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City of Lincoln
Lincoln Council reviews police vehicle purchase, summer events and
road projects
[May 28, 2026]
All members of the Lincoln City
Council were present for the Committee of the Whole meeting held May
26 at Lincoln’s City Hall. The meeting included discussion on school
resource officer agreements, multiple event permit requests, the
purchase of new police vehicles and continued conversation regarding
upcoming traffic changes on North Elm Street.
The meeting opened with no public participation before council
members reviewed two Economic Development Commission grant
recommendations. The first grant request came from Brady’s Rentals
and Properties LLC for window replacements, a door replacement and
roof repairs at 725 Woodlawn Road. The second request involved Levi
Curry Storage Rentals at 800 Burlington Street for door replacements
and weather-stripping repairs. Both grants requested $7,500 and were
approved by the Economic Development Commission for recommendation
earlier in May.
Lincoln Police Chief Joe Meister then presented annual school
resource officer agreements between the Lincoln Police Department
and both Lincoln Elementary School District 27 and Lincoln Community
High School District. Meister explained the agreements provide one
full-time officer for each school district, with the districts each
contributing approximately $47,000 toward salary and benefits.
“This contract has been a longstanding contract we do annually with
District 27,” Meister said. “The only change to the documents this
year is an increase in the amount that the school pays the city for
the officer's position.”
Council members asked questions regarding overtime costs, officer
assignments during summer months and the structure of the
agreements. Meister explained that school resource officers return
to patrol assignments when school is not in session and that
overtime costs are generally tied to emergencies such as threats of
violence.
The council reviewed a revised route request for the Lincoln Park
District’s Aug. 29 5K run. Peggy Bateman explained the updated route
was designed to avoid the busy intersection near Kickapoo and Wyatt
avenues following consultation with Meister.
Several permit requests were then discussed and placed on the
consent agenda, including requests for a Lincoln Public Library
District bluegrass event scheduled for June 13, a Juneteenth
celebration planned for June 19 and the city’s upcoming Fourth of
July parade celebrating Lincoln’s 250th anniversary.
Discussion surrounding the Juneteenth celebration focused on
temporary street closures near Latham Park. Meister explained
organizers agreed to slightly shorten the requested closure period
because the event falls on the same day as Third Friday activities
downtown.
“The event set up and tear down for the food trucks for all that
stuff, that's going to take some time,” Meister said. “If the
streets remained open when they tried to do that, I think it would
create likely a dangerous situation.”
Mayor Tracy Welch and Peggy Bateman also discussed plans for the
city’s Fourth of July parade, which will follow the same route as
the annual Christmas parade. Welch said the parade idea originated
from community members interested in coordinating local patriotic
celebrations.
“We were asked last year to hold
such an event and partner with other organizations in the
community,” Welch said.
Another major discussion item involved the purchase of five new
police vehicles to replace aging 2017 Dodge Durangos currently used
by the police department. Meister strongly criticized the Durangos
during discussion, calling them “the worst police vehicle that has
ever been made” due to ongoing maintenance issues.
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Meister explained
that the department follows a three-year fleet replacement cycle
and said maintaining newer vehicles improves officer safety,
reliability and recruitment efforts. The new vehicles would be
purchased through the state bid process at approximately $61,296
per vehicle, totaling roughly $306,480. Existing radios and
in-car camera systems would be transferred into new vehicles to
reduce costs.
Street Superintendent Walt Landers
said his department could make use of one of the retired pickup
trucks currently owned by the police department instead of
purchasing a brand-new vehicle.
“It makes sense to take an old or used truck and put it into
operations for us,” Landers said.
Announcements later in the meeting focused heavily on safety
concerns surrounding the ongoing Fifth Street Road construction
project. Welch urged residents to stay away from the construction
zone after reports of drivers bypassing barricades by traveling
through fields and construction areas.
“We don't want anybody getting hurt,” Welch said. “We just want to
get the project complete so everybody can have a nice new road.”
Landers explained that some barricades
must remain partially accessible for construction traffic and nearby
property owners, but warned drivers entering the area could damage
paving work or create dangerous situations for workers. Meister
added that violations could result in citations exceeding $164 after
court costs and fees.
Council members also revisited upcoming North Elm Street traffic
changes. Landers said new directional and stop signs would need to
be ordered before work could begin and estimated the project would
take more than one day to complete. Meister said police officers
would focus primarily on educating drivers during the transition
period.
“I think education first and go from there,” Meister said.
Additional announcements included upcoming mosquito abatement
spraying.
“We plan on starting this week,” Landers said. “Typically, we do
that on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. when the
mosquitoes are active.”
Chuck Conzo also promoted the Humane Society of Logan County’s
upcoming garage sale fundraiser scheduled for June 4 through June 6
at the Logan County Fairgrounds, while Alderman Sam Downs encouraged
residents to participate in the Lincoln Fire Department Union’s
second annual 5K fundraiser planned for June 20.
Mayor Tracy Welch additionally shared updates regarding the Route 66
museum project, announcing that a new Route 66-themed sign would be
installed on the building and that the museum’s soft opening to the
public was scheduled for June 1, with a larger grand opening planned
for July.
Council members also discussed plans to relocate the city’s covered
wagon display from its current location near the bowling alley to
the downtown welcome park area near Kickapoo Street as part of
ongoing tourism and beautification efforts.
[Sophia Larimore]
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