The majority of Tuesday's meeting of the Wayne County Board of Commissioners was related to agenda items involving bids for a bridge project and the plan for flooring for the third floor of the Wayne County Courthouse.
The meeting began with two Wayne County residents, Lynn Junck and Brent Pick, expressing their opinions that District 2 Commissioner Dean Burbach should step down from his position. This comes in light of information from the Nebraska Auditor of Public Accounts alleging Burbach used for his own benefit Mendards rebates earned through the expenditure of county funds.
Burbach told the board he had no comment at this time.
Highway Superintendent Kyle Huff was at the meeting to open bids for bridge project C-90 (301) for District 2. He told the commissioners that three bids had been received. They ranged from a high of $72,500 to the low bid of $62,118 from B's Enterprises, Inc.
Huff noted that all bids included the same items in the bid specifications and explained what was to be done on the project, which is located 5.5 miles west of Carroll.
The delivery date for the materials is two to four weeks.
Huff also shared information with the board on several items. These included having the board chairman sign an interlocal agreement with Saline County for federal funding for a bridge project; an update on the recent scrap tire collection event; an update on projects in the county's one year plan and a new bridge inspection program.
Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the National Functional reclassification of roads in the City of Wayne. Huff showed a map in which a number of streets within city limits that have been reclassified according to their usage.
Huff and Emergency Manager Nic Kemnitz presented a resolution for adoption by the commissioners. It involves the 2025 Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District Hazard Mitigation Plan.
Huff talked about the work that had gone into creating an updated plan and noted that the state and FEMA have approved the details in it. The city and county are required adopt it to allow for federal funding should the need arise.
In other action, the board approved a request presented by Emergency Manager Nic Kemnitz on a request from the Dixon County Emergency Management for assistance with the Missouri River Expo Sept. 19-21.
Kemnitz said he has been asked to bring Wayne County's Emergency Operations trailer and generator to the event at Ponca State Park. He told the commissioners he would like to do so on Sept. 16, allowing for several days to make sure all the equipment is operating correctly.
County commissioners will assist with the delivery of the equipment as time allows that day.
Commissioners approved Resolution 25-25 that allows for the transfer of funds currently in Fund 2410 into Fund 2320. These are opioid funds received by the county from 2022 through June of 2024. Since that time, these funds have been deposited in Fund 2320 and the state has requested that all the funds be in the same location.
The final item on the morning portion of the meeting involved flooring for the third floor including the courtroom of the courthouse.
Quotes from Jason Sears Flooring and Scranton Flooring were received and commissioners discussed difference and options. Part of the discussion centered on whether or not to have different colored flooring in different areas.
Following the discussion, commissioners voted to move forward with a quote of $23,172 from Jason Sears Flooring and allow the county officials to make the final decision on color.
Following a recess until early afternoon, the commissioners were presented with the following budget information:
The total budget is $20,005,538.03;
The total tax dollar request is $6,750,000.00, an increase of $805,000.00; and
The unused budget authority is $458,929.49.
The commissioners tabled taking any action on carrying forward the unused budget authority, passing a resolution to approve the 2025-2026 budget and a resolution to approve the 2025 tax rate.
These items will be on the agenda at the commissioners next meeting, after the county holds a "Pink Postcard" meeting to allow for taxpayer input.
The Wayne County Board of Commissioners will next meet in regular session on Tuesday, Sept. 16 at 9 a.m. in the Wayne County Courthouse.
