Jeff Hajny

    The Seward City Council heard presentations from Nebraska Public Power District Vice President of Customer Services Ed Wagner regarding the NPPD line route during its Jan. 15 meeting.
     The council was updated on the progress of the NPPD's 345 kV powerline project which will touch the eastern two-mile zoning jurisdictional limit of the city.
     City Administrator Dan Berlowitz explained that as the city continues to grow to the north and east, it would be impossible not to have the line within the two-mile area.
     The NPPD staff present at the meeting told the council that in order to build their final route, their engineers tried to avoid as many homes and irrigation pivots as they could.
     Mayor Roger Glawatz emphasized that with the continued growth, the city cannot function properly without the construction of this new line.
     The council decided to consider alternate routes and continue to move towards a final decision for the powerline project.
     The council also heard from Greg Damman, chairman of the City of Seward Citizens Advisory Review Committee for the Economic Development Plan, who presented the six-month review report.
     The report presented the following:
     • a review of the program activities report regarding current participants in the program and prospects for future involvement in the program;
     • financial matters related to the program, including general ledger reports; and
     • a review of two $5,000 conditional grants to be made to applicants.
     In other business, the council:
     • confirmed the mayor's appointments of Sue Bowen as an alternate to the Planning Commission and Dean Gade for a two-year term to the Seward Aging Services Commission; and
     • confirmed the addition of volunteer firefighter David Rathje to the Seward Fire Dept.