Seward City Council accepts fire and police annual reports, forwards foundation grant and approves ordinances and leases

The Seward City Council met in open session to consider annual reports, administrative items and ordinances. Council members unanimously voted to accept the 2024 annual reports from the Seward Volunteer Fire Department and the Seward Police Department; to forward a Seward Foundation grant application for a shade structure at Vanshell; to refer a vehicle-damage claim to the city’s insurance carrier and city attorney; to approve five three-year farm leases; and to adopt two ordinances related to employee job-classification updates and financing for a new pumper tanker.

The meeting included detailed presentations from Taylor Mifflin, identified in the record as fire chief, and Chief Peters of the Seward Police Department. The fire chief told the council that the department responded to 724 calls in 2024, including 81 fire calls, 583 rescue calls, 36 motor-vehicle accidents, 21 hazmat incidents and three weather-related calls. “With the desire to serve and the courage to act, we preserve property, save lives, and build a safer community for the citizens we serve,” Mifflin said as he described training, staffing and equipment changes.

Mifflin reported 38 active members, roughly 1,500 documented training hours in 2024 (a dip from 2023), 17 certified EMTs and 19 firefighter-1 certified members. Response-time figures the department provided were: dispatch to en route, 7.25 minutes; en route to on scene, 3.5 minutes; and a total average call response of 10.75 minutes. The department noted it retains an Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating of 4 and added a tanker truck from Deep South Fire Apparatus to the fleet in late 2024; the fleet was listed as 10 apparatus including two ambulances, two pumpers, one ladder truck, two tankers, two brush trucks and one UTV. Mifflin said the department is working on tracking apparatus and training hours more accurately and on a building-expansion planning project for 2025.

Chief Peters summarized the police department’s 2024 staffing, training and community programs and noted recent personnel changes and promotions. Peters said state law requires a minimum of 32 hours of training per officer per year and that the department typically averages closer to 40–45 hours. He described community policing efforts including a “run with the cops” fundraiser, a hydrant-party event with the fire department and an Operation Lifesaver program that uses a radio-frequency locating wristband for people who may wander. Peters also noted traffic-enforcement details, citing school-bus arm violations that fell from 35 to 16 year over year, aided by bus-mounted cameras.

On the Seward Foundation application, Matt Domi, speaking for the Seward Rotary Club, asked the council to forward the club’s application asking the Seward Foundation to consider a $10,000 grant toward a shade covering at Vanshell. Domi said the Rotary has a $50,000 matching grant and estimated the full project cost is “right around a hundred thousand dollars.” The council voted to forward the application to the Seward Foundation for consideration.

Council action and votes were unanimous (6–0) on the contested administrative items and ordinances recorded during the meeting. The council moved a property-damage claim from Sherry Leising, for $3,153.56 allegedly caused by a parking-stall bumper, to the city’s insurance carrier and city attorney for disposition. The council accepted the fire and police annual reports and voted to approve five three-year farm leases previously offered at auction.

On ordinances, the council read and then adopted ordinance number 2025-5, which revises job titles and classifications (including changing the assistant recreation director title to recreation director and renaming wellness lifeguard to wellness center lifeguard), provides for longevity pay and part-time employee pay rules, and sets an effective date; the council suspended the statutory rule and adopted the ordinance by unanimous vote. The council also adopted ordinance number 2025-6, authorizing a lease-purchase financing agreement related to purchase of the 2025 pumper tanker; staff said local financial institutions were given an opportunity to submit terms and that the council accepted the recommended financing terms.

Votes at a glance: - Consent agenda: adopted, vote recorded 6–0. - Seward Foundation grant application (Vanshell shade structure): motion to forward application to Seward Foundation, approved 6–0. - Claim from Sherry Leising ($3,153.56): forwarded to insurance carrier and city attorney for disposition, approved 6–0. - Seward Volunteer Fire Department 2024 annual report: accepted, approved 6–0. - Seward Police Department 2024 annual report: accepted, approved 6–0. - Five farm lease agreements (three-year terms): each approved individually, each 6–0. - Ordinance 2025-5 (job classifications, longevity pay, wellness center lifeguard title): suspended rules and adopted, 6–0. - Ordinance 2025-6 (lease-purchase financing for pumper tanker): adopted, 6–0.

The meeting record shows the council directed hiring staff to advertise and review applications for the newly retitled recreation director position, with applications slated for review on the 14th (date in record). Several council members praised the volunteer fire department and police department for community response work and encouraged continued efforts on recruitment, retention and documentation of multi-year trends in calls and staffing.

The meeting opened with a posted notice under the Nebraska Open Meetings Act and proceeded with public presentations, staff reports and the listed votes.