NOTICE OF MEETING

 

Otoe County Courthouse

Nebraska City NE  68410

 

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Regular meeting of the Otoe County Commissioners of Otoe County, Nebraska, will be held at 8:30 A.M. on April 10, 2007, in the County Courtroom (108) of the Otoe County Courthouse at Nebraska City.  The meeting will be open to the public.  An agenda for such meeting is kept continuously current, and is available for public inspection at the office of the County Clerk at the Courthouse, but the agenda may be modified at such meetings to include items of an emergency nature only.

                 

                   

 AGENDA OF THE NEXT MEETING                                       April 10, 2007

 

 8:30 a.m. -- Open Meeting, Call roll, Accept agenda, Accept minutes from previous  

                                meeting, Audit and Sign payroll and regular claims

 

8:55 a.m. – Andrea Walters, Assessor: Approval/Disapproval for tax list corrections

 

9:00 a.m. – Discussion and/or action RE: Road and Bridge matters

a)      Discussion and/or action RE: Compaction tools for culvert installations

b)      Discussion and/or action RE: Otoe County property surveyed by County Surveyor

c)      Discussion and/or action RE: Purchase of motor grader blades

d)      Discussion and/or action RE: Soliciting bids for steel and bridge planks

e)      Discussion and/or action RE: Ordering culverts for summer projects

f)        Discussion and/or action RE: Mailbox structures in County ROW

g)      Discussion and/or action RE: Transportation route for OPPD Generator

h)      Discussion: Budget matters

i)        Discussion and/or action RE: Miscellaneous

 

10:15 a.m. – Pat Haverty, RCEDC: Quarterly report

 

10:30 a.m. –Joe Miller: Discussion and/or action RE: Policy renewal for Liability Insurance

 

11:30 a.m. – Dave Merrill, Region V Services and CJ Johnson, Region V Systems: Annual report and budget

                      requests

 

            Other business matters to address when time allows:

               Jackie Smith, Treasurer: Tax refunds

               Discussion and/or action RE: Written request for National Day of Prayer

               Marv Pesek: Discussion and/or action RE: GA applications/cases

   Miscellaneous Correspondence and other matters that may come before the Board

 

                                                                                                           

 

Janene Bennett, Otoe County Clerk  

 

 

 

 

 

The County Board reserves the right to go into executive session when they deem it necessary.

 

Individuals requiring physical or sensory accommodations, including interpreter service, Braille, large print or recorded materials, please contact Janene Bennett, County Clerk, Otoe County Courthouse, P O Box 249, Nebraska City, NE 68410, (402) 873-9505), no later than 12:00 noon the day before the meeting.

 

 

APRIL 10, 2007

 

The Otoe County Board of Commissioners convened in regular session at 8:30 a.m. on April 10, 2007 to audit and sign payroll claims and regular claims and to take care of such other matters as are on the agenda for this meeting.  This meeting was open to the Public, and the agenda was kept current, and is on file for public inspection at the office of the Otoe County Clerk during regular business hours.

 

The meeting was called to order by the Chairman of the Board Joy W Schroder. Answering present at roll call were Commissioner Schroder, Commissioner Thummel and Commissioner Haverty.

 

Commissioner Haverty made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Thummel to accept the agenda as posted. Voting -- Commissioners Schroder, aye; Thummel, aye; Haverty, aye. Motion carried.

 

Commissioner Haverty made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Thummel to accept the minutes from the previous meeting as mailed to them and not have them read. Voting – Commissioners Thummel, aye; Haverty, aye; Schroder, aye. Motion carried.

 

Commissioner Haverty made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Thummel to audit and sign payroll claims and regular claims as presented, unless otherwise noted. Voting – Commissioners Haverty, aye; Schroder, aye; Thummel, aye. Motion carried.

 

Chairman Schroder informed the pubic in attendance that a current copy of the Open Meetings Act is posted on the south wall of the Courtroom.  Additional copies are available upon request. He asked that all attendees turn off their cell phones while present in the meeting room.

 

Andrea Walters, County Assessor, presented the following tax list corrections: 1) OPPD – deduct $645.00 - in lieu of tax payment; 2) James & Marguerite Amerine – add $46.80 – 1 acre roadway in Valley View Subdivision was deleted in error; 3) James & Marguerite – add $70.66 – road in Foxx Creek Estates Subdivision was deleted in error. Commissioner Haverty made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Thummel to approve the tax list corrections as presented. Voting -- Commissioners Schroder, aye; Thummel, aye; Haverty, aye. Motion carried. 

 

Glen Steffensmeier, Highway Superintendent and Road and Bridge Foremen, Wally Pohlman and Lynn Denniston came before the Board to discuss road and bridge matters.

 

Steffensmeier said he thought it would be beneficial for the County to purchase a compaction tool to tamp in dirt to refill holes where tubes are laid. Denniston said it would also be useful when installing bridge piling. There are many versions - gas powered, electric powered or hydraulic. The Board directed Steffensmeier to check on prices and decide which form of power tool best fits their needs.

 

Steffensmeier asked the County Surveyor to survey the area where the Road Shop is located in the Village of Otoe. The property is long and narrow and lies between vacated Missouri Pacific Railroad right-of-way and an old street right-of-way. The Farmers Co-op owns adjoining property on the west side. Steffensmeier met with the Farmers Co-op Manager two weeks ago who said the Co-op was willing to grant an easement to the County if they wanted to build a new shop or they would even sell some land to the County; whatever the County would want to do. The manager said the Co-op is anticipating the property will be sold some day anyway since they recently constructed a new site on Hwy 50. Steffensmeier said the cost of a wood framed pole shed is about $20,000. The old shop either needs to be repaired, before the rafters cave in, or it needs to be replaced.

 

Last week, Steffensmeier stopped at the State Surplus Center and found 6-foot motor grader blades being offered for sale at a cost of $3.33 per linear foot. This is about half of what it would cost to purchase them from a vendor. He was told the cost of steel is predicted to increase 12% – 15% this spring. The Board directed him to look into the purchase of the blades to save some money.

 

Steffensmeier said he is putting together a list of steel products needed. If he determines that the dollar amount is going to exceed $20,000, he will advertise for bids and open them at the next meeting.

 

So far, Steffensmeier said he has received quotes from five vendors for the purchase of metal corrugated culverts. At the next meeting, he will bring a list of the various sizes needed for the projects he has planned to initiate this summer. He said he would like to lock in a price for the next two months so that he can purchase and pay for them on an “as needed” basis.

 

Steffensmeier said he has noticed several mailboxes in the County that are not installed on a break-away post. He reminded the Board that the County is held liable if a vehicle hits the structure and causes major damage to the vehicle or injury to a person since it is located in county road right-of-way. Commissioner Schroder said he was sure a policy was adopted that specified certain criteria to follow when installing a mailbox along county right-of-way. As he recalled, a wooden post could be no larger than 4”x4” or it must be made with break-away materials. Steffensmeier said the Board needs to be consistent in enforcing the policy. He will check the book of Resolutions to find a copy of the policy.

 

Ruth Dalton asked if the County ever adopted a written policy to enforce state statutes regarding a landowner’s responsibility to keep trees/brush cleaned out of road right-of-way. Commissioner Schroder said there has been much discussion over the years and Bob Fleming was working on a policy, but nothing was ever officially adopted.

 

Steffensmeier said OPPD was supposed to have contacted him to finalize the route they plan to take when transporting the new generator to the OPPD site southeast of Nebraska City; however, he hasn’t heard from them yet. As far as he knows, they still intend to ship it within the next two weeks. They don’t plan to travel on any gravel roads in Otoe County, just down Hwy 75 and the OPPD Hwy.

 

Steffensmeier recommended that his foremen be allowed to attend an informational meeting sponsored by Digger’s Hotline being held at noon on April 26th at the Eagles Club in Nebraska City. Anyone involved with excavation activities in the State of Nebraska is invited to attend.

 

When Centennial Avenue was relinquished to the County many years ago we assumed responsibility for its maintenance. The north end, where it intersects with Business Hwy 75 (G Rd), is in very poor condition. Steffensmeier said he would like to remove the island and rebuild the intersection to create a safer turning radius. He projected a cost of $40,000 to $50,000. However, he plans to apply for STOP funds which are meant to be used to fix roadways with hazardous conditions.

 

Steffensmeier said there was a consignment auction coming up with Stock Realty & Auction Service in Lincoln. He suggested that the County sell its 8’x27’ trailer that is too heavy to pull with a pickup and use the money to purchase a trailer that is more versatile. The Board agreed.

 

Other business matters were addressed at this time.

 

Marv Pesek, General Assistance Administrator, said he had no General Assistance cases or applications for discussion.   

 

A letter was received from Norman Anderson, Pastor of Calvary Community Church, requesting permission to observe the National Day of Prayer on the front steps of the Courthouse by conducting a prayer service. The annual event will be held on Thursday, May 3rd, between 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. Commissioner Thummel made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Haverty to grant Pastor Anderson permission to conduct the prayer service as requested. Voting – Commissioners Thummel, aye; Haverty, aye; Schroder, aye. Motion carried.

 

Commissioner Haverty made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Schroder to issue a tax refund in the amount of $922 to Stephen Walters whose garage has been listed on two parcels for the past two years resulting in double taxation. Voting – Commissioners Haverty, aye; Schroder, aye; Thummel, aye. Motion carried.

 

Correspondence was read by the County Clerk. The County Commissioners received an invitation from the Village Board of Talmage to attend their 125th Anniversary Celebration on May 26, 2007, at 3:00 p.m.

 

Pat Haverty, Executive Director for River Country Economic Development Corporation (RCEDC), appeared before the Board to give a quarterly report of its latest activities and progress. He said he is continuing to investigate opportunities and working with potential companies associated with renewable energy, specifically ethanol and bio-diesel. He has met with Senators to discuss economic development issues and testified before the Appropriations Committee regarding the Building Entrepreneur Capabilities Act (BECA). Grant money has been made available to provide training sessions for individuals who are looking for business opportunities or for those who already have an idea, but just need direction on how to proceed. The first training session was held on April 9th in Nebraska City. Another one is scheduled in Auburn in May; then one in Tecumseh this fall.

 

Joe Miller, Insurance Agent for the County’s Property and Liability Policy, presented a chart comparing premium cost for policy year 2006 with policy year 2007. All areas have either remained constant or decreased except for the portion charged to Workman’s Compensation. Due to several claims turned in for injuries occurring while on the job, the experience modification increased causing the premium to increase. In an attempt to reduce the chances for injury, the insurance company will be offering safety meetings to all county employees. The agenda includes topics on productivity and down time, loss control, and the importance of implementing safety measures. These meetings will be held during working hours so that every employee will have an opportunity to attend.

 

At 10:45 a.m. Chairman Schroder called for a 30 minutes recess. The meeting will reconvene at 11:15 a.m.

 

Annual reports were given by representatives of the Region V Systems and Region V Services. C. J. Johnson, Regional Administrator for Region V Systems, said he is responsible for appropriating federal, state and county dollars for purchasing mental health and substance abuse services in southeastern Nebraska. He focused on two of the programs offered. The Rental Assistance Program is designed to help individuals who are low income and have mental behavioral problems. This money can be used to pay utility bills as well as rent. Another program that was recently implemented is the Rural Crisis Response Team. When law enforcement is called to a situation where an individual threatens to harm himself or others, the arresting officer now can call an 800 hotline. A dispatcher will send out a therapist who will determine whether this person should be sent to the Crisis Center or a hospital for Emergency Protective Care (EPC). Previously, the officer had to make this decision. If the Crisis Center is full, most patients are sent to Bryan Hospital in Lincoln. Johnson said when the County receives a bill from the hospital, the bill should be sent to him and he will work with the hospital to negotiate a reduced fee. The bill will then be forwarded to the county attorney to see if he agrees with the negotiated cost.  Johnson said the budget request will remain the same as the previous year.

 

Dave Merrill, Executive Director for Region V Services, said their mission is to provide assistance to those with developmental disabilities. Region V currently employs 783 people who serve 800 clients in the sixteen southeast counties of Nebraska. He is making the same budget request as last year.

 

Merrill introduced Leon Schiermeyer, who is in charge of the Nebraska City office. Schiermeyer said services for people with disabilities began in Nebraska City in 1958 when a group of parents formed a school for their disabled children to receive an education.  After LB403 was adopted, education became mandatory regardless of ability and their attention then was geared to other services. Region V took over in 1973 and now owns several group homes in the area as well as the workshop where they earn money while manufacturing tool bags for the military. Some clients help to prepare meals that are served to the inmates in the county detention center. Others are employed by various local businesses.

 

There being no further business to come before the Board at this time, and since all items on the agenda have been disposed of, Commissioner Haverty made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Thummel to declare this meeting adjourned, until the next one, which will be on April 24, 2007.

 

I, Janene Bennett, County Clerk for Otoe County, do hereby certify that the above minutes were taken by me, and are true and correct to the best of my knowledge, and I therefore set my hand and affix my seal this 10th day of April 2007.

 

 

Janene Bennett

Otoe County Clerk