NEBRASKA CITY – Nebraska City commissioners will be asked to pay a “premium” price for the 2022 asphalt overlay and approve new pickleball courts at Steinhart Park at their March 21 meeting at city hall.

The agenda for the 6 p.m. meeting includes the annual Arbor Day fly in breakfast, equipment reserve fund and utilizing town halls for American Recovery Plant Act funds.

The city approved funds for the asphalt overlay last year, but only contractor bid the project and that came in $136,000 higher than estimated.

City Administrator Lou Leone explained that the Centennial Avenue project includes more curb and guttering than expected, as did portions of 13th and 14th streets.

 The city engineer estimated the projects to cost $337,000, but Leone said prices are driven up by labor and material shortages.

However, he said, the engineering work on a proposed 11th Street improvement is $76,000 less than expected.

He said  those savings will help finance the asphalt overlay.

Nebraska City Tourism and Commerce is requesting to seek donations to cover the estimated construction costs for two pickle ball courts at $55,000.

Two pickleball courts are proposed for Steinhart Park.

The Nebraska City Jaycees are planning the fireworks show on Saturday, July 2, with a rain date of July 3.

A fundraiser road block is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 11, at 10th Street and Central Avenue.

The fly-in breakfast is scheduled at the airport hangar from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on May 1.

The city council created an equipment reserve in November of 2021 with a target of 35 percent of the unrestricted surplus.

City commissioners will be asked Monday to approve the first quarter amount.