; US Cellular, se -$52.42; Visa, su -$,1009.11; Waste Connections, se -$5,864.51(garbage) Waste Connection, se-$1,400.00 (recycling July & Aug); Gehrig Weber, se -$100.00; Windstream, util -$1,676.95; Youngs Welding, su - $66.02. ORIDANCE NO 26-09 Amending Chapter 130: General Offenses § 130.05 WEEDS; LITTER; STAGNANT WATER. First Reading. AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER 130: GENERAL OFFENSES OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE OF THE CITY OF FRIEND, NEBRASKA TO AMEND THE PERMISSIBLE LENGTH OF GROWTH OF WEEDS, GRASSES, AND OTHER WORTHLESS VEGETATION Moved by Milton, seconded by Collier to approve Resolution 26-11 Authorizing the Mayor to sign the Annual Program Compliance. Roll Call: Ayes: Schwab, Collier, Sladek, Milton. Nays: None. Motion Carried. Moved by Collier to give the Saline Area Transit money for funding allocation in the amount of $3,415.00, seconded by Sladek. Roll Call: Ayes: Collier, Milton, Schwab, Sladek. Nays: None. Motion Carried. Moved by Collier to accept the bid from Carrothers Construction for the Pool Heater in the amount of $70,062.00, seconded by Schwab. Roll Call: Ayes: Schwab, Sladek, Milton, Collier. Nays: None. Motion Carried. Moved by Collier, seconded by Milton to approve advertising for bids for quarterly cleaning of the Ihde Building and the Grange/Community Building in Friend, NE. Ads will be posted in the Friend Sentinel through 10/1/2026. Roll Call: Ayes: Milton, Sladek, Collier, Schwab. Nays: None. Motion Carried. Moved by Collier, seconded by Schwab to approve the Audit Engagement Contract Letter from AMGL, PC. Roll Call: Ayes: Milton, Collier, Schwab, Sladek. Nays: None. Motion Carried. Moved by Collier, seconded by Milton to give 60-day notice to Jake & Jonathan Clouse to terminate the contract on the Clouse Building and the Police Building. Roll Call: Ayes: Schwab, Collier, Sladek, Milton. Nays: None. Motion Carried. Moved by Collier, seconded by Milton to accept bid from Miller & Associates in the amount of $10,500.00 to update the City of Friend Zoning Ordinances. The project will be scheduled over a 6–8-month period. Roll Call: Ayes: Sladek, Collier, Schwab, Milton. Nays: None. Motion Carried. Moved by Collier, seconded by Schwab to approve the bid from Carrothers Construction at $41,000.00 to repaint the Pool and to use the $10,000.00 from the betterment fund to go towards the project. Roll Call: Ayes: Schwab, Sladek, Milton, Collier. Nays: None. Motion Carried. Moved by Milton, seconded by Collier to approve Amendment No.2, extending the contract end date of the CDBG Grant #23TD001 to January 7, 2027. Roll Call: Ayes: Sladek, Milton, Collier, Schwab. Nays: None. Motion Carried. Moved by Collier to get another bid and go with the lower bid, Sladek gave out another number of an electrician to call, seconded by Schwab. Roll Call: Ayes: Schwab, Milton, Collier, Sladek. Nays: None. Motion Carried. Moved by Collier to approve Lot Split of 101 Maple St, Friend, NE so the owners can rent out the front half of the building, seconded by Sladek. Roll Call: Ayes: Sladek, Milton, Collier, Schwab. Nays: None. Motion Carried. No further business to come before the City Council, moved by Schwab, seconded by Collier to adjourn. Roll Call: Ayes: Milton, Collier, Schwab, Sladek. Nays: None. Motion Carried. Meeting adjourned at 8:39 p.m. Judith K Knoke, Mayor ATTEST Amie L Underwood, City Clerk FS — September 23, 2026 ZNEZ
