Approximately 24 people have applied for seats on the new inland port authority to manage the port on the east side of Hershey, said Lincoln County Commissioner Chris Bruns, reporting to the board of commissioners on Monday.
He, Commissioner Kent Weems, Deputy County Attorney Tyler Volkmer, and Gary Person, president of North Platte Area Chamber and Development, make up the committee reviewing the applications.
For general information or to propose a name for the inland port, go to lincolncountyne.gov/inland-port-authority.
The committee will begin reviewing applications on May 25. Bruns said he would like commissioners to consider top applicants at their June 5 meeting.
Commissioners set a date of June 12 to receive bids to resurface 11.2 miles of county roads with asphalt this year.
People are also reading…
The work will be done on 9.2 miles of Garfield Table Road and two miles of Antelope Road. Another two miles of Garfield Table road was listed as an alternative.
With all the rains Lincoln County has had recently, County Highway Superintendent Jason Schultz said “there have been some areas with a few issues,” but they have been minor, and not as anticipated. He added that the new culverts on O’Fallon Road north of U.S. Highway 30 “look great.”
The commissioners approved purchasing a second mower for the highway department. Schultz said the money is in the department’s budget.
The new mower will be the same as the Rhino mower that the department has been using for two years, which has “been super,” he said. It is adapted well to the department’s tractors.
Schultz had obtained three bids. The commissioners approved accepting the low bid, from AKRS Equipment Solutions, for $27,500. The other bids were from Titan Machinery and North Platte Kubota. The bid from Kubota was higher and was also a different model.
At the end of the meeting, during time set aside for discussion of concerns of elected officials and department heads:
Commissioner Kent Weems reported that discussions are underway for the county to take over management of black-tailed prairie dogs when the contract with the USDA is up for renewal next month.
Prairie dog management would be combined with the noxious weed control office. Todd Herndon is the County Noxious Weed superintendent. Weems and Commissioner Chairman Jerry Woodruff are on the county’s black-tailed prairie dog management committee and Commissioner Micaela Wuehler is on the noxious weed committee.
Landowners are required to prevent prairie dogs from encroaching from their own land onto their neighbors’ lands. They are also required to control noxious weeds on their land.
The list of Nebraska state noxious weeds includes musk, plumeless and Canada thistle, salt cedar, leafy spurge and several other invasive plant species.
The county weed office sprays weeds, and the USDA controls prairie dogs for landowner, for a fee.
An advantage to consolidating the programs would be that it may make it easier for Herndon to retain employees, he said.
Currently the weed office hires seasonal workers and has the cost of training and certifying workers each year; workers typically do not return from year to year, Herndon said.
Retention may be easier if employees are giving year-round responsibilities related to prairie dog control, he said.
Wuehler praised Barry Johnson, the USDA’s animal damage control agent who works in Lincoln County. Weems said they would like to be able to continue to involve him.
The committee members will continue conversations with the parties involved, and report back to the board of commissioners with recommendations.
In other business, commissioners:
Gave approval for the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office to submit a grant application for $28,000 to Nebraska Office of Highway Safety.
The money will be used to pay sheriff deputies’ overtime pay to assist North Platte Police Department with speed and alcohol enforcement.
The operation will be conducted during Nebraskaland Days, with a focus on the parade, rodeos and concerts. Lt. Dan Newton appeared before commissioners to make the request.
The sheriff’s department receives NOHS funding and conducts the operation every year, said Newton, but “we don’t ever get what we ask.” He said they would like to receive $22,000.
Authorized Bruns to attend the National Association of Counties annual conference in Austin, Texas, as a voting delegate. Bruns said expenses are being paid by Nebraska Association of County Officials.
He would be attending the conference even without serving as the board’s voting delegate, as he has some committee assignments related to the state organization. The conference is scheduled for July 20-23.
Authorized Chairman Woodruff to sign a right-of-way application for Pearman Farms LLC of Maxwell, to bore under Fort McPherson Road to supply power to a new center pivot system.
The boring will begin and end in fields outside the right-of-way on each side of the road.
Approved a certificate of correction and refund submitted by County Assessor Julie Stenger for a 1972 Champion mobile home that is being demolished. The amount of refund is $38.68.
Considered a motor vehicle tax exemption application for First Baptist Church for a 2024 GMC Sierra truck to pull a fifth wheel trailer for church camp and other religious purposes.
County Treasurer Alex Gurciullo had denied the application because of concerns that the pastor may be using the vehicle for personal reasons.
The fifth wheel trailer is in his name, not the church’s, and other documentation was in his name, not the name of the church.
Kristy Smith, financial secretary for North Platte Baptist Church, was at the meeting. She assured the board that the vehicles are used only for church purposes.
Smith said another truck owned by the church had been found to lack the power needed to pull the trailer, and that is the reason they bought this one.
Commissioners ultimately approved the exemption for new truck, which was purchased for approximately $80,000. Woodruff asked Smith to ensure that documentation in the future makes ownership and sole use by the church clear.