Grand Island business owner questions city support after Mayor Steele’s town hall meeting

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Rooted Books & Gifts is more than a store. It’s a space built on community and a place where people come to connect.

For owner Danielle Helzer, opening this store was a dream, and keeping it open has taken more than just passion.

On Monday, Helzer attended Mayor Roger Steele’s town hall, hoping to hear how the city plans to support small businesses and improve public transportation.

Helzer said that what she heard was disappointing.

“So, when the city is talking about how they’re going to make these investments in these big corporations, and we small business owners aren’t hearing any investments for us,” she said. “What that means for us is that we have a real unknowing.”

Channel 8 reached out to Mayor Steele, who declined to comment but said he stands by his statement from Monday’s town hall.

“We have not stood still, and because of that, our future has never looked brighter. In fact, all the generations of people who’ve lived in Grand Island have experienced the tremendous growth and progress that we have seen in the last seven years,” Steele said.

Helzer said big projects may look nice, but don’t necessarily help small businesses survive.

She said the support for small businesses is the real key to keeping cities and towns growing.

“It means talking to small business owners,” Helzer said. “The number one thing that business owners need is financial support. That’s what they’re asking for.”