(KNZA)--The Seneca City Council heard an upbeat annual report during its March 18th meeting from the Seneca Area Chamber and Downtown Impact.

Executive Director Kylee Bergstrom reported the organization hosted 19 events in 2025 and brought in more than 87-thousand dollars in grant funding. She also pointed to strong digital reach, with the Chamber’s website—launched in 2024—recording 23-thousand views last year, while its Facebook and Instagram pages generated roughly 600-thousand views. Cellphone data also showed more than 540-thousand visits to downtown Seneca in 2025.

Council members also received an update from Julie Bergman with Rainbow Communications on the company’s local fiber project. Bergman said residential upgrades are now complete as part of a 5.2-million-dollar investment in Seneca. She added that businesses will soon transition from one-gig to 10-gig service, with notifications expected late this year and into early next year.

In other action, the council approved a 50-cent per hour pay increase for lifeguards and the aquatic center manager, along with hiring 26 lifeguards for the 2026 pool season. Members also approved Matthew Sperslage as a public works employee starting at $18.75 per hour.