Gage County Update

By Don Schuller 3/18/24 Committee meetingInvestigator Tim Hansen, Sheriff’s Department, reported that the sale of the rescued horses from the Glaesemann case totaled $184,000 plus. The county has a claim in excess of $16,000 to be reimbursed. There are other claims to be paid from the proceeds. After all expenses are paid, Glaesemann will receive the balance. The county board has no authority to be involved in the results of this case.Applied Connective, the company hired to perform our information technology (IT) needs, presented a proposal for an updated improved phone system with more features than at present. CountyClerk Dawn Hill gave the board some history with the current service provider, recounting several serious difficulties in the recent past. The proposal presented by Applied Connective includes the equipment and the phone service. This does not include Internet service. The switch in providers will provide a substantial savings from what we are paying now and it will come with better service. This issue will be on Wednesday’s agenda.I asked Highway Superintendent Mark Kuhnke to update me on the plans for the Rockford asphalt road. He said it is scheduled to be milled this summer. This will remove the pot holes. Since the state assists with the cost of overlaying the asphalt on this road, it will be completed next year or maybe a following year, depending on the state’s schedule.3/20/24 Regular meetingRoad and Bridge Committee chairman Terry Jurgens addressed the shortage of help in the road department. “There is a lot of work scheduled this summer. We need more help.” Jurgens proposed we offer a wage increase in order to hire good help. No further action taken at this time.Supervisor Haxby announced the approval of a federally funded appropriations grant, provided by the Biden Administration’s 2020 infrastructure bill, for 5.4 million dollars. It is 100 percent funded! No match from the county is required. It went in as an 80/20 request. This is amazing! Well-deserved thanks to Supervisor Haxby’s many hours of work pursuing and completing this grant. These funds will go towards overlaying the Odell Blacktop (61st Rd) and the Christ Lutheran Church Road (25th Rd) east of Pickrell. The Odell Road was last overlaid in 1999. Getting these projects behind us, without using county funds, will allow the county to accomplish other projects. I will continue to focus on hard surfacing the 3 miles on 162nd Rd south of Virginia. More grants are being pursued for funding to replace bridges, one being the Blue Springs River Bridge.Haxby informed the board that there is a broadband overlap on the north side of Beatrice. Haxby understood that the PSC was providing a grant for fiber in an area south of Wymore, mostly consisting of Barneston Township west of the river. Due to an oversight by Nextlink, the county approved provider and recipient of the county’s 4.3-million-dollar ARPA funding, PSC gave the money to Pinpoint to install fiber where the county has a contract with Nextlink to provide fiber, creating the overlap. Pinpoint, an Internet provider servicing Beatrice, applied for a grant for Beatrice. Haxby asked PSC for a reconsideration but was turned down. More discussion will follow in future meetings.The board unanimously passed a proclamation declaring March 21st, 2024, World Down Syndrome Day. Monte Murkle introduced his daughter Holly who has Down Syndrome. Murkle described what Down Syndrome is. He explained what new research is being done. He thanked the board for having the proclamation. He said it is important to provide awareness.Public hearing:Planning and Zoning Administrator Lisa Wiegand introduced Brad Duesenberry, the applicant for a special use permit for a flower mill in Holt Township. Duesenberry explained his business will produce gluten free products. He stated water use and noise is limited. Production will be entirely in the new building. There was no one present speaking in favor or in opposition.Tourism Coordinator Dakota Hurley introduced Beatrice Cemetery Board Association member Mitch Deines. Deines provided an overview of digitizing the cemetery records for the cemeteries in Beatrice. He has researched and contacted three digitizing companies. He narrowed it to one. For all Beatrice Cemeteries it will cost $70,000. The Cemetery Association does not have the funds. He is requesting a $25,000 Visitors Grant from the county. Hurley said tourism funds could be used to fund the grant, which is funded by the tourism tax. The Cemetery Association will have to raise an additional $20,000. There are annual maintenance fees to consider, which will have to be covered by the cemetery. Deines said it is estimated there are eight to ten thousand visitors to the cemeteries each year bringing business into the area. Deines explained current records are maintained on paper. This method puts the documentation at great risk. There is only one copy. If it is destroyed it is gone. Deines stated further that there are over 18,000 graves with paper records held by the Cemetery Association. I think it is safe to assume all cemeteries in Gage County have the same kind of recording method. Deines is willing to work with other cemeteries to provide them information. Supervisor Haxby and I expressed our interest in digitizing all of them provided the other boards are interested. Haxby is concerned about approving this grant without looking into it more. Supervisor Swavely stated it is best to get this project going. Other cemeteries can request a grant as they see fit. The county is responsible for the abandoned cemeteries. This technology will allow a person to look up a grave site on the website, download the location, and use their cell phone to find the grave. The county board voted 5-1, with Haxby voting nay, to approve the grant, which was recommended by the Gage County Visitors Committee, after reviewing the funding request. I thanked Mr. Deines for his hard work and efforts on the project.NGAGE Director Rachel Kreikenmeir gave her quarterly report. She said if we want to grow the economic base we need to invest in county infrastructure. Economic Development projects are large these days, for the most part, often involving as much as a half billion-dollar investment into businesses that provide jobs for perhaps 800 to 1000 people. These are the projects that bring significant impact, although small businesses are certainly important. The large businesses enhance possibilities for small businesses, bringing in more people and a variety of job opportunities.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.

Roger G. Evans

Listen Up

Related Articles

Oh, What a Tangled Web We Weave

Gage County Newsletter

Things That Go Squeak in the Night

The Real Problem with Fake News