The Nebraska International Port of the Plains is moving from construction toward operations, board chair Jim Hawkes told the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 5. "The switch is open. The tracks are reactivated," Hawkes said, and he reported four railcars have arrived for an initial customer, Project Grit.

Hawkes said the port has taken delivery of key pieces of equipment — a track mobile, a car mover and at least one transloader — and completed insurance requirements. He said the county’s grant application paid for the transloaders, track mobile and scale: "All of the equipment ... were all included in the county's grant application and paid by state grant funds." The port has also hired in‑house counsel to handle agreements with the railroad and with a private operator, and Hawkes said he expects a proposed management agreement with DevCo’s attorney to come before the county within a week.

Commissioners pressed for timing on track construction and customer service. Hawkes said engineering, geotechnical work and railroad review have delayed bids and that full track expansion may move into late 2026 or spring 2027. He described outreach to potential customers including a salt mine and agricultural shippers who are weighing whether port service can reduce their logistics costs.

Hawkes raised immediate operational items for the county’s attention: training on new equipment scheduled for the afternoon, a jammed overhead door on the north side of the building that may need repair, and the need to distribute additional building keys as operations grow. He also suggested lower‑cost interim measures to cap or fill maintenance pits inside the building so the space could be used for tenant storage.

Commissioners asked staff to coordinate repairs and to work with the port’s board on access control and security details. No formal county vote on a management agreement occurred Jan. 5; Hawkes said he would return to the board with the proposed agreement and additional updates as negotiations progress.