UPDATE: As of 11:28 a.m. on Wednesday morning, Rick Nelson with Custer Public Power District told KCNI/KBBN the communications tower will most likely be constructed in the next four to five months. Nelson said soil samples need to be collected and the foundation needs to be laid but he hopes the tower will be built by the end of this year.
BROKEN BOW—A conditional use permit was approved by the Custer County Board of Supervisors for a communications tower. During the supervisors meeting on Tuesday, August 11, Custer Public Power District (CPPD) representative Jason Chaplin told the board the tower will be located three to four miles southeast of Westerville on about one acre of land.
He said the tower will be approximately 144 feet tall and will meet zoning requirements including being located 150 feet off the county right-of-way. Chaplin said the tower will be used to transfer data between Mason City, Haumont, and Broken Bow, with Custer County Emergency Management also utilizing the communications tower.
KCNI/KBBN reached out to CPPD for a timeline as to when the tower will be utilized but has not heard back at this time. (UPDATE: See above.)
The supervisors went through a lengthy agenda on Tuesday morning and approved interlocal cooperation agreements with both the Sargent Airport Authority (in the amount of $1,800) as well as the Broken Bow Airport Authority (in the amount of $13,000).
A bid for armor coating was received by Figgins Construction Co. and approved by the board for the amount of 40 cents per square yard for the first mile and a half and then 29 cents per square yard beyond that.
An application requesting $100,000 in disaster relief loans was approved for the Broken Bow Township. Discussion from the board included a past application previously approved for the same township, FEMA money, and need for gravel and crushed concrete to make repairs from the March 2019 flooding.
A road study was accepted by the board for the potential closing of Road #857 and a public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, September 15 at 10:15 a.m.
Resolution #38-2020 was approved which approves the one percent increase in restricted funds for fiscal year 2020-2021.
Representatives from Tax Valuation Inc. appeared before the board to discuss doing commercial tax valuations for the county, namely Broken Bow. Chairman Barry Fox said the board is looking for more consistency when valuing commercial properties.
Donna Glendy with the Seven Valleys Historical Society said the Callaway museum has been closed since March due to COVID-19 but many repairs to the buildings have been made during that time. Glendy said the front room of the museum has been redone with new paint, windows, and ceiling but some additional electrical costs were incurred during the work.
Glendy said COVID-19 has hurt the budget but volunteers have been hard at work cleaning the museum and have found some new treasures along the way. She said volunteers are proud of the museum, appreciate the support of the supervisors, and hope to be a staple in Custer County for years to come. She requested an additional $2,000 to the Seven Valleys Historical Society’s yearly operational costs. No decisions were made. The museum plans to open on Labor Day with plans of social distancing, temperature checks, and masks in place.
Special Designated Liquor Licenses were approved for events at the Custer County Fairgrounds including the Futurity Barrel Race September 4-7, Barrel Bash October 9-11, and Mid States Rodeo Finals September 18-20.
Michelle Nelson and Ira Spanel appeared before the board to give an update from the Custer County Ag Society. They reported the fairgrounds were shut down from mid-March to May with no events until June. The fairgrounds has been making improvements to the roads and infrastructure since the August hail storm of 2017 and had a good turnout at this year’s county fair. The Ag Society has submitted its tax request to the supervisors and is asking for the max increase for restricted funds.
The county supervisors approved the appointment of Lori Cox to the tourism committee to replace Kris Lamb and also approved the CDBG Environmental Review Report. The board tabled a proposal for an internal fire sprinkler inspection at the judicial center and ordered a road study for a BNSF railroad crossing in Mason City.
