After conversations with staff in U.S. Rep. Mike Flood’s office, Seward County is reapplying for federal funding to complete paving on 420th Road.
Seward County commissioners approved a letter of support for the Seward County Roads Department to submit with its application for the next round of Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS), as well as letters supporting Utica and Staplehurst grant applications for water infrastructure improvements.
In 2025, Seward County and several area communities had expected CDS funding, which is sometimes referred to as earmarks, but the Senate Appropriations Committee’s CDS requests were eliminated in the budgeting process.
But in February, Seward County got $1 million after applying for an allocation exceeding $3 million to complete the 420th Road paving project – a 5.5-mile stretch that connects Interstate 80 and Highway 34. It had received $3 million in 2024 for pre-paving engineering, planning and work.
The county has been anxious to complete the paving process with so much invested in the road to date. That gravel road now sees heavy use by agricultural, delivery, school and general traffic.
The commissioners’ letter indicates the project is well positioned for federal partnership and notes that to complete the road with local funds, it would have to allocate nearly 40% of the county’s annual budget, halting all other maintenance and repairs for roads.
“Additional federal investment will leverage this prior commitment and deliver immediate, measurable benefits in safety, economic efficiency and rural connectivity,” the commissioners’ letter said.
The county had anticipated an additional CDS allocation of $3 million in 2025 to complete the project, but the budget cuts eliminated projects for Seward County, Milford, Staplehurst and Malcolm, as well as others across Nebraska and the country.
County Board Chair Misty Ahmic said last year’s exclusion of several Seward County area and statewide projects was the only time the funding program has been cut like that.
Those 2025 cuts included $3 million allocation for Milford’s water treatment project, $920,000 for Malcolm’s water main replacement and $620,000 for Staplehurst’s well construction and transmission lines.
“I had a really good discussion with Mike Flood’s office recently,” she said after the commissioners’ meeting. “I do think we will get the rest of the funds.”
She said Flood’s staff indicated the representative is focusing on projects that are in the works and “moving projects to the finish line.”
Ahmic said she also talked to staff in Sen. Deb Fischer’s office about the allocations.
She and Commissioner Raegan Hain have worked with county villages, as well as the roads department, to seek the needed funding on these projects.
“I am optimistic, very optimistic,” Ahmic said.
Both villages are in Hain’s District 5.
She said Staplehurst had previously secured funding for a water tower, which is in progress, but needs another $2 million to update water infrastructure, which includes a water treatment facility and well, for the village.
The commissioners’ letter notes that the community, like other small towns, is dealing with failing water infrastructures and has identified elevated levels of nitrates and arsenic in the water, both known health risks.
If the village cannot make improvements, the water may exceed regulator safety limits in the future.
The village has committed to fund the required match that comes with a federal grant through bonds.
The commissioners’ letter on behalf of Utica cites deteriorating cast iron watermains and the presence of lead gooseneck service lines that need to be replaced. The age and deterioration of these have caused issues including water discoloration, diminished water quality and long-term wear on residents’ appliances.
The letter also noted that the use of lead connections in the service lines could pose a health risk in the community, even though its presence is limited.
Commissioners noted that Utica has upgraded nearly half of its water distribution system with previous projects, but needs federal assistance to complete the village-wide replacement of these components. That involves more than 8,500 linear feet of water mains, service lines and valves and lead gooseneck connections.
The replacement would utilize pressure-rated PVC or ductile iron piping, new hydrant assemblies and valve and service reconnections, the letter said.
Completion of the work would make the village compliant with federal drinking safety standards, reduce future water main failures, improve water reliability and extend the village’s water infrastructure’s life.
The commissioners’ letters were directed to both Flood and Fischer.
