From the Supervisor’s Desk

By Don Schuller 9/18/23 Committee Meeting:Highway Superintendent Mark Kuhnke told us he and engineer Mark Mainelli looked at intersections on the county road in Holmesville as requested by residents. Mainelli believes that stop signs at the intersection have merit. The county board had no objection to installing stops signs at that location.Kuhnke said tree removal letters continue to be sent out to landowners throughout the county.I asked Mr. Kuhnke when the Blue Springs Blue River Bridge will be inspected. He said the engineering firm Mainelli Wagner & Associates will be performing the inspection this fall.9/18/23 Budget Hearing:No members of the public were present.County Board Chairman Erich Tiemann stated the county has been able to reduce its tax asking two years in a row now: last year by 6.67% and this year by 6.09%. Even with lower taxes, a lot of projects are occurring within the next year. The county is operating more efficiently. We have not sacrificed services, or maintenance of roads and county property. Employees are receiving better pay to keep an experienced and quality workforce.Gage County mill levy before the Beatrice 6 judgement: approximately 0.28.New Gage County mill levy: 0.293388.New total levy (including townships, Ag society, and historical society): 0.402794.Gage County was allowed to collect sales tax in the entire county for the Beatrice 6 judgment, but that legislation has expired. The county is now allowed to collect sale tax only outside the boundaries of municipalities. I suggested that the county board consider a county-wide sales tax to offer more property tax relief to landowners in Gage County. The passage of state law requiring collection of sales tax for online purchases makes a county-wide sales tax more feasible.There is strong support in the legislature for the elimination of inheritance taxes. We rely on this funding for emergency purposes and it has saved us money by being able use it to capture savings for unforeseen expenses. However, it is likely we will lose the inheritance tax.9/20/23 Regular meeting:During Public Comment Ralph Bodie of rural Liberty told the board in a passionate speech that hog operations are run by communists (in reference to the proposed Summit Pork swine operation near Liberty). He stated that by allowing a corporate swine operation it is supporting communism.Clint Rule of rural Liberty said he is concerned that the required management practices for the proposed swine operation will not be followed unless their feet are held to the fire. He stated we should not give our quality of life to a foreign entity.Planning and Zoning Administrator Lisa Wiegand reported the next P & Z meeting will be Tuesday, Sept 26th, 6:30 pm, in the Supervisors room on the second floor of the courthouse. The meeting will include a public hearing for a commercial seed sales facility, followed by discussion and possible vote on the Otto/Summit Pork request for a special use permit.Tiemann asked Wiegand if there is foreign ownership of the proposed swine operation. She said there is no known connection to foreign ownership.I informed those at the board meeting that on 9/14 and 9/15/23 I drove to Iowa to visit Summit Pork operations. I visited numerous swine operations with Summit representative Mitch Baum. All Summit Pork operations have rows of trees and shrubs on three sides, with trees randomly placed between the road and the buildings for aesthetics. All locations had good grass stands that are well groomed. There was no smell when driving by or sitting in the driveway. We stood in the exhaust of the fans which were operating at maximum speed, and there is odor. We could talk without yelling at 20 feet from the fans. I learned how scientific these operations are and looked at a new facility which is very similar to those proposed in Gage County. The only difference is the dimensions of the buildings and configuration of the fans. I took videos and pictures and ask that anyone who wants to see them or talk about my visit to please contact me.Road and bridge:Kuhnke turned in approximately 360 intersection locations for new stop and stop ahead signs, new posts, and reflectors. The Nebraska Department of Transportation received a federal grant to provide the funding. The replaced signs will be used in other locations in the county.Resolutions approved unanimously:Agreement between Gage County and the Beatrice Area Chamber of CommerceAgreement between Gage County and the State of Nebraska Department of Roads on upgrading stop sign locations in rural locationsSigning of Upgrade of Stop Signs Project ProgramSetting 2023-2024 tax request at a different rate than 2022-2023 tax requestAdopt the County Budget for FY 2023-20249/19/23 Special meeting for proposed CAFO.A meeting was held between the highway department, special use permit applicants of Summit Pork swine operation and Island Grove Township board members. Also invited were Wymore and Lewiston School representatives, and P & Z chairman Jeff Argo.In attendance were:Highway Superintendent Mark KuhnkeP & Z Administrator Lisa Wiegand,County Attorney HarrisSummit Pork and Island Grove Township representatives and their attorneysDean Otto, landownerBruce Livingston, Livingston Enterprises (swine producer)Lewiston Superintendent Rick KentfieldDon Schuller, County Supervisor, Distsrict 6Discussion started with Mr. Kuhnke presenting the package prepared by Mainelli Wegnar, engineering firm hired by the county. The engineers had previously visited the roads in question. They concluded the road will be adequate for semi and school bus travel provided the road is maintained to state standards for township roads.There was discussion about the weight bearing rating of the bridge north of the proposed site. The rating currently posted is 32 tons for single axle trucks. The engineers confirmed the bridge rating exceeds 40 tons for trucks with longer axle spans.11/2/23 Special Meeting Scheduled on Solar and Wind Development:Mark your calendars! At my invitation UNL Extension Educator and biological systems engineer John Hay will give a presentation about alternative energy on Thursday, Nov 2nd, 6:30 pm, at the Wymore Fire Department, 118 East D St., Wymore.Hay will provide the facts on wind and solar energy based on his own research and current data. I encourage supporters and non-supporters of this technology to attend this meeting. District 6 needs economic development, and we need a larger tax base to stabilize property taxes. It is not my personal agenda, but my job as your representative to provide you factual information.I want to know your thoughts. If there is interest in pursuing regulations friendlier to alternative energy, I will do what I can to make it so, but I will need your support. If there is no interest, that’s fine too. There is a lot of difference between wind and solar operations. There could be interest in one and not the other, or none at all. I need to know so I can proceed accordingly.This highlights the parts of the county meetings I feel are most relevant to my constituents. Use the link below to view the actual minutes and hear audio of the board meeting, when posted. https://gagecountynebraska.us/board_meetings/enhanced_minutes.aspxCheck out my Facebook page Don Schuller – Public Servant.

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