The Custer County Board of Supervisors met in regular session, Tuesday, January 13, from 9:00 AM to adjournment at 10:40 AM. The Supervisors meet in the conference room on the top floor of the Custer County Courthouse in Broken Bow. District 6 Supervisor Lynn Longmore was only able to attend some of the meeting by phone.
Numerous Appointments Handled By Board
County Clerk Kelly Jacobsen started the meeting by opening the floor to nominations for the position of Board Chair. Only District 5 Supervisor Charles (Chip) Blowers was nominated to continue in the role he has held for the past year. With no other nominations for Board Chair presented, Blowers accepted the position.
District 7 Supervisor Sara Parliament and District 4 Supervisor James Markham were nominated for the role of Board Vice Chair, though there was no second to the motion for the latter. Parliament was elected by the Supervisors to the Vice Chair Position, with District 1 Supervisor Anne Gibbons voting no on the motion.
Following the establishment of the Board Chair and Vice Chair was the appointment of Supervisors and county staff to a variety of committees. In all, 39 committees were filled for topics ranging from Budgeting Preparation to Roads and Recycling. Blowers, Kleeb and Longmore were appointed along with several county officials to the committee reviewing and correcting addresses county-wide in order to synchronize various Custer County databases, including emergency management/911 listings.
The full list of committees and members will appear with the Meeting Minutes prior to the January 27 Supervisors Meeting.
County Office Appointments were also reconfirmed for Highway Superintended Chris Jacobsen, Zoning Administrator Darci Tibbs, Emergency Manager Mark Rempe, Veterans Officer Emory Haynes, Recycling Manager Kelly Flynn, and Weed Superintendent Tim Conover. In voting to approve the appointments, Markham was the lone no vote, though no reason was given for his dissent.
Later in the meeting Custer County Extension Lead educator Troy Walz appeared requesting appointment of Tanya Stecker for a 3 year term on the Extension Board. Tanya will replace Troy Schauda who served for 6 years over 2 terms.
Darci Tibbs had appointments for two bodies – Steve Hostik and Don Cantrell were reappointed to the Planning commission, along with new member Jon Nixon. Don Cantrell and Kevin Blakeman were reappointed to the Board of Zoning Adjustment.
Custer County Withdrawing from North Central PET Area, Joining South Central PET
Emergency Manager Rempe appeared before the Supervisors to request permission to move from the North Central Planning Exercise and Training (PET) Region to the South Central PET Region. Rempe stated that the reason for the move was a difference of opinion among the Region Counties about how to apply for and use federal grant funding.
The PET Regions are established by the State of Nebraska to coordinate multi-county emergency management preparation and training.
As a part of the PET agreements, PET Regions use grant funding from a number of sources, and particularly from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Rempe told the Supervisors that over the years, the types of grants applied for by the North Central PET Region, and how the funding is used, has become less beneficial to Custer County. Additionally, Custer County emergency Services organizations already regularly attend training with the South Central Region, whose organization and management is more closely aligned with Custer County.
In fact, Rempe noted that the possibility of hosting training that Custer County organizations currently have to travel to would present a significant benefit to realigning with the South Central region. There are no costs associated with changing regions, and the move was vetted by a variety of legal and oversight bodies.
After a brief discussion, the Supervisors approved three resolutions to join the South Central PET and appoint members to represent the County at the organization.
Other Supervisors Activities
– There were no committee reports presented by the Supervisors. Most Supervisors expected to be busy with committee activities in the coming weeks, and will provide more information at the next session.
– The Custer County Chief, Arnold Sentinel, Callaway Courier, and Sargent Leader were established as the official newspapers for Supervisors notices. Notices will also be posted to the Custer County website.
– Minutes from the prior two meetings were approved. The Minutes from the December 9 meeting were updated to provide more information regarding the recycling discussion. The Minutes from the December 30 meeting were approved with the correction that Gibbons voted no on a motion regarding the Benefits Management HRA Account with Nebraska State Bank.
– A Right-of-Way crossing was approved for electric service under Road 443 to the south of Road 796.
– The Supervisors approved a number of area banks in which excess county funds may be deposited for investment.
– The Nebraska Department of Administrative Services updated the requirements for mileage reimbursement from $.70 to $.72 ½ per mile, and $.75 ½ per mile for the Sheriff’s Office when serving papers or orders. The Supervisors updated their rates accordingly.
– Hunters for Youth, a non-profit organization providing outdoors activities for youth was granted a vehicle tax exemption for a trailer to be used for organization activities. Treasurer Sherri Bryant noted that the organization met all five requirements set by the state to obtain the exemption.
– County Attorney Steven Bower’s required written Quarterly Report was received and acknowledged without comment.
The Custer County Board of Supervisors adjourned at 10:40 AM. The next meeting of the Supervisors is scheduled for 9:00 on January 27.
