Hastings City Council Worksession - March 16, 2026

The Hastings City Council held a worksession on March 16, 2026, to receive departmental updates from the library, museum, airport, and utilities, and to issue a proclamation declaring Ag Week. No public comments were made. The meeting was adjourned at 7:19 PM.

Proclamation

• Mayor Jay Beckby proclaimed March 15-21, 2026 as Ag Week, emphasizing the importance of agriculture to Nebraska’s economy and community.

Library Department Update

• Library Director Kelly presented an overview of outreach services, including E3 bags, home delivery, and the bookmobile. Under new bookmobile librarian Katie Schroeder, the number of stops doubled in her first 30 days. In February 2025, the bookmobile had 236 visitors checking out 938 items; in February 2026, it had 595 visitors checking out 1,104 items. The library will celebrate 60 years of continuous bookmobile service on April 19, 2026. The current bookmobile is nearly 30 years old, and a replacement will be considered in future budgets.

Museum Department Update

• Museum Director Teresa Kreitzer Hodson reported 28,619 museum visitors and 13,000 theater visitors last year, with 813 memberships renewed. Educational programs served 4,760 students. Summer fun classes served 248 students, down from 300+ the prior year, which she attributed to economic uncertainty. The museum completed fire safety upgrades, roof replacement, HVAC design for the planetarium, and a contract for compact storage. The Kool-Aid exhibit opened. The museum is awaiting reaccreditation. Special adult programs like Art After Dark attract nearly 100 participants. The museum will celebrate its centennial in 2027.

Airport Department Update

• Airport Director Matt reported increased fuel sales and a new training agreement with Grow Aviation. Major projects include an apron reconstruction project (construction start August 31, 2026), a jet hangar out for bid, and a lighting project covering the entire airport (engineering in 2026, construction in 2027) funded by a $4 million FAA grant. The airport will host the 2027 State Fly In and Air Show on June 18-19, 2027, with several performers already booked and sponsors secured. Monthly burger feeds hosted by the Nebraska Chapter Antique Airplane Association continue on the last Saturday of each month through October.

Utilities Department Update

• Utilities Director Derek outlined measures to improve communication with the city council: utility board packets, post-meeting highlight emails, and monthly financial and production reports will be shared with the full council. Billing is performed in Texas due to lower cost; no late fees are currently charged, but a late fee policy may be introduced. A cost of service study for water and sewer may lead to tiered water rates; electric time-of-day rates are possible with smart meter deployment. Council members suggested using the blank back of the utility bill for a city event calendar; Derek agreed to explore the idea, though cost is a consideration.

Key Outcomes

• The council issued a proclamation for Ag Week.
• The utilities department will send additional communications (board packets, highlights, financial reports) to the full council moving forward.
• The utilities department will study inclusion of city event information on utility bill backs and report on feasibility.
• The airport will proceed with apron construction, jet hangar bid, and lighting design; updates to follow as bids are received.
• No formal votes were taken, as this was a worksession discussion.
• Council members offered condolences for the passing of Alton Jackson and expressed concern for those affected by Nebraska wildfires.