NOTICE OF MEETING
NOTICE
IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Regular meeting of the Otoe County Commissioners of
AGENDA OF THE NEXT MEETING
previous
meetings, audit and sign payroll claims and regular claims
2) R & M
Powers 2nd Subd requested by Richard and
Mary Powers
3) Conditional Use Permit for a Bed
& Breakfast requested by Richard and
(tabled by Planning Commission
4) Administrative Replat of
1) Discussion and/or action RE: Utility permits
2) Discussion and/or action RE: Title page for BRO-7066(37)
Unadilla North
3) Miscellaneous
Treatment
Program in
Public Hearings: To approve/disapprove
Permissive Exemptions
Public Hearing: Personal
Property Tax Protest
a)
Ray Meyer
b)
Tom Farrell
c)
Todd Drapal
d)
Kent Trelford-Thompson and/or Sue Warner
The Renovation Committee will meet
with the Board immediately following the presentation of health insurance
proposals.
Other business matters to address when time allows:
Jackie Smith, Treasurer: Tax Refund;
Discussion and/or action Re: Arbor Day Closing
Marv Pesek - Executive session to review
General Assistance cases and/or applications
Miscellaneous
Correspondence and other matters that may come before the Board
. Janene
Bennett
The Otoe County Board of Commissioners convened in regular session at
The meeting was called to order by the Chairman of the Board, Joy W Schroder. Answering present at roll call were Commissioner Schroder, Commissioner Stratker
and Commissioner Giittinger. None absent.
Commissioner Giittinger made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Stratker to accept the agenda as posted. Voting --
Commissioners Schroder, aye; Stratker,
aye; Giittinger, aye. Motion carried.
Commissioner Giittinger made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Stratker to accept the minutes from the previous meeting as
mailed to them and not have them read. Voting – Commissioners Stratker, aye; Giittinger, aye; Schroder,
aye. Motion carried.
Commissioner Giittinger made a motion, seconded by Commissioner
Schroeder to audit and sign payroll claims and regular claims unless otherwise
noted. Voting – Commissioners Giittinger, aye; Schroder,
aye; Commissioner Stratker, aye. Motion carried.
Dave Schmitz presented three subdivision plats for approval.
1)
M &
K Tincher Subdivision located in NW ¼ of the NW ¼ S34-T8-R14
as requested by Mark and Kathryn Tincher: The Tinchers purchased a 160 acre farm; they wish to subdivide
3 acres from the farm (that includes out buildings and a house) so that it can
be sold separately. The new buyer intends to level the old buildings and a build
a new house. Commissioner Stratker made a motion,
seconded by Commissioner Giittinger to authorize Chairman Schroder
to sign the plat map for M & K Subdivision located in the NW ¼ of the NW ¼
S34-T8-R14 as requested by Mark and Kathryn Tincher.
Voting – Commissioners Schroder, aye; Stratker, aye; Giittinger, aye. Motion carried.
2)
R &
M Powers 2nd Subdivision located in part of the SE ¼ of the NE ¼
S23-T9-R9 as requested by Richard L and Mary L Powers: Representing himself, Mr Powers said that he wishes to deed the 4.2 acre plot to
his daughter and family where they plan to build a new home. Commissioner Giittinger
made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Stratker to
authorize Chairman Schroder to sign the plat map for
R & M Powers 2nd Subdivision located in part of the SE ¼ of the
NE ¼ S23-T9-R9 as requested by Richard and Mary Powers. Voting – Commissioners Stratker, aye; Giittinger, aye; Schroder,
aye. Motion carried.
3)
Administrative
Replat of Lot 1-B, Replat
of Lot 1, Steinhoff Subdivision located in the N ½ of
the SE ¼ S4-T8-R11: Bob Bruns is purchasing 8.38
acres of pasture ground from Norman Antes creating the need to replat
At the Planning Commission meeting held on May 18th, a
hearing to consider approval of the issuance of a Conditional Use Permit for a
Bed and Breakfast located in the NE ¼ S32-T8-R14 was tabled due to a clerical
error on the application. The application was made out in the seller’s name when
it should have been made out in the buyer’s name. The corrected application
will be considered for approval at the June Planning meeting. Therefore,
Commissioner Giittinger made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Stratker to table any action today until the matter has
been heard by the Planning Commission. Voting – Commissioners Giittinger, aye; Schroder, aye; Stratker, aye.
Motion carried.
Foremen Rich Kuenning and Lynn
Several utility permits were received requesting the County’s permission
to occupy county road right of way while installing utility lines. Commissioner
Giittinger made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Stratker
to approve issuance of the following utility permits: Three to Alltel to
install telephone lines at the following locations: 1) East of the SW corner
S23-T9-R10; 2) South of the NE corner of S21-T8-R14; 3) North of the W ½ mile
line corner S28-T8-R14 and One to Magellan Pipeline to lower an existing
petroleum product line on the north and south sides of a road located west of
Hwy 75 in S13-T8-R13. Voting – Commissioners Stratker,
aye; Schroder, aye; Giittinger, aye. Motion carried.
Regarding BRO-7066(37) located east of Intersection D-20: Commissioner Giittinger
made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Stratker to
authorize Chairman Schroder to sign the title page of
the design drawings as prepared by Speece Lewis
Engineers, accepting and approving the proposed bridge design for BRO-7066(37).
Voting – Commissioners Giittinger, aye; Schroder,
aye; Stratker, aye. Motion carried.
The foremen discussed various projects they are currently working on. Kuenning noted the tube inventory is low. They will also
need to purchase motor grader tires.
Other business matters were addressed at this time.
Commissioner Giittinger made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Stratker to issue a tax refund to Gary Pickering in the
amount of $32.76 as reimbursement for taxes paid on a shed that had been
removed from his property. Voting – Commissioners Schroder,
aye; Stratker, aye; Giittinger, aye. Motion carried.
Marv Pesek, General Assistance Administrator, said
he had nothing to present to the Board today.
Sarah
At
VENDOR 1 year option 3
year option
FY06 FY06 FY07
FY08
Dana F Cole & Co, Lincoln
$11,900 $11,400 $11,970
$12,570
Sharon A Staddon CPA, Eagle
$ 7,400 $ 7,400 $
8,000 $ 8,500
Hayes & Associates,
Timothy J Cortney, CPA, Council Bluffs $ 8,495 $ 8,095
$ 8,295 $ 8,500
Dana Cole was the only vendor present. He said he has been performing
county audits for the last 20 years so he familiar with county affairs and
GASB34 regulations. He has several employees and would expect the audit to take
at least four days to conduct. Commissioner Giittinger made a motion, seconded
by Commissioner Stratker to have the
Architect Jerry Berggren reported that he received two bids for
installation of data cable throughout the courthouse. Black Box submitted a bid
of $28,655 while Alltel’s base bid was $27,390. He reviewed other factors to
consider: 1) Hourly rate for additional work – Black Box would charge $45 per
hour; Alltel $60.00; 2) Warranty – Black Box had a lifetime warranty; Alltel 25
years; 3) Alltel is familiar with the building since they have already
installed telephone wires. 4) Completion date - Alltel 35 days; Black Box 25
days. Berggren said both were reputable companies. Commissioner Giittinger made
a motion, seconded by Commissioner Stratker to accept
the low bid submitted by Alltel in the amount of $27,390 for the installation
of data cable throughout the courthouse. Voting – Commissioners Schroder, aye; Giittinger, aye; Stratker,
aye. Motion carried.
Berggren then introduced Dave from Security Systems who had submitted a
proposal to install a complete lightning protection system for $19,640. At the April
12th meeting, the Board voted to settle for a one-line system that
would protect the Motorola communication equipment; cost was not to exceed
$5,000. The gentleman from Security Systems said there should be two paths to
be up to code. The question is – do you just want to protect the communication
equipment or everything else? The roofers would need to be called back if the
Board decides to go with a complete system increasing the cost even more.
Commissioner Giittinger made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Stratker to proceed with the one line system as approved at
the April meeting; total cost will be $6,137. Voting – Commissioners
Giittinger, aye; Schroder, aye; Stratker,
aye. Motion carried.
Commissioner Stratker reported that he has
looked at storage and office space available at American National Bank.
However, he did not know how much the rental fee would be.
There have been numerous problems with the shower drains in the jail
facility. Ronco offered a proposal of $2,716.98 to
remove concrete, fix the drain and reconstruct the shower floor. Commissioner Giittinger
made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Stratker to
accept the proposal to repair the shower drain and floor for a total cost of $2,716.98.
Voting – Commissioners Schroder, aye; Stratker, aye; Giittinger, aye. Motion carried.
Steve Zimmers, County Extension Educator, gave
his monthly report. The summer intern started working at the office the first
of May. She is majoring in nutrition so she will work closely with Sarah
Purcell. Zimmers will hold a GPS workshop for kids
this summer as well as many horticultural activities. He noted that 4-H
membership is up this year and anticipates many entries in the County Fair.
At
At
As advertised, representatives of organizations applying for tax
exemption were invited to give testimony at a public hearing held for the
purpose of considering approval or disapproval of their submitted applications.
Alan and Julie Wood, representing Sunrise EquiTherapy
Inc., gave a brief report of their progress since the property was purchased in
2005. The parcel is used as a site for
horseback riding designed to provide therapy for children and adults with
cognitive and physical disabilities. This will be the first year that they will
be able to harvest their own hay for the horses. They plan to enhance the
nature trail, add fencing, continue to improve the pasture and begin construction
of buildings. Since it is a non-profit organization they will be seeking
donations from private industries to fund these projects.
There were no other applicants to appear before the Board.
The Board reviewed 5 other applications.
Upon the recommendation of Assessor Reimers,
Commissioner Giittinger made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Schroder to approve the application for tax exemption from
personal property as submitted by Saint Elizabeth Physician Network DBA Nebraska
City Medical Clinic; said entity qualifies as a charitable organization. Voting
– Commissioners Stratker, aye; Schroder,
aye; Giittinger, aye. Motion carried.
Prior to 2006, the First Methodist Church of Syracuse was granted a
partial exemption due to a portion of the building being rented for a preschool
operation. Since the lease terminated and there no longer is a preschool
located in the Church, Assessor Reimers recommends
full exemption for tax year 2006. Commissioner Schroder
made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Giittinger to approve full tax
exemption for the First Methodist Church of Syracuse for tax year 2006 since
the entire property is used for religious purposes only. Voting – Commissioners
Giittinger, aye; Stratker, aye; Schroder,
aye. Motion carried.
The Historical Preservation Society of the Nebraska City Volunteer Fire
The Otoe County Wildlife Club applied for tax exemption on the basis
that it offers education in wildlife management, firearms safety and wildlife
conservation. Assessor Reimers presented a copy of a
Findings of Facts and Conclusion of Law regarding a case heard by the TERC
Board in 1998. The Bellevue Rod & Gun Club was denied tax exemption because
the Tax Commission determined that the Club did not meet the definition of “an
institution operated exclusively for the benefit and education of the public.”
Based on this TERC case and her determination that the Wildlife Club is a gun
club, Assessor Reimers did not recommend approval for
tax exemption. Commissioner Schroder made a motion,
seconded by Commissioner Giittinger to deny tax exemption to the Otoe County
Wildlife Club. Voting – Commissioner Stratker, aye;
Giittinger, aye; Schroder, aye. Motion carried.
The 806 Historical Preservation Foundation located at
This concluded the public hearing conducted for the purpose of
considering approval or disapproval of the 2006 permissive tax exemptions.
There was one personal property tax protest hearing scheduled.
Larry Kunc, CPA, filed a Personal Property Tax
Protest form protesting the valuation placed on personal property owned by Wes
Malone / Malone Construction. According to the written testimony attached, he
is requesting that the value of machinery overhauls totaling $74,168 be removed
from the personal property assessment sheet. He stated that the overhauls did
not extend the useful lives of the equipment involved but merely brought them
into operating condition. He also asked that the 1998 CAT Excavator be removed
since it had depreciated out. The Assessor presented a copy of an Information
Guide published by the
There being no further business to come before the Board of Equalization
at this time, and since all items on the agenda have been disposed of, Henry A Stratker, Chairman of the Board, declared this meeting
adjourned at 12:10 p.m.
Chairman Schroder announced that the Board of
Commissioners will reconvene in regular session at
At
Four vendors had indicated an interest in presenting proposals to
provide health insurance services for the County. Chairman Schroder
asked that they limit their time to twenty minutes each.
Ray Meyer and Eric Templin represented Midwest
Insurance and Associates. Mr Meyer offered a partial
self-funded plan whereby the County would deposit the premium payments monthly
into a local bank account. As the administrator of the plan, his company would
have access to pay insurance claims out of the bank account. Any money that is
leftover stays with the County, not the insurance company. He designed a benefit
schedule comparable to the current Blue Cross plan. According to his worksheet,
the County could gain over $100,000 in savings if there were no catastrophic
claims submitted. He said his company promotes wellness so all employees and
spouses would be provided with free blood work. If the results indicate a
problem, the employee would be encouraged to take it to his family doctor for
treatment. Their intention is to catch problems in the early stages and save
money in the long run. They utilize the Midlands Choice PPO network. He
provided a list of 7 counties in
Tom Farrell and Dave LeGrand were in
attendance, but reported that Midland Security Insurance Company declined to
offer a quote based on census information from an outside source. They had
asked the county employees to complete health insurance forms so they provide a
firm quote. However, about 60 out of 80 forms were returned; and about half of
the returned forms were not filled out completely.
Todd Drapal had indicated he was going to
offer a quote from United Health Care and/or Mutual of Omaha; however, he did not
appear as scheduled.
Kent Trelford-Thompson, representing Blue Cross
Blue Shield, said there was going to be minimum modifications to the current
plan; but the primary change was in the payment schedule for prescription drugs.
BCBS will be going from a 3 tier co-pay plan to a 4 tier co-insurance plan. The
$5 co-pay for generic drugs will remain the same. The insured’s cost for formulary
and non-formulary drugs will be based on a percentage of the total drug cost
with a minimum charge of $25 and maximum of $75. The 4th tier will include
“Specialty Drugs” that are usually injected and very expensive. The overall rate
increase was 9.2 %, but with NACO’s buy down the
premium increase will be 4%. All other services will remain the same - provide
a $10,000 life insurance policy for all participants, provide Section 125 and
COBRA administration, and continue the funding of a wellness program.
Several questions were fielded from the audience. The Board will make a
decision at the June 13th meeting.
Several office holders and probation personnel gathered to discuss concerns
and ideas of where the probation offices should be located. In their absence,
County Court Judge John Steinheider and District
Court Judge Randall Rehmeier submitted letters urging
the Board to keep the office of probation in the Courthouse. They emphasized
that probation is an integral part of the judicial process. Removal of the
probation offices would be a substantial inconvenience to the courts, the
attorneys and probationers. The Public
Berggren said he has been consulting with Ms. York to determine how much
space would be needed for probationary services. He proposed to remodel the
basement by making storage rooms into office/meeting space. He also had
drawings that divided the old Commissioner’s Room on second floor into three
offices; the west end of corridor was divided into two interview rooms. However,
he didn’t have any idea of the cost. The discussion will be continued at the
June 13th meeting.
There being no further business to come before the Board at this time,
and since all items on the agenda have been disposed of, Joy W Schroder, Chairman of the Board, declared this meeting
adjourned, until the next one, which will be on June 13, 2006.
I, Janene Bennett,
Janene Bennett
Otoe