NOTICE OF MEETING
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN
that the Regular meeting of the Otoe County Commissioners of
AGENDA OF THE NEXT MEETING
September 8, 2009
9:00 a.m. -- Open
Meeting, Call roll, Open Meetings Act posted; Accept agenda; Accept minutes
from previous
meeting;
Audit and Sign payroll claims; Audit and sign regular claims
9:05 a.m. – Dave Schmitz:
Discussion and/or action to approve Administrative Replat
of Lot 1, Three M Subd
Located in
the SE ¼ S29-T9-R13 –
9:15 a.m. – Discussion and/or action RE: Road and bridge
matters
1) Discussion
and/or action RE: Engineering reports for the placement of stop signs at
Intersections
M-62,
M-60 and L-50
2)
Discussion and/or action RE: Quotes to purchase steel products
3)
Discussion and/or action RE: Storage of two motor graders at the Lorton
Shop
4) Discussion and/or action to appoint a
permanent Supervisor for Syracuse Shop and Crew
5)
Discussion and/or action to prioritize remaining work projects
6) Miscellaneous
Other business matters to address when time
allows:
Discussion and/or action to adopt resolution to prohibit
trapping in county right-of-way
Safety Report for month of September
Discussion and/or action to appoint Sub-committee to
study the issues facing the Otoe County Fair
Board in
acquisition of property
Discussion and/or action RE: Sub-committee report
regarding storage of county records and property
Off site
Miscellaneous
Correspondence and other matters that may come before the Board
After the Board meeting
adjourns, the Commissioners will travel to the work sites to view completed
projects; then to the proposed work sites to allow them to prioritize the
remaining projects. No decisions will be
made during this trip and the public is welcome to attend.
Janene
Bennett, Otoe
The
Individuals requiring
physical or sensory accommodations, including interpreter service, Braille,
large print or recorded materials, please contact Janene Bennett,
September 8, 2009
The Otoe County Board of Commissioners convened in regular session at
8:30 a.m. on September 8, 2009 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. Advance notice of this meeting was published in the Nebraska City News
Press and Syracuse Journal Democrat, announced on KNCY radio station and posted
in at least three public places. 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 Chairman of the Board, Timothy
Nelsen. Answering present at roll call were Commissioner Nelsen, Commissioner
Lade, Commissioner Crook, Commissioner Kreifels and Commissioner Freshman.
Chairman Nelsen informed the public 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 or set them to vibrate while present in the meeting room.
Commissioner Freshman made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Kreifels
to accept the agenda as posted. There being no further discussion, Chairman Nelsen
called for a vote. Voting aye were Commissioners Nelsen, Lade, Crook, Kreifels
and Freshman. Nay – none. Motion carried.
Commissioner Lade made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Freshman to
accept the minutes from the previous meeting and not have them read as each
member was furnished with a copy of same. There being no further discussion,
Chairman Nelsen called for a vote. Voting aye were Commissioners Lade, Crook,
Kreifels, Freshman and Nelsen. Nay – none. Motion
carried.
Commissioner Crook made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Lade to audit
and sign payroll claims. There being no further discussion, Chairman Nelsen
called for a vote. Voting aye were Commissioners Crook, Kreifels, Freshman, Nelsen and Lade. Nay – none. Motion carried.
Having reviewed the regular claims in advance of this meeting,
Commissioner Freshman made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Crook to approve
payment of the regular claims. There being no further discussion, Chairman
Nelsen called for a vote. Voting aye
were Commissioners Kreifels, Freshman, Lade and Crook;
Commissioner Nelsen approved payment of all claims except those claims
submitted by the Public Defender’s Office to which he abstained. Nay – none.
Motion carried.
Zoning Administrator, Dave Schmitz, presented the Administrative Replat of Lot 1, Three M Subdivision located in the SE ¼ of
S20-T9-R13. Schmitz explained that the owners, Evan and Jerilyn
Wickersham, are separating the original Lot 1 into Lot 1A and
Other business matters were addressed at this time.
Chairman Nelsen introduced Resolution 2009-55 prohibiting trapping of
wildlife in and along County road right-of-ways including roadside ditches
adjacent to the traveled roadway and beneath bridges within such right-of-way.
With the passage of LB5 by the 2009 Nebraska Legislature that became effective
September 4, 2009, trapping is now allowed in road right-of-ways; however, counties
have the authority to disallow trapping if they so desire. The issue was
discussed at a previous board meeting when all present agreed setting traps
along roadside ditches could cause harm to domestic animals as well as pedestrians
who walk along the roadways. Commissioner Lade made a motion, seconded by
Commissioner Freshman to authorize the Chairman to sign Resolution 2009-55
prohibiting the trapping of wildlife in and along county road right-of-way.
There being no further comments, Chairman Nelsen called for a vote. Voting aye
were Commissioners Lade, Crook, Kreifels, Freshman and
Nelsen. Nay – none. Motion carried.
Commissioner Lade gave a brief report of issues discussed at the
September 2nd Safety Committee meeting. They are still adding more
topics to include in the Safety Manual such as violence in the workplace,
chemical safety, ladder safety, etc. Fred Phillips resigned from the Safety
Committee and was replaced by Ryan Neeman. It was
suggested that each shop have a fifteen minute safety talk every month to stay
on top of safety issues. They are still planning to offer CPR and First Aid Training
to county employees, but no date has been set.
Chairman Nelsen said that he has been contacted by members of the Otoe
County Fair Board who are requesting the
Commissioner Crook reported that she sent an e-mail to all elected
officials seeking input as to how much more space is needed for storing
records; what is currently being stored offsite and what can be destroyed or
sold. She and Commissioner Kreifels visited the rented storage units and found
many items that will probably never be used again, such as outdated office
equipment and old furnishings. Since the Highway Supt Office has been moved to
the Courthouse, there is potential storage space at the Nebraska City Road
Shop. They thought two of the offices could be used for record storage and
could be locked. Commissioner Crook said the biggest problem for many of the
office holders is to find the time to sort through records and determine what
must be saved and what can be destroyed. By law, each officeholder must follow
a State Retention Schedule which outlines how long certain documents must be
retained, including some that can never be destroyed. Commissioner Kreifels
said they are also considering installing cabinets on the west and south walls
of the break room on the main floor of the Courthouse. Office supplies could be
stored in the cabinets rather than in the storage room in the basement. This
would free up the store room for keeping records that are frequently accessed
by the public. Commissioner Crook checked with the State Dept of Labor to see
if they were planning to sell the vacant building on
Lead Supervisor, Lynn Denniston and Highway
Supt,
Requests for stop sign
placements: Commissioner
Crook said she has been approached to place a stop sign at the intersections of
M-60; M-62 and L-50. A portion of M Road was recently upgraded from Minimum
Maintenance to Local Road Status, resulting in the request for placement of
stop signs at these two intersections. She noted that the intersection of L-50
is on a hill, creating a safety issue. Supt Steffensmeier said he has sent an
accident report regarding the intersections to Mainelli
Wagner Engineering. Upon review of the report, Mainelli
will conduct a survey of the intersections and determine whether stop signs are
warranted. If so, a resolution to install stop signs will be submitted for
board approval at a future meeting.
Purchase of steel products: Steffensmeier solicited quotes for the
purchase of sheet piling, wide flange, cable, and clamps from three vendors
with only two responding. Midwest Service & Sales offered the low bid
$24,270.10 for all materials listed; Ace-Eaton’s quote was $27,912.50. Since
the quote was over $20,000 Chairman Nelsen suggested reducing the quantity of sheet
piling from 100 to 70 in order to comply with the purchasing act. Commissioner
Freshman made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Lade to purchase the list of
steel products from Midwest Service and Sales as presented less 30 pieces of
sheet piling; the total amount would equal $19,213.90. There being no further
discussion, Chairman Nelsen called for a vote. Voting aye were Commissioners
Crook, Kreifels, Freshman, Nelsen and Lade. Nay –
none. Motion carried.
Storing 2 motor graders at the
Lorton Shop: Commissioner Freshman
obtained two quotes for the construction of a storage shed adjoining the
existing lean-to shed in the
Crew supervisor position: Crew Supervisor, Rich Kuenning,
has notified the Board that he would like to resign from his supervisory
position effective October 1, 2009, but remain as a truck driver until he
retires in March of 2010. Jonathan Brinkman was appointed as a temporary crew
supervisor in June. Commissioner Lade made a motion, seconded by Commissioner
Freshman to accept Kuenning’s resignation as Crew
Supervisor effective October 1, 2009, but allowing him to remain as a truck
driver until he officially retires in March; and to appoint Jonathan Brinkman
as a full-time crew supervisor effective October 1, 2009; their wages to be
adjusted accordingly. There being no further discussion, Chairman Nelsen called
for a vote. Voting aye were Commissioners Freshman, Nelsen, Lade, Crook and
Kreifels. Nay – none. Motion carried.
Prioritize remaining projects: Chairman Nelsen announced that the Board
Members were going to travel to various work sites throughout the County to
examine the completed projects and to take notes while observing the remaining
projects so they can determine the order in which the remaining projects will
be done. No decisions will be made during this trip; however, the public is
invited to follow along if they so desire.
There being no further business to come before the Board at this time,
and since all items on the agenda have been disposed of, Chairman Nelsen
declared this meeting adjourned at 9:35 a.m. The next regular meeting will be
held on September 22, 2009.
I, Janene Bennett, County Clerk of 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 the county seal this 8th
day of September 2009.
Janene Bennett
Otoe