The city of Fairbury is moving forward on a plan to bring in state funds to improve the physical and visual quality of some local buildings - after failing to gain approval for that application a year ago.

Seeking a formal way to help local residents improve the quality and value of their homes, on Tuesday night the Fairbury city council approved a plan to apply for a housing rehabilitation program offered through the Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust Fund (NAHTF). Managed by the Southeast Nebraska Development District (SENDD), the program is called the Owner-Occupied Housing Rehabilitation Program.

If the city's bid is successful, the program would give eligible homeowners up to $40,000 to make structural, mechanical, and other physical improvements to their residence, and financial assistance typically ranges between $10,000 to $35,000.

Applicants at or below 120% of the median household income of Jefferson County, adjusted for family size, may be eligible, according to a pamphlet from SENDD. That means the maximum income for a family of four to be eligible for this program is $108,375, while the limit for a single person is $75,900, according to the document. Those figures have changed from last year and are subject to change again in 2026. 

"You have to put in a matching amount. Last year we did 10%, and we did not get approved, so this year we're going to go to 20%, because that will hopefully help get us the approval that we need," city councilmember Phil Rogge outlined. 

The city’s proposed 20% match would cover $115,600 out of a requested total of $578,000 that would be earmarked for these renovations. Rogge estimated that funding would help cover repair and maintenance costs for around 12 houses. 

Elsewhere, after some discussion, the council also accepted Fairbury resident Shirley Bender’s request to own four dogs, an exception to a city ordinance that sets the lawful limit for dogs in a household at three. That limit was set years ago when Bender held a seat on the council herself.

"They came with the arbitrary amount of dogs, and we were told we could have someone come and [petition to] waive that at a council meeting if we chose to," Bender said, flashing a photo of her three current mini Australian Shepherds wearing matching pajamas. She said she raised four kids, two boys and two girls, and now wants to raise four dogs to match.

The discussion was largely between Brad Kuzelka and Jaime McDaniel and concerned whether the council would be setting a precedent that other petitioners could follow should the body permit Bender to get a fourth dog, even though the current ordinance sets the limit at three and requires a property owner to possess at least an acre of land.

Ultimately, the council approved the request and kept the current procedure in place: residents are allowed to come to a council meeting and formally petition the body for an exemption to this - or any other - existing ordinance, and the council will consider whether to accept that proposal on a case-by-case basis.

And to lessen the impact of rising health insurance premium costs, the council also unanimously approved a proposal from Tim Polson and the finance committee to switch providers from Blue Cross Blue Shield to Medica.