PROCEEDINGS OF THE DODGE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

 

            Regular meeting of the Dodge County Board of Supervisors was called to order by Chairman Missel at 9:00 A.M. on Wednesday, January 25, 2012 in the Board Room of the Courthouse, Fremont, Nebraska, with the following members present:  Lux, George, Beam, Marsh, Strand, Stoeber and Missel.  Absent:  None.  Prior to roll call, Chairman Missel announced the meeting to be an open public meeting and that the open meeting laws were posted for anyone’s review.

 

The Board unanimously declared the meeting legally convened.

 

The Board unanimously approved the agenda as printed; received and placed on file correspondence from Time Warner Cable regarding program changes, Eastern Nebraska Human Services Agency & Region VI Governing Board minutes of their December 21, 2011 meeting and copy of preliminary agenda for January 18, 2012 meeting, Certificates of Insurance for Parsons Brinckerhoff, Inc. of New York, NY and the Dodge County Highway Department Annual Report for 2011; and received and referred to the County Attorney a letter from Law Office of Matthew A. Lathrop, P.C. LLO representing the interest of Miss Kathy Mass, deceased, the Estate of Kathryn Mass, Gloria Mass individually and Gloria Mass as the Special Administrator of the Estate of Kathy Mass, deceased, regarding incident that occurred in the emergency department of Fremont Area Medical Center on or about July 15, 2011.

 

            The Board unanimously approved the minutes of the January 11, 2012 meeting as printed.

 

            At 9:05 A.M., the Board recessed as a Board of Supervisors and convened as a Board of Corrections.  Chairman Missel dispensed with roll all members being present.

 

            Supervisor George, Chairman of the Jail Committee, asked that the next item, the discussion of negotiations with Saunders County for booking and holding of Dodge County’s inmates which may require closed session, be moved to the end of today’s agenda.

 

            Under any additional items of discussion, Chairman Missel presented Jake Brown a certificate of appreciation for serving as Dodge County’s Interim Jail Facility Administrator until Saunders County took over full operations of the facility.  It was reported Saunders County took over full operation of the booking and holding facility in Dodge County last Sunday, January 22nd.  Supervisor George reported things are operating very smoothly.  He thanked Supervisors Beam and Strand along with Building & Grounds Superintendent Walter for all their hard work and hours of dedication towards the installation and operation of the control system and cameras in the facility.

 

            At 9:15 A.M., Chairman Missel recessed the Board as a Board of Corrections and reconvened the Board as a Board of Supervisors, with all members being present.

 

            The Board unanimously approved the wage and hour claims as submitted in the amount of $172,351.55.

 

            The Board unanimously, with Lux abstaining, approved a claim to Lyman-Richey Sand & Gravel in the amount of $3,012.57.

 

            The Board unanimously approved the remaining financial claims as submitted in the amount of $340,866.43.

 

Committee Report – Chairman Missel reported the County Board workshop is scheduled for February 8th thru the 10th in Kearney.  Anyone going must register on NACO’s website.

 

Committee Report – Supervisor Beam reported on the new phone system and anticipated it being operable in a couple of weeks.

 

Committee Report – Chairman Missel and Supervisor George yesterday attended the Local Orientation & Exercise on the Local Emergency Operation Plan.  Chairman Missel presented a copy of the plan and remarked it was also in CD format if anyone would like to review it.  Highway Superintendent Doll also attended the orientation.

 

The next item for consideration on the agenda was the drafting of a letter to Senator Janssen and Governor Heineman regarding LB 970 & LB 1102 on Inheritance Taxes.  Chairman Missel reported Governor Heineman was pushing the bill to do away with inheritance tax.  He commented this would be a burden to taxpayers, since income from inheritance taxes are used to lower property taxes.  He also commented that Dodge County has the fourth lowest tax rate in the state.  Supervisor Marsh reported last year’s inheritance tax collected was around $900,000.  Without it, a 15% increase could be shifted to the taxpayer thru property taxes.  He commented his constituents don’t complain about inheritance taxes, but they do when it comes to property taxes.  The Board unanimously passed a motion instructing County Clerk Mytty, Supervisor Marsh and Chairman Missel to draft a letter opposing LB 970 and LB 1102 and to mail the letter to all the state senators, NACO and Governor Heineman e-mailing the letter today, since the Revenue Committee meets at 1:30 P.M. tomorrow on the bill. 

 

The Board then discussed whether a letter was sufficient or a resolution should be presented opposing LB 970 and LB 1102.  Since there was not a resolution on the agenda, Supervisor Lux introduced a motion, that was seconded by Strand, to declare that an emergency exists to consider a Resolution opposing LB 970 and LB 1102 on inheritance taxes, because the Revenue Committee was having a hearing on the bill tomorrow.  The motion passed unanimously.

 

The Board then unanimously passed a motion to adopt and authorize the Chairman to sign a resolution opposing LB 970 and LB 1102.  A resolution was prepared by the County Clerk.  The proposed resolution was read into the record by Chairman Missel.  It was decided to send the letter via e-mail attaching the resolution to the letter to all State Senators, NACO and Governor Heineman.  Supervisor Marsh, Chairman of the Finance Committee, will be attending tomorrow’s hearing on the bill in front of the Revenue Committee. 

 

The Board then discussed a letter from Attorney Jovan W. Lausterer of the Law Offices of Bromm Lindahl Freeeman-Caddy & Lausterer of Wahoo, Nebraska representing Robert & Deborah Maas, dba Maas Farms, Inc. requesting approval from Dodge County to run pipe down the county road ditch and through a county roadway.  Robert Maas was present and explained to the County Board he was looking for approval to put a pipe in the county’s right-of-way to drain his lagoon, which collects waste from his feedlot, to farmland approximately three-fourths of a mile away.  Since he was disapproved to lay the pipe above the ground, he was now asking to bury the pipe in the county’s right-of-way at no cost to the county.  If not approved, he remarked he would close his feedlot and the land would be converted back to farm ground generating less tax dollars than the feedlot.   Highway Superintendent Doll remarked there are no requests in the county that he can recall to convert waste water thru county right-of-way.  He said they issue utility installation agreements for utility companies who must provide a two million dollar liability certificate issued to Dodge County.  After further discussion, the Board unanimously passed a motion tabling the request until the February 7th meeting and instructed Zoning Administrator Andrews to check with surrounding counties to see what kind of permit, if any, they require for such a request.

 

 The Board reviewed a letter written to Supervisor Stoeber regarding proposals Zoning Administrator Jean Andrews received from four copy companies to copy the Dodge County Employee Handbooks.  Bids were received from Big B’s, Copy Shop, Fremont Printing and Staples, all of Fremont.  The Board unanimously passed a motion awarding the bid proposal to the lowest bidder, Copy Shop in the amount of $536.75 to print 150 sets of the handbook.  Supervisor Marsh, Chairman of the Finance Committee, asked that the cost come from the County Board’s budget under office supplies (30101).

 

At 10:31 A.M., the Board recessed as a Board of Supervisors and convened as a Board of Equalization.  Chairman Missel dispensed with roll, all members present except for Supervisor George.  (Supervisor George left the meeting at approximately 10:30 A.M.)

 

            The Board unanimously approved tax roll corrections #4157 thru #4167, with #4161 being voided.

 

            At 10:33 A.M., Chairman Missel adjourned the Board as a Board of Equalization until 10:00 A.M. on Tuesday, February 7, 2012.

 

            Immediately thereafter, the Board reconvened as a Board of Supervisors.  Chairman Missel dispensed with roll, all members being present except for Supervisor George.

 

            At 10:32 A.M., Chairman Missel declared a short recess of the County Board.

 

            At 10:42 A.M., the Board reconvened as a Board of Supervisors.  Chairman Missel dispensed with roll, all members being present except for Supervisor George.

 

            A Public Hearing was held to consider Dodge County’s 2012 One & Six Year Road Improvement Plan.  Highway Superintendent Doll opened the hearing by reporting on the projects in the one-year plan.  He pointed each out on a map, which consisted of twelve grading projects, two asphalt overlays, one paving project and six bridges.  He estimated the cost of paving one and one-half miles of the Luther Road north to Highway 275 to cost approximately 1.7 million dollars.  The asphalt overlay of the West Military Project is estimated to cost approximately one million dollars with the overlay of Cloverly Road to be approximately $150,000.  Mr. Doll commented there are 20 grading projects with eight bridge projects in the 2 to 6 year plan.  With no opposition against the plan, the Board unanimously passed a motion to adopt and authorize the Chairman to sign a resolution approving the 2012 One & Six Year Road Improvement Plan as presented.

 

            At 11:26 A.M., Chairman Missel adjourned the Board as a Board of Supervisors until Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 9:00 A.M.

 

            Immediately thereafter, the Board reconvened as a Board of Corrections.  Chairman Missel dispensed with roll all members being present except for Supervisor George.

 

            At 11:27 A.M., the Board unanimously passed a motion to go into closed session to discuss negotiations with Saunders County for booking and holding of Dodge County’s inmates.

 

            At 11:39 A.M., the Board unanimously passed a motion to go back into open session from the discussion of the negotiations for the booking and holding of Dodge County’s inmates.

 

            At 11:40 A.M., Chairman Missel adjourned the Board as a Board of Corrections until Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 9:05 A.M.

 

                                                                                                Fred Mytty

                                                                                                Dodge County Clerk