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Chadron council approves $30,000 utility vehicle, ratifies restroom change order and pays $183,521 to trail contractor
Summary
At its Jan. 5 meeting, the City Council of the City of Chadron approved purchase of a 2026 Polaris Ranger for $30,000, ratified Change Order No. 2 for downtown ADA restrooms increasing the contract to $268,500.20, authorized final payment of $183,521 for Cowboy Trail Phase 1, placed two utility lien assessments and made multiple board appointments.
The City Council of the City of Chadron on Jan. 5 approved several routine and project-related actions, including equipment procurement, a construction change order and a final contractor payment for the Cowboy Trail Phase 1 project.
Vice‑Mayor Shane Shepherd called the meeting to order and Councilmember Mark Graves moved to approve the agenda and consent items; the motion passed on a unanimous roll call by the four members present (Graves, Kevin Oleksy, Clay Andersen and Shepherd). Council then designated Dustin Glass as Street Superintendent for 2026 (motion by Oleksy, seconded by Andersen), also approved unanimously.
Police Chief Rick Hickstein introduced new officer Ashley Tolstedt and administered the oath of office.
On equipment, Council approved Resolution 2026-1 to accept a bid from Chadron Motor Company for a 2026 Polaris Ranger XP 1000 NorthStar in the amount of $30,000.00 for the Parks/Cemetery Department. Parks/Cemetery/Airport Superintendent Scott Schremmer told the council the bid included a $2,000 trade‑in value but recommended accepting the purchase without the trade‑in “as the City will more than likely receive a higher amount for the vehicle by selling it independently.” The resolution passed with a unanimous roll call.
Janet Johnson, the City’s Planning/Building/Zoning Official, reported 38 building permits were issued in 2025 with a total valuation of $5,311,052.00. The council then considered Resolution 2026-2 to ratify and approve Change Order No. 2 submitted by Fuller Construction Co. LLC for the Downtown Plaza ADA restrooms. Johnson explained the previously adopted October action had been recorded as a final change order in error; the final Change Order No. 2 dated Nov. 19, 2025 increases the contract by $8,128.20 (including $6,753.20 for a different privacy screen and $1,375.00 previously approved), bringing the total contract price to $268,500.20. The resolution was adopted on a unanimous roll call.
City Manager Tom Menke reported Cowboy Trail Phase 1 has been completed and recommended Payment Application No. 1‑Final to Mark Chrisman Trucking in the amount of $183,521.00; Menke noted the contractor did not utilize all bid quantities and the final payment is $16,478.00 less than the original $199,999.00 contract. The Council approved the payment on a unanimous roll call.
The Council approved two resolutions placing delinquent utility liens: Resolution 2026-5 assessed $351.63 against Lot 10, Block 93, Pioneer Town Site Company’s Third Addition; Resolution 2026-6 assessed $225.71 against the South ½ of Lot 25 and All of Lot 26, Block 14 of the Original Town (citing Section 16‑682, R.R.S. 1943 and applicable municipal code sections). Both passed unanimously.
Councilmember Kevin Oleksy moved to appoint a slate of residents to boards and commissions (Business Improvement District, Citizen Advisory Review Committee — Economic Development Plan, Community Development Advisory Committee, Housing Authority, Planning Commission, Tree Board and regional representative roles); the appointments were approved. The Council also reappointed Drew Petersen and Rob Wahlstrom to the Library Board after discussing their ongoing involvement with the library renovation project.
The council approved the claims list and payroll, which included vendor payments and payroll net of $86,424.58; notable vendor entries on the list included Mark Chrisman Trucking ($183,521.00) and Stryker ($16,053.45). Council excused the absence of George Klein (Resolution 2026-7) and proclaimed January as National Radon Action Month. City Manager Menke reiterated that the Cowboy Trail is designed for pedestrian and bicycle use only and that signage and designated crossing paths will be posted. The council entered executive session for personnel matters at 6:38 p.m., returned at 7:07 p.m., and adjourned at 7:08 p.m.
Next steps: most items approved are final (equipment purchase authorized; payment made to the trail contractor; change order ratified); the Highway 20 law enforcement interlocal agreement was on the agenda but no action was taken.
