By Allison Peck | Sandhills Post
Listen to the full interview with Ogallala City Manager Kevin Wilkins on our Kubota Podcast
Ogallala City Council Approves Board Appointments, Infrastructure Plans, and Airport Updates
OGALLALA — The Ogallala City Council kicked off 2026 by approving appointments to multiple city boards, discussing ongoing infrastructure projects, and reviewing plans for airport improvements at Monday night’s meeting.
City Manager Kevin Wilkins highlighted several new board appointments, including the city’s newly formed Historic Preservation Commission.
“Ogallala is now one of 12 certified local governments with the Nebraska Historic Preservation Commission,” Wilkins said. Barb Jeffries was appointed to a two-year term, and Cody Quinn will serve three years.
The commission plans to meet January 27, with Nebraska State Historical Preservation Director Kelly Bacon attending to discuss potential updates to the Historic Overlay at Ogallala Middle School.
Additional appointments included Ray Diaz and Jordan Namath to three-year terms on the Planning and Zoning Commission and Richard Kester to the Tree Board. Wilkins encouraged residents interested in trees to apply for the remaining openings.
The council also reviewed updates from the Ogallala YMCA, which has seen growing participation in programs and the city’s pool. Wilkins said the pool’s attendance has “probably tripled” under new management.
“If you’re going to spend the money, you want to see people using it,” he said. Officials are exploring the possibility of forming a local swim team and expanding youth programming.
Infrastructure needs were also a major topic, including the cost of repairs following a lift station failure on the south side of town. Wilkins explained that the pumps were “probably undersized for the job” and that both failed simultaneously, leading to an emergency discharge of wastewater into a contained area of the river.
He added, “Fortunately, there was a valve on it, so we got that fixed,” and the city expects the repairs to cost about $200,000.
At the airport, council members approved issuing a request for proposals for a fixed-base operator at Serial Field. Wilkins said the goal is to increase aviation-related business and streamline fuel sales.
“We would really just like to have more activity at that airport,” he said. Plans include $8 million in runway improvements and additional hangar capacity.
The council also discussed long-term street and drainage projects, including a proposed half-cent infrastructure sales tax aimed at funding repairs while reducing property tax burdens.
Wilkins said, “Once a lot of your costs are in mobilizing and engineering, you can get some efficiencies. That’s the kind of momentum we need within the community.”
City officials plan to implement online permitting through the Planning and Building Department by February 9 to streamline applications for residents and businesses.
Wilkins concluded, “We’re just going to keep rocking and rolling in the City of Ogallala.”