Tecumseh City Council approves wage plan, airport interlocal agreement and a series of project payments

TECUMSEH, Neb. — The Tecumseh City Council on Aug. 4, 2025 approved wage recommendations for the 2025–26 fiscal year and moved forward on several infrastructure and contract items, including an interlocal agreement with the Tecumseh Airport Authority and a two-year lease for license-plate-reader cameras.

The meeting opened at 5:00 p.m. in the Utilities Conference Room. City Clerk Janelle Moran reported the public library’s 25th anniversary is upcoming and that the Library Foundation will fund landscaping work; she also said staff are wrapping up budget work for 2025–26 and will begin phases of the 2024–25 annual audit.

Streets, economic development and utility updates were provided by Doug Goracke. He said right-of-way items tied to an Aug. 1 deadline were addressed, patch mix was ordered and dirt work for Arrowhead Drive will start as weather permits. Goracke also described ongoing grant work, including Grid Grant documentation, an application for a CDBG DTR grant and a brownfield grant, and noted NDOT is finalizing bid documents for a DTR project. On utilities, he reported the JCH relocation project is nearing completion, a cooling project is progressing and a permit was approved for new generation units; recent repairs addressed water leaks and sewer jetting calls.

On motions and votes, the council approved the wage recommendations for the 2025–26 fiscal year on a 4–1 vote (Aye: Britt, Goracke, Speckmann, Topp; Nay: Beethe; Absent: Brommer). Council then passed a resolution denying allocation of levy authority to the Tecumseh Airport while authorizing a transfer of funds to the airport pursuant to an interlocal agreement; the interlocal agreement itself was approved in a separate motion. Both actions were approved by the members present.

Other approvals included:

• A two-year lease for Flock license-plate-reader (LPR) cameras at $16,750 per year, approved unanimously by the members present.

• Approval of the rendered Event Center plan prepared by Lamp Rynearson.

• Acceptance of a Mahoney Concrete quote and rejection of older sidewalk quotes for sidewalk work along Lincoln Street (between 9th and 6th streets) and in the alley between the park and pool.

• Approval of Pay Application No. 4 from Farabee Mechanical for work on the Power Plant Project in the amount of $131,788.31.

The council then conducted a budget work session to continue work on the 2025–26 budget. The consent agenda — including approval of the July 21, 2025 minutes and payment of city bills — was approved. The meeting adjourned at 6:02 p.m.

Minutes were signed by City Clerk Janelle Moran and Mayor Jesse Grof.