Fairbury meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

Fairbury City Council to weigh CDBG grant, liquor license, public works contracts

The Fairbury City Council met Aug. 18 to consider a Community Development Block Grant planning application, a special liquor license, and multiple public works contracts. No decisions have been published; minutes for the meeting are not yet available. Other committees also met that day with agenda items pending.

City Council

The council held a public hearing on a CDBG planning grant application to the Nebraska Department of Economic Development. It also considered a special designated liquor license for Tooley's Hullabalooza event near Conrad Park on Sept. 12-13, 2026. Additional items included engineering services for the Grid Resiliency project, contractor selection for the EECBG lighting project at Quinn Field, and Ordinance No. 3144 setting elected officials' salaries (first reading). A resolution authorizing retroactive medical premium stipends to eligible city employees was also on the agenda.

Public Works Committee

The committee held a special meeting Aug. 18 to discuss the sale of city real property to the Nebraska Department of Transportation (Resolution 1337), engineering for the GRID Resilience project, and contractor selections for the EECBG Quinn Field project, including an electrician, electrical contractor, and boring contractor. All items were for discussion and possible action.

Personnel Committee

The Personnel Committee met Aug. 18 to discuss revisions to the employee handbook and Resolution 1338, which would authorize retroactive medical premium stipend payments to eligible city employees. The committee also approved minutes from its July 29, 2026 meeting. No decisions have been reported.

Citizens Advisory Review Committee

The committee met Aug. 18 to review 2026 LB840 activities for Jan. 1 through June 30, approve minutes from the May 5, 2026 meeting, and take public comments on non-agenda items. No decisions have been reported.

Landbank Committee cancelled

The South Jefferson Land Bank meeting scheduled for Aug. 12 was cancelled due to a lack of agenda items. Notice of the cancellation was posted at the Fairbury Post Office, Fairbury City Office, and Jefferson County Courthouse on Aug. 5.

Coming up

No upcoming meetings are scheduled in the next 14 days.

Fairbury Museum Board Approves $3,500 Mural Contract; City Council Weighs Airport Tax Request

The Fairbury City Museum board approved a $3,500 contract for a new mural and discussed a $120,000 budget for 2027, including a $60,000 increase for HVAC replacement. The board also approved claims totaling $737.26. Meanwhile, the City Council met Aug. 4 to consider an airport tax request and a parade street closure, though no decisions are recorded in the provided minutes. The South Jefferson Land Bank meeting scheduled for Aug. 12 was cancelled.

City Museum Board (Aug. 5)

The board approved claims totaling $737.26, including $240.15 to Fairbury Light & Water and $140.74 to PaRen Sims. It also approved a $3,500 contract for Tony to paint a new mural on the south side of the barn. The board discussed the 2027 budget of $120,000, up $60,000 for HVAC replacement, and made plans for the 15th annual Car Show on Sept. 11-13. The museum will try to acquire Al's '49 Ford coupe after the car show.

City Council (Aug. 4)

The council met to consider the Fairbury Airport Authority's tax request of $46,000 for FY 2026-2027, a request to block downtown streets for a high school homecoming parade on Sept. 18, 2026, from 1-5 pm, and setting a public hearing for the final tax request for the 2026-2027 fiscal year on Sept. 15, 2025, at 7:30 PM. The agenda also included approval of minutes from July 21, 2026, and approval of claims. Minutes from this meeting have not yet been published, so no decisions are recorded.

Land Bank Meeting Cancelled

The South Jefferson Land Bank meeting scheduled for Aug. 12 was cancelled due to a lack of agenda items. Notice of the cancellation was posted at the Fairbury Post Office, Fairbury City Office, and Jefferson County Courthouse on Aug. 5, 2026.

Coming up

• **Personnel Committee** (Aug. 18): Discussion and recommendation on revising the employee handbook and Resolution 1338 on retroactive medical premium stipends for eligible employees.
• **Public Works Committee** (Aug. 18, special meeting): Resolution 1337 authorizing sale of city real property to the Nebraska Department of Transportation, engineering for the GRID Resilience project, and contractor selections for the EECBG Quinn Field project.
• **Citizens Advisory Review Committee** (Aug. 18): Review of 2026 LB840 activities for Jan. 1 to June 30, approval of May 5 minutes, and public comments.
• **City Council** (Aug. 18): Public hearing on a CDBG planning grant application to Nebraska DED, a special designated liquor license for Tooley's Hullabalooza event near Conrad Park (Sept. 12-13), engineering services for Grid Resiliency, contractor selection for EECBG lighting at Quinn Field, and first reading of Ordinance No. 3144 setting elected officials' salaries.

Fairbury Boards Set Schedules for Fees, Water Projects, Rentals, and Electric Vacancies

Fairbury's City Council and several advisory boards met the week of July 21, but official minutes have not yet been published for any of the sessions. The following is drawn from the published agendas; outcomes and vote tallies are not yet available in the record.

City Council — July 21

The Council's agenda listed approval of July 7 meeting minutes and the appointment of Teresa Sammartano to the public library board.

Scheduled action items included:

• **Resolution 1336** — amending Resolution 1298 to levy and assess various fees, bonds, or deposits.
• **Ordinance 3143** — amending municipal code § 35.30 regarding bidding requirements.
• **Pay application #1 to Vessco, Inc.** for the water treatment plant project.
• **Pay application #1 to IES** for the high service pump station line relocation.
• **2nd annual Hullabalooza Event** at Conrad Park on September 12, 2026, including use of the band shelter, street closures on D Street, and utilities.

Because minutes are not yet published, the Council's votes on these items — including the dollar amounts on the pay applications — are not confirmed in the available record.

Public Works Committee — July 21

The committee was scheduled to discuss and recommend changes to Resolution 1298, which governs various city fees. Agenda items covered pricing for incubators, net launchers, and tree removal. Recommendations from this committee would have gone to the full Council; outcomes are not yet recorded.

Personnel Committee — July 29

The committee agenda listed discussion and possible action on filling vacant positions within the City of Fairbury Electric Department, plus approval of the March 30, 2026, meeting minutes. The agenda noted the committee may have entered executive session under Section 84-1410. No personnel decisions are confirmed in the record.

Board of Health — July 29

The Board of Health agenda included a list of structures identified as unsafe at the following addresses:

• 301 W 3rd
• 304 S I
• 320 S I
• 724 4th
• 1026 6th
• 613 3rd
• 621 3rd
• 1102 6th
• 1324 Tilden

The board was also scheduled to review the rental inspection program, including the inspection checklist, a letter to landlords, and corrective actions for non-participation in rental inspections. Whether any structures were formally declared unsafe, or any corrective actions adopted, is not yet documented in published minutes.

Coming up

No upcoming meetings are listed in the next 14 days, according to the available agenda data. Residents should watch the City of Fairbury's official postings for any special-called sessions or newly scheduled committee meetings.

*Note: All items above are drawn from published agendas. When minutes become available, this roundup will be updated with confirmed votes, dollar amounts, and final actions.*

Fairbury meetings preview fees, water-plant payments, and street closures; past agendas still awaiting minutes

What happened recently

No decisions can be confirmed from the past two weeks of Fairbury meetings. The City Council, Public Works Committee, and South Jefferson Land Bank Board all met or were scheduled to meet between July 7 and July 8, but minutes have not yet been published for any of those sessions. Only agendas are available, so the items below describe what was scheduled for consideration — not what was voted on or approved.

City Council and Public Works Committee — July 7

The City Council and Public Works Committee had overlapping agendas for July 7. Both were set to review several Public Works recommendations, including:

• Wastewater treatment plant roof replacement.
• Street closure on D Street (5th to 6th) for an August 15 event associated with Hometown Beginnings Childcare.
• Tin replacement for the building at 117 W 3rd Street.
• A service agreement with Ozcobot, LLC.
• A pole attachment agreement with Jefferson County.

The City Council agenda also listed discussion of moving maturing CD funds into a new investment account. Because minutes are not yet published, no vote tallies, dollar amounts, or outcomes are available for any of these items.

Landbank Committee — July 8

The South Jefferson Land Bank Board was scheduled to consider conveying two properties at 307 and 311 7th Street in Fairbury. The agenda also listed Earned Credit Acquisition Program applications for two properties filed by Jason Berkenmeier:

• 1014 A Street.
• 1006 4th Street.

Routine consent items on the agenda included approval of May 2026 minutes and approval of monthly reports and claims. Again, minutes are not yet published, so no outcomes can be reported.

Coming up — July 21

The Fairbury City Council meets Tuesday, July 21, with several consequential items on the agenda. The council is scheduled to approve minutes from the July 7 meeting and consider appointing Teresa Sammartano to the public library board.

Scheduled action items include:

• **Resolution 1336** — amending Resolution 1298 to levy and assess various fees, bonds, or deposits.
• **Ordinance 3143** — amending municipal code § 35.30 regarding bidding requirements.
• **Pay application #1 to Vessco, Inc** for the water treatment plant project.
• **Pay application #1 to IES** for the high service pump station line relocation.
• **Hullabalooza Event** — approval of the 2nd annual event at Conrad Park on September 12, 2026, including use of the band shelter, street closures on D Street, and utilities.

The Public Works Committee also meets July 21 to discuss and recommend changes to Resolution 1298. Items on that agenda include recommendations on incubator pricing, net launcher fees, and tree removal fees.

Residents who want to see how any of these items are resolved should attend the July 21 meetings or watch for the official minutes to be published afterward.

Fairbury boards set infrastructure repairs, property conveyances, and budget review on July agendas

Fairbury's city boards lined up a slate of infrastructure repairs, property transfers, and a new fiscal-year budget review across meetings held July 1–8. Because minutes have not yet been published for any of these sessions, the items below reflect what each body placed on its agenda, not confirmed outcomes or vote tallies.

City Council — July 7

The City Council agenda centered on Public Works recommendations and a possible change to city investments. Listed items include a wastewater treatment plant roof replacement, a street closure on D Street between 5th and 6th for an August 15 event, tin replacement for the building at 117 W 3rd Street, a service agreement with Ozcobot, LLC, and a pole attachment agreement with Jefferson County. The council also planned to discuss moving maturing CD funds into a new investment account. No dollar amounts or vote tallies appear in the agenda materials.

Public Works Committee — July 7

The Public Works Committee took up the same infrastructure items ahead of the council, with a recommendation role. Items listed: the D Street street closure for a Hometown Beginnings Childcare event, roof replacement at 117 W 3rd Street, the pole attachment agreement with Jefferson County, the service agreement with Ozcobot, LLC, and the wastewater treatment plant roof replacement. The committee's recommendations would then go to the full council.

Landbank Committee — July 8

The South Jefferson Land Bank Board agenda included a vote on conveying two properties at 307 and 311 7th Street, Fairbury. The board also planned to review two Earned Credit Acquisition Program applications submitted by Jason Berkenmeier — one for 1014 A Street and one for 1006 4th Street. Routine consent items listed were approval of the May 2026 minutes and approval of monthly reports and claims.

City Library Board — July 1

The Library Board agenda called for a review of the proposed 2026-2027 budget, approval of previous minutes and financial expenditures, and consideration of appointing Teresa Sammartano to the board. No budget figures were included in the available agenda summary.

What this means for residents

The wastewater plant and 117 W 3rd Street roof items point to upkeep of city-owned buildings, which can affect maintenance spending and service continuity. The D Street closure, if approved, would temporarily restrict traffic for the August 15 childcare event. The land bank's proposed conveyances and credit applications could return vacant or tax-delinquent properties to private use. The library's budget review begins the public process for funding services in the next fiscal year.

Coming up

No upcoming meetings are listed for the next 14 days. Residents should watch for published minutes from the July 1–8 sessions, which will confirm what was actually voted on and approved.

Fairbury boards to review budgets, property conveyances, and infrastructure repairs this week

No official actions were taken at the City Library Board’s July 1 meeting, as its minutes have not yet been published. The board met to review the proposed 2026-2027 budget and consider appointing Teresa Sammartano to the board, but no votes are recorded. This week, three city boards will hold meetings: the City Council and Public Works Committee on July 7, and the Landbank Committee on July 8.

Recent meeting

City Library Board (July 1)

The board reviewed the proposed 2026-2027 budget and discussed a potential appointment of Teresa Sammartano. The agenda did not include any action items, and minutes are pending.

Upcoming meetings

City Council (July 7)

The council will consider several Public Works recommendations:

• Replacing the wastewater treatment plant roof.
• Closing D Street between 5th and 6th streets on August 15 for an event.
• Replacing tin roofing at 117 W 3rd Street.
• Approving a service agreement with Ozcobot, LLC.
• Entering a pole attachment agreement with Jefferson County.

Public Works Committee (July 7)

The committee will discuss and recommend action on:

• Closing D Street for a Hometown Beginnings Childcare event.
• Replacing the roof at 117 W 3rd Street.
• A pole attachment agreement with Jefferson County.
• A service agreement with Ozcobot, LLC.
• Replacing the wastewater treatment plant roof.

Landbank Committee (July 8)

The South Jefferson Land Bank Board will vote on:

• Conveying properties at 307 and 311 7th Street, Fairbury.
• Earned Credit Acquisition Program applications for 1014 A Street and 1006 4th Street, both submitted by Jason Berkenmeier.
• Approving May 2026 minutes and monthly reports and claims.

Coming up

All meetings are open to the public. The City Council and Public Works Committee meet July 7; the Landbank Committee meets July 8. Check the city website for times and locations.