Columbus, Nebraska

million into repurposing the structure. Columbus has also invested in an early childhood education facility run through the school system. Currently, fiber internet is available to businesses and about two months ago a company started laying fiber for homes throughout the community. In the next 18 months, any property in Columbus will have access to fiber. The city has also hired a Parks and Recreation Coordinator who is busy hosting events in the park downtown for all ages and promoting the expansive network of walking and bike trails. In testament to its tagline, City of Power and Progress, Columbus is investing in green energy with multiple electric vehicle charging stations throughout the city. The new city hall will have a solar array on the roof to power the building and they are looking into many other solar projects, like a solar farm north of town to offset the electricity costs of their water and sewer utilities. A major expansion of the wastewater treatment plant was just finished, after four years and an investment of nearly $40 million. Vasicek exclaims, “It’s a big deal that’s really important for our businesses because we are pretty heavy on the commercial and manufacturing side, but also to our growing community. Now we have the capacity to grow and the wastewater treatment is not a limiting factor, and it won’t be for a long time. Most communities really can’t say that.” Stormwater management has become an additional utility in Columbus in the last few years after a federal mandate and work is being done to build regional stormwater systems to lessen the cost burden on development. Vasicek notes, “Our utility funds are extremely healthy. I believe we manage them very well. For any company that looks at Columbus, that would never be a worry here – water production, water quality. It’s a big asset for us for business attraction and retention.” COLUMBUS , NEBRASKA In the next few years, both Vasicek and Bulkley hope to keep people excited about all of the improvements in the community, and the city plans to keep investing in and improving all the amenities. Vasicek says, “We want to make sure that Columbus is a really easy place to live for families and we don’t want housing to be a barrier, we don’t want childcare to be a barrier, we don’t want a place of employment to be a barrier... I hope in three to five years we’re in a place where we’re really healthy in all of those ways.”