Gage County Newsletter

By Don Schuller 8/30/24 Committee meeting:Meeting was moved to Friday due to Monday’s Holiday. I was unable to attend.After Wednesday’s meeting I met with Planning and Zoning Administrator Lisa Wiegand to review the discussion I missed on the Beatrice Well Head Protection expansion. She explained to me the reason Planning and Zoning voted to recommend denial of the expansion. There is much detail to this subject.Originally, the expansion would have allowed well head protection regulations to start after a well was approved. The city of Beatrice changed this and agreed not to enact the regulations until a well is drilled. It isn’t known when a well will be drilled. It could be next year or 30 years from now. They also agreed to notify landowners within 1000 feet of the proposed new municipal well six months prior to drilling. The expansion was denied due to the belief property values will go down due to the expansion. Landowners in the protection area will be required to get permission from the city of Beatrice to drill new wells along with other limitations. Therefore, Planning and Zoning recommends denial. 9/4/24 Regular meeting:Supervisor Emily Haxby absent.Chairman Tiemann announced there will be a public hearing on equalization September 19th, supervisors’ room, second floor of the court house. Pink postcards were sent out to discuss budgets that go over the 2% hike last year. Wymore Southern will be discussing their budget at that hearing but that is the only one in Gage County. People will get a postcard in the mail with more details.Planning and Zoning Administrator Lisa Wiegand informed the board there will be two public hearings held 7:00 pm, September 24th, at the supervisors’ room, second floor of the court house. One is for a class two solar array special use permit. The second hearing is for two communications towers, one in each of the Filley and Island Grove Townships.Chairman Tiemann announced that the Steele Flats project will be able to rebuild existing towers under the zoning regulations when they were built in 2013. There are two windmills pulled off of the project due to not being 1.5 times the height from the county right-of-way if rebuilt. These windmills will continue to operate at the current height. A public hearing was conducted for the reopening of the Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Paddock Township. The cemetery has been inactive and the Planning and Zoning Commission recommends making it active. Leanne Bogart spoke in favor of reopening the cemetery. She explained a board has been established and a cemetery association formed. They want to clean up the cemetery, reestablish the boundary, and put up a new fence. It will not be reopened for burials until all planned renovations are complete. This will be voted on by the board at the Sept 18th regular meeting. Executive director for Gage Area Growth Enterprise (NGage) Rachel Kreckemeier presented the quarterly report. Workforce development and childcare are critical to Gage County. She has spoken with the high schools and Southeast Community College encouraging them to connect students with local employers. Kreckemeier informed the board that the Gage County Care Collaborative has been formed in an effort to obtain affordable child care. This entity is a non-profit and has a board. Kreckemeier told the board that Gage County is one of 16 locations being considered for a nuclear power plant. She commented the electrical needs for new industrial development are huge. This highlights the portions 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.aspxFacebook: Don Schuller – Public Servant.

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Gage County Newsletter