Council declines to move forward with Fletcher Avenue special-assessment water district after public hearing

The Lincoln City Council on April 28 voted not to proceed with creating a special assessment district to install a public water main on Fletcher Avenue between North 7th and North 14th streets, a decision that ends the petition process for now after extended testimony from property owners, city engineers and public-works staff.

The issue was an appeal of a Special Assessment Revolving (SAR) Committee decision not to forward the proposed water district for formal creation. The appeal would have sent the proposal back into the formal assessment-district process (design, bidding, public hearing and a subsequent council decision on levying assessments). After presentations from Lincoln Transportation and Utilities staff and testimony from multiple neighbors, councilors voted against moving the proposal forward by a 4–1 roll call.

Why it mattered: Petitioners asked the council to allow the district process to start so property owners could obtain city water (including the ability to connect to hydrants and avoid repeated well problems). Applicants and supporters said time and increasingly visible water-quality and water-supply problems motivated the request. Opponents emphasized the high cost per property owner, uncertain final assessments and the fact that several residents did not support the project.

Key facts and figures drawn from the hearing record: - Council staff cited a spring 2024 estimate of roughly $1.1 million for the project (the transcript recorded “a little over $1,100,000” as an earlier estimate); that estimate assumed a capped $65-per-front-foot assessment for owners with existing wells and a larger share for the water system. - Staff estimated property-owner assessments of approximately $330,000 in total (about a one-third share of the project) with the water department funding the remaining roughly $800,000 under the earlier estimate; figures could change if pipe size or bids changed. - The area was annexed by the city effective Nov. 1, 2017 (application number 17015), except for a portion owned by developer Hartland Homes that was annexed in 2020. - The process, if approved, would have required design and bidding by LTU, a subsequent public hearing and then a council vote on levying assessments; property owners could pay assessments up front or spread them over years with an interest charge.

Public testimony reflected mixed views. Applicant Keith Spilker said his well had elevated bacteria in 2022 and he wants to secure reliable city water rather than wait indefinitely for private development to extend mains. Supporters including Craig Carlson and Linda Spilker described irrigation and property maintenance problems tied to hard, cloudy or smelly well water. Opponents including Greg Roseberry and other long-term residents said many neighbors oppose the cost, that some already used private hookups or catchment systems, and that the $65-per-front-foot figure (last used in the 2024 estimate) may rise with current bid prices.

City staff clarified policy points for council: impact fees apply when a property actually connects to the system; those fees are a one-time charge in addition to the special assessment for construction of the main. Attorney and staff representatives noted that municipal code permits continued well use until a property is within 300 feet of an available system (and that sanitary sewer code and certain annexation terms can create different obligations). LTU staff explained why the large transmission main nearby (a 24–30-inch main installed in mid-2000s) is not directly tappable and that the proposed project would construct smaller distribution mains and looping required for reliable service.

Council action: A motion to advance the appeal and start the special-assessment process failed on a roll call (1 yes, 4 no); councilors recorded votes consistent with not advancing the district. That leaves the SAR committee decision in place and the proposed Fletcher Avenue water district will not proceed unless proponents return with new information or refile.

Provenance: The water-district presentation and testimony appear in the public hearing record beginning with LTU staff (Laura Peglas) and the applicant’s remarks and continuing through council questions and public testimony; the discussion begins in the transcript near the 1769-second mark and the roll-call motions and outcome are recorded later in the 4,900–5,160 second range.