Custer County Board of Supervisors Final Meeting of October

Custer County Board of Supervisors Final Meeting of October
The Custer County Board of Supervisors convene Tuesday morning.

BROKEN BOW – The Custer County Board of Supervisors held their final meeting of October on Tuesday at 9 a.m. All members were present save District 2’s Tammy Kleeb.

Bids for two operations were closed consecutively: the Emergency Manager’s pickup bid and the Paving Improvements bid for the upcoming year.

Closed at 10 a.m., two bids were opened for the Emergency Manager’s new pickup: both from Gateway Motors in Broken Bow. The first, a 2023 RAM 1500 Big Horn, would cost the county a total of $42,195, taking into consideration a $14,000 trade-in for Emergency Management’s current truck.

The second bid was for a 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, which would cost the county $41,040, taking into consideration the $14,000 trade-in value. Emergency Management’s current truck has about 134,000 miles on it, which in the end helped lead the board to decline both bids.

The board received two bids for upcoming paving improvements, which were opened at 10:15 a.m. Western Engineering of Harlan, Iowa, proposed a total cost of $2,941,612.40 for the projects, with a 5% bond attached to the bid price.

Paulsen of Broken Bow proposed a price tag of $2,741,948.23 with a 5% bid bond attached. The board went unanimously with the Paulsen bid, and completion of the projects is expected on or before November 1 of next year.

Tax levies were amended for two fire districts: Broken Bow and Callaway’s departments due to clerical errors. Broken Bow Rural Fire District’s levy was adjusted from $85,201.10 to $84,357.53. The Callaway Rural Fire District’s levy was adjusted to $51,523.94 from $52,103.45 initially requested.

Weed Superintendent Tim Conover presented his department’s funding updates; Conover said that the Weed Department has received roughly $79,000 in grants, which brings his department nearly $36,000 under budget for the past two years. Additionally, some of that remaining money has been used to purchase a drone for surveying the efficacy of weed operations.

Officials were appointed to the National Association of Counties: District 6’s Lynn Longmore will be the official, and the alternate will be District 4’s Dwain Bryner.

Central Plains’ valuation contract was renewed for 2022-2023; the group would arrive at the end of the year to evaluate hookups at Tomahawk Park and the Custer County Fairgrounds. Central Plains will evaluate up to 15 parcels, the price of which is not to exceed $15,000.

The Public Defender Policy Board was evaluated by the supervisors; as it stands, all three members will be asked to serve again. Sheriff Osmond and Mark Rempe again presented their case for switching Employee Assistance Program providers to Wholeness Healing; the board unanimously approved the switch pending a review of Wholeness Healing’s contract.

Additionally, the county cell phone policy was approved unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 10:47 a.m.

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