At Tuesday’s Custer County Board of Supervisors meeting, Highway Superintendent Chris Jacobsen went over the county’s one and six-year highway plan.
Many of the projects proposed involve removing structures and replacing with culverts to better handle runoff during spring and summer storms. Jacobsen said several bridges in the county are also in need of repairs.
Jacobsen presented traffic count data for Ryno Road, Anselmo Road and Victoria Springs. Jacobsen said there’s been an increase in traffic on several county roads due to the desire of travelers to save time as they make a trip from Minnesota to Denver.
Jacobsen mentioned the three hot-mix projects that are in the current highway plan: the Victoria Park road, Anselmo south, and Ryno Road. District 3 Supervisor Barry Fox recommended the Highway Department get the hot-mix projects done as soon as possible because the cost may never be lower.
Several Ryno Road residents spoke to the Board, including Kirk Hansel. Hansel handed out a chart showing Ryno Road has more crashes per mile(3.88) and injuries per mile(2.11) than either the Merna North Road or Anselmo South Road.
Ryno Road resident Shirley Trout summed up the feelings of those who live along the nearly fifteen mile road extending west and south of Broken bow.
“On behalf of the more than fifty Custer County citizens who have become known as R3, the Ryno Road Restoration citizens group, we respectfully request that before you vote on the 2025-26 highway plan…that one of you makes a motion, and another seconds it, to place at least Callaway northeast hot-mix, the Ryno Road project, onto the one-year portion of this immediate plan and then vote.”
Jacobsen said the hot-mix projects are in the County’s one and six-year highway plan, however this year’s budget has already been set and there is no funding for the three asphalt projects.
The Board then approved a motion to table the highway plan until their next meeting.
In other Board of Supervisors news, County Assessor Elise Taylor presented the Board with tax list corrections for a homestead approved by the State and Tomahawk Park in Broken Bow.
Tomahawk requested tax-exempt status on their property for the 2023 tax year, but Supervisor Fox gave his reason for denying the correction.
“They talked to the Department of Revenue, I talked to the Department of Revenue, Elise talked to the Department of Revenue. They had rental rates that were beyond the typical load market rates, and they had rental rates that were long-term. I believe that those two things from my opinion make it not a public service”
Taylor said the Tomahawk property is tax-exempt for 2024, and said as long as they charge fair market “rent” on their hookups she won’t send out a letter of intent to tax their property, meaning they can remain tax-exempt.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting, Kayla Houser asked the Board to approve a manager change for a liquor license at the Broken Bow Golf Club. Approval was unanimous.
Two applications to cross county right of ways were approved, as well as a resolution to declare several pieces of county property as surplus.
Also mentioned at the meeting was the bid process for lawncare and snow removal for the county. The county’s current agreement ends March 31st, and bids are currently being taken to take over the duties April 1st.
District 2 Supervisor Tammy Kleeb expressed concern about a three million dollar bridge south of Comstock which is currently funded by the federal government. Highway Superintendent Jacobsen said he didn’t think continued funding would be an issue, but Kleeb said funding of the bridge would need to be monitored.
Finally, Carla Kimball and Amy Tharp appeared before the Board on behalf of Central Nebraska Economic Development District(CNEDD). Several Broadband Infrastructure grants have been approved for Custer County, and Tharp and Kimball said the main challenge is having the correct zoning in place when the funds become available.
NACO(National Association of Counties) is working on a broadband toolkit to help counties with zoning issues. CNEDD’s goal is to have nearly all locations in Custer County connected to broadband infrastructure by the end of 2029 or earlier.
The Board adjourned at 12:15pm, the Supervisor’s next meeting is set for February 25th at 9am in the top floor of the courthouse.
