The Wayne County Commissioners met at the courthouse on Tuesday, Sept. 18. During the meeting the Commissioners heard updates on area bridges and office and insurance changes.
District Court Judge Mark A. Johnson talked about removing district court materials from the Court Services Building. The building housed the office of the District 7 judge, but since taking over, Johnson has kept his office in Madison. One employee is still using the building while creating a court transcript, but Johnson said he expects to have all materials out of the building by November.
Discussion next turned to County employees' health insurance deductibles. Wayne County Clerk, Deb Finn told the commissioners that several employees have prescriptions or medical procedures that would cause them to pay the health plan's $6,550 deductible up front.
Through the health insurance plan, employees receive a $4,000 reimbursement from the County. Finn asked the commissioners if they would approve a plan that would allow employees to get an estimate of medical costs from healthcare providers, then be given the $4,000 payment made payable to the provider in order to save the high up front cost. The commissioners approved.
Mark Casey, Wayne County Highway Superintendent, and Mark Mainelli, of Mainelli Wagner & Associates talked about road and bridge updates in the county. Casey said Wayne County and the local REA are working on an agreement that will State will accept for moving utilities by the Temme Bridge, southwest of Wayne.
Next, Casey and Mainelli discussed the need to ensure that NextEra was maintaining County roads for the duration of the project.
They also discussed the bridge over Logan Creek on Highway 15. Both stated that the State of Nebraska needs to come in to stabilize the banks of the creek because if there is as much more flooding in the area, the channel will cut further upstream, jeopardizing County bridges. Casey and Mainelli said they hope to set up a meeting soon, before it becomes an issue.
"Nothing is in immediate danger, but we'll have to deal with it eventually," Casey said.
The next Wayne County Commissioners meeting will be held on Oct. 2, at 9 a.m. at the Wayne County Courthouse.
