The Lincoln City Council held public hearings Monday on a proposal to add about 64 homes to Wilderness Heights and a two-year union contract that would raise pay for employees across city government. Neither proposal received final approval during the meeting.
The housing changes would expand areas for townhomes and smaller detached homes near South 40th Street and Wilderness Hills Boulevard. The employee agreement includes annual raises, higher overnight shift pay and scheduling changes for operations that run around the clock.
Wilderness Heights Housing Proposal
Project representative Brad Marshall said the proposed changes would extend development standards already used in other parts of Wilderness Heights. Approximately 100 townhomes have been built on the eastern side, and Marshall said that development has gone well.
The amendment would allow additional townhomes while adjusting some lots for smaller detached homes. “We have amended some of the lot areas to allow some smaller single family detached homes,” Marshall told council members.
Marshall said the changes would increase the development’s allowed housing total by about 64 units. No members of the public spoke on the proposal during Monday’s hearing.
City Employee Pay Raises
Human Resources Director Barb McIntyre presented a proposed contract with the Public Association of Government Employees covering Aug. 13, 2026, through Aug. 31, 2028. The agreement includes a 3.5% wage increase in the first year and a 3% increase in the second.
McIntyre said the negotiations reflected cooperation between the city and the union. “This union and the city worked really collaboratively on this one, and I think it shows up in the contract,” she said.
The bargaining unit includes employees throughout city government, with its largest concentrations in Lincoln Transportation and Utilities and Parks and Recreation. Councilwoman Sändra Washington praised the attention given to recognizing employees’ actual work schedules in the agreement.
Overnight Pay and Scheduling Changes
The proposed contract would increase the overnight shift differential from 90 cents to $1.25. McIntyre said the change recognizes the difficulty of filling those positions.
The agreement also updates language that previously recognized only eight- and 10-hour shifts. McIntyre said employees in water and wastewater operations work a variety of schedules, including 11- and 12-hour shifts, to maintain continuous service.
Under the proposed language, holiday hours would match an employee’s regularly scheduled shift. The contract also updates provisions for emergency operations, which can require employees to work 12-hour schedules.
McIntyre said the changes were intended to better reflect how city services operate. “We all came to the table with the mindset of, how do we make this work? How do we recognize those operations?” she said.