Pawnee City Earns Designation as Nebraska’s 30th Leadership Certified Community for Housing, Infrastructure Initiatives

The Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) has recognized the City of Pawnee City (pop. 835) for strategic efforts to initiate street improvements and a homebuyer assistance program. DED’s Southeast Nebraska Development Consultant Dave Honz presented the city with its first designation in the Leadership Certified Community (LCC) program on Monday, April 13th.

Pawnee City is Nebraska’s 30th community to earn membership in the LCC program, which was established by DED in 2011. The program encourages local leaders to adapt to changes in economic development; provide support for new and expanding businesses; and prioritize childcare, housing, and workforce development projects. LCCs must demonstrate preparedness in strategic planning and display readiness in technological development by marketing their communities online. Qualifying LCCs gain status in the program for five years and are required to maintain community websites to highlight local opportunities for growth.

Members of the Pawnee City Development Corporation (PCDC) partnered with city leaders, Southeast Nebraska Development District (SENDD), and Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) to solidify a strategic plan for economic and housing development. The city’s “Vision 2030” initiative includes a down payment housing assistance program through a $60,000, zero percent interest loan for homeowners. Qualified participants may utilize the program for as long as they own and live in their homes.

The Pawnee City Community Foundation helped secure $640,000 from the Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust Fund (NAHTF) program, which is assisting in the construction of three new homes. The community also has prioritized development on 17 additional residential lots.

Pawnee City’s longstanding LB840 program has created further opportunities for economic growth. Nebraska’s Local Option Municipal Economic Development Act allows voters to appropriate a portion of local sales tax revenue for new development, including business recruitment and expansion efforts, new housing opportunities, and infrastructure development. Pawnee City voters enacted the LB840 program in 2001 and renewed the program in 2016.

The community successfully secured assistance through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. Pawnee City received $480,000 in funding from the CDBG-Public Works program in 2024 to develop drainage solutions in coordination with a street improvement project. DED announced an additional $53,000 award from the CDBG-Planning program in 2025, which will assist in updating Pawnee City’s comprehensive plan. Pawnee City also successfully applied for Civic and Community Center Financing Funds, receiving a $75,000 award in 2022 to renovate the interior of the Cornerstone Building for use as a community center.

Pawnee City business leader and PCDC member Mike Habegger said the organization’s co-economic developers are consistently working to create partnerships to facilitate community growth.

“PCDC is proud of Jessica Colo and Josie Friedly, who have been instrumental in strategic planning to set long-term development goals,” said Habegger. “Both have focused on building strong relationships with our economic partners and Pawnee City residents, which helped determine priorities for street and housing improvements.”  

Local leaders are also working to encourage tourism and business succession planning with unique efforts to promote the region. The Pawnee County Promotional Network (PCPN) leads tourism development efforts and works closely with the Pawnee City Historical Society to attract visitors of all ages. PCPN provided a significant donation to a nonprofit organization, Sunrise Publications Journalism Trust (SPJT), which was created to ensure that The Pawnee Republican newspaper continued print operations following its owners’ retirement in 2025.

For additional information about the Leadership Certified Community (LCC) Program, contact Kelly Gewecke at kelly.gewecke@nebraska.gov or 308-627-3151, or visit https://opportunity.nebraska.gov/programs/community/lcc/.