November 3 2026
HOLDREGE, Neb. – The Central Nebraska Public Power & Irrigation Board of Directors held their monthly board meeting on Monday (Nov. 2) at district headquarters in Holdrege.
Directors went through in-depth discussion of the 2027 budget that will be voted on at the December board meeting. Staff reported on potential capital projects for the upcoming year as well as an overview of the current revenue streams.
The board discussed the operations and maintenance of the aging infrastructure across the district that needs to be addressed. Employee wage and benefits were also a topic of discussion among board members as they plan for the upcoming budget.
Also at Monday’s meeting:
- Civil Engineer Tyler Thulin reported that Lake McConaughy’s elevation was at 3,204 feet on Monday (24.5% of capacity) which is up 1.1 feet since the committee meeting on October 23. Inflows are around 760 cubic feet per second (cfs), which is well below normal but up over 100 cfs from the committee meeting. Outflows are at 0 due to an outage in the Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) system that will last through mid-November.
- Thulin reminded the board that the hydrocycling period at the J-2 Hydroplant runs until Nov. 10. A small cycle occurred over the weekend as water levels dropped at Johnson Lake and he is hopeful that is the final one before the period is completed.
- The board approved a purchase requisition for $210,957 to Apex Sand & Gravel for crushed concrete from the road construction project along I-80 near Cozad. Central is purchasing the rip-rap to be used along the supply canal.
- Directors approved a real estate agreement along the supply canal in Dawson County where Central is selling recently purchased property as part of bridge negotiations with the county. The District is acquiring 0.33 acres to assist with the updated land and shoreline plan requirements from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
- Electrical Project Operations Manager Eric Hixson reported on the recent inspection of the structures at Kingsley Dam. Sediment was found within the penstock and staff is in the early stages of determining the cause and potential fix.