Seward Public Schools will officially lease the Plum Creek Memorial Field, also known as Legion Field, from the city for $1 per year until 2055.
The Seward City Council on Nov. 18 approved the lease after the Seward School Board approved the plan at its Nov. 10 meeting.
The long-term lease allows the school district to utilize, maintain and improve the field to best suit its school-year baseball and softball needs in conjunction with the American Legion Baseball program that uses the field in the summer months.
Until recently, the city was believed to be the only Nebraska municipality running a Legion baseball program. But the local American Legion has resumed coordination of that program.
At an earlier council meeting, City Administrator Greg Butcher told the council that leasing the field to the schools would allow the city to focus on other park features, like accessibility, restrooms, concession stands and other ballfields, noting that parks and trailheads need those facilities, too.
The city’s athletic focus would remain the facilities used for recreational and development level programs.
Also at the Nov. 18 meeting, the council confirmed two- and three-year appointments to eight municipal boards or commissions. Those appointments are:
• Cemetery Board, three-year terms: Gerald “Jerry” Meyer and Clark Koehler reappointed.
• Tree Board, three-year terms: Larry Goldsmith and Thomas Suhr, reappointed.
• Planning Commission, three-year terms: Ronald Wallman and Traci Menke reappointed.
• Civic Center Commission, three-year term: Mark Kolterman reappointed.
• Citizens Advisory Review Committee, three-year term: Curt Sherman and Stan Obermueller reappointed.
• Park and Recreation Board, three-year terms: Amy Harms, Jim Placke and Brett Wobken reappointed.
• Rail Campus Review Committee, two-year terms: Jonathan Jank reappointed.
• LB840 Application Review Board, three-year terms: Megan Kahler and Karl Miller reappointed.
In other action the council:
• Approved after a public hearing at which no one opposed plans for a house-moving permit for Chad Wythers.
• Approved after a public hearing at which no one opposed plans for the preliminary and final plat of Prairie View 1st Addition.
• Approved an agreement for electric utility relocation for the Nebraska Department of Roads work on the East Hillcrest Bridge project.
• Approved a $26,500 agreement with JEO Consulting Group, Inc., for water system field data collection.
• Designated City Engineer Mike Oneby as city street superintendent for the Nebraska Department of Transportation programming requirements and incentive payments.
