The Callaway Village Board heard an update on a new housing project for the community during the board’s June 10 meeting. TJ Elliott and Justin Mason will be developing property to build 6-8 new homes on the east edge of Callaway.

Village Board Chairman Mark Kimball explained that the project is in the early stages of development, and Elliott and Mason were seeking confirmation from the board that the Village would provide power, sewer, and water to the site.

The board approved a downtown improvement project as well, agreeing to help fund a new sidewalk from the alley on the north side of the grocery store all the way east, then south to the end of the block. Several of the community’s businesses will benefit from the project, including Callaway Market, the former Masonic Temple now being converted into office space, and Raindance Irrigation.

“The city is paying half of the cost and the business owners are paying the other half,” Kimball explained. “The city actually owns half of it anyway, and we will be using LB840 money.”

Discussion was held by the board at previous meetings on replacing the tin on the city’s library, and at the June 10 meeting a bid for that project was approved. The cost will be just over $70,000.

A bid was also approved to replace the playground's surfacing at Morgan Park. A big chunk of the funds for the playground improvement is being provided for grants applied for by Economic Developer Kacee Hrupek.

“She’s been doing a good job for us. She got new picnic tables as well,” Kimball said of Hrupek.

The new swimming pool was also a topic of discussion. At the heart of that conversation is the rates for non-residents versus residents for use of the pool. “Why should the citizens of our community have to pay to swim in that pool when they are paying for it anyway, and let everybody else in for a little of nothing,” Kimball shared. “My concern is, how do we keep track of that? We have a daily log.”

The final item on the board’s agenda concerns unkept and vacant properties within the Village. “We are like every other community and starting down that rabbit hole, looking at hiring an abatement company. It’s going to be a long process, and it’s going to get expensive,” said Kimball.

The Callaway Village Board meets the second Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Village Office.