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Lincoln County commissioners discuss bridge-match funding, table federal application until next week
Summary
Commissioners heard a department update on a County Bridge Match/Bridge Investment application, urged public surveys and letters of support, and agreed to return with local and federal support letters at the next meeting.
Jason Schultz, Lincoln County highway superintendent, updated the county commissioners on the Nebraska Department of Transportation county-bridge match program and a separate federal Bridge Investment Program application on Sept. 29. Schultz said county staff have posted a public survey and requested letters of support to strengthen the county’s application and urged residents and local organizations to fill the survey and submit feedback.
Schultz said the county has been coordinating with neighboring counties and the state on a bundled-bridge funding approach and that local outreach—public comments and letters—factors into where funding is allocated. "We're trying to collect letters of support and get surveys out there," Schultz said.
Commissioners discussed two related but separate issues: (1) state support for a county bridge match program administered through Nebraska DOT and (2) a federal Bridge Investment Program grant application to the U.S. Department of Transportation for bundled bridge replacements. County staff and a NACo contact indicated funding that had been projected for the match program may be scheduled to run out in 2026; commissioners asked staff to prepare a letter urging continuation of the county match program.
The board agreed to prepare two documents: a local letter of support for the county’s bridge-application package and a separate letter to federal officials supporting renewal or continuation of the federal Bridge Investment Program. County staff said they did not have the local document ready at the meeting; the board agreed to return next week with the local letter for formal consideration and to provide the federal support letter at that time as well. "Today, we are doing the federal Bridge Investment Program... We will table that till next week," a commissioner said.
No final grant decision was made at the Sept. 29 meeting; staff indicated they would return with both letters and related documents for formal action the next week.
