Lincoln City Council approves franchise deal, equipment purchases and ordinance in unanimous votes; several informational items heard

The Lincoln City Council voted on several ordinance and procurement items Thursday and heard updates on infrastructure planning and regional sewer work.

The council approved a 20-year franchise agreement with Capital Electric Cooperative authorizing the utility to provide electricity in city rights-of-way and to operate under the terms described in the agreement. Council members voted aye on a motion to approve the agreement; a roll call followed and the motion carried.

The council also adopted the parking-trailer ordinance on its second reading. The ordinance revises the definition of service/work trailers and creates a winter-month exception to the city’s prohibition on parking trailers. Council members approved the second reading after discussion about the scope of the definition and whether to include example uses; the motion to adopt the second reading passed.

Councilors approved several purchases that were already budgeted. Chief Giddings requested two new patrol vehicles, citing recurring repairs and fleet-maintenance costs; he said the quoted price for one vehicle is "$56,010.74." The council approved purchasing two vehicles using available budgeted funds and directed staff to pursue ordering at the quoted price.

Public Works requested a replacement loader-mounted snowblower with a paddle-style front auger to better break up compacted ice and heavy snow. The council approved the purchase after a motion and roll call.

The council approved Application No. 10 (a balancing change order) for Preload LLC and accepted associated engineering fees as presented in the engineer’s report; the motion carried on a voice vote and roll call.

Separately, the council approved switching local insurance-agent services to Allegiance Insurance (Rivera with Scott, agency name recorded in the minutes) by motion and roll call.

Several items were informational only: council members heard a pavement-management proposal from engineering firm SEH, an update on the regional sewer project and FEMA review process, and routine department reports. No formal council action was taken on the pavement-management proposal or on FEMA-related documentation during the meeting.

Votes at a glance

- Franchise agreement with Capital Electric Cooperative — motion to approve; outcome: approved (roll call recorded). - Parking-trailer ordinance (second reading) — motion to adopt second reading; outcome: approved. - Purchase of two police vehicles — motion to proceed with purchase using budgeted funds; outcome: approved (roll call recorded). - Purchase of loader-mounted snowblower — motion to approve purchase; outcome: approved (roll call recorded). - Application No. 10, Preload LLC (balancing change order and engineering fees) — motion to approve; outcome: approved (voice vote/roll call). - Insurance agency selection (Allegiance Insurance/Rivera) — motion to proceed; outcome: approved (roll call recorded).

Council members and staff who moved and seconded motions are recorded in the meeting minutes and roll calls; the minutes show motions and seconders for each item and affirmative roll-call responses. The meeting also included routine consent-agenda approvals and an amended agenda earlier in the session.