Logan County November briefs:
Plans for Safety Complex expansion, Wind farm updates, Airport manager position, changing of the guard

 

[November 26, 2018] 

LINCOLN 

On Tuesday, November 20, the Logan County Board held its Regular Board meeting, voting on several motions and resolutions and hearing committee updates.

One update was on architectural plans for the Logan County Safety Complex.

Eleven board members were present including Kevin Bateman, Dave Blankenship, Emily Davenport, Janet Estill, Bob Farmer, David Hepler, Gloria Luster, Chuck Ruben, Scott Schaffenacker, Bob Sanders and Annette Welch. Gene Rohlfs was absent.

Finance Committee update

The board unanimously approved Hepler’s motion to expend up to $8,500 out of the Airport and Farm Fund on architectural work for a new safety complex.

Sheriff Steve Nichols and Chief Deputy Mark Landers have recently talked with other counties who have either built a new facility or expanded the existing one.

Landers said when Crawford County looked at the options of building a new facility or renovating the existing one, it was going to be between $5.5 million and $6 M for a new jail with 40 to 50 beds and $4.6 M to $5 M for expansion that would add 15 more beds.

Ruben asked when the architectural work would be completed. He asked Nichols and Landers if December would be the time to “start wheels” to put a referendum for the public safety tax on the ballot for April.

Nichols said, they [the people from Dewberry] know we are under a time constraint, so I think they will push along.” He said they were here and went through the correctional part of the complex and have already seen the front area. Nichols said, “I think they will be able to get something done in time to let the public know what you are wanting.”

Landers said Dewberry has already completed the architectural plans for a jail expansion portion and are just waiting for the Board’s vote on completing plans for new construction, so hopefully they can move forward quickly.

Ruben said the board’s Legislative Committee should discuss the upcoming referendum at their December meeting, and come forward with information so it can go on the April ballot. He then suggested that it may need to be discussed at the Board’s Organizational Meeting on December 3.

County Clerk and Recorder Sally Turner said by January, the board must vote to put the referendum bond on the ballot.

Other motions brought forward from the Finance Committee included:

- The maintenance and support contract with DEVNET (who maintain the county’s computer software).

- The Engagement Letter with Clifton Larson Allen LLP (a government accounting firm who do the county audit)

- The recognitions of George Fishburn, Jim Struebing, Ivan Rademaker, and Mitzi Rohlfs for their service to the Logan County Joint Solid Waste Agency.

- The recognition of Gloria Luster for service on the Logan County Board

- The recognition of the Lincoln Chill Softball Team

- The recognition of Sally Turner for service as the Logan County Clerk and Recorder.

- The recognition of Steve Nichols for service as the Logan County Sheriff.

These motions were all unanimously approved.

Special Airport Advisory Committee

Bateman made a motion to approve the wording for a job description for airport manager but wanted to amend a couple line items.

Blankenship motioned to send the wording back to committee for more review.

Davenport said when they drafted it in the special meeting, she thought it was just a draft. She said they need to discuss hours and would like to see a description of the role of airport chairman versus the role of the airport manager.

Bateman said the position will be part time at no more than 29 hours per week.

Ruben said the committee was created to “flesh out the role” of the airport manager and “by definition” whatever the manager is doing will not be done by the airport chairman anymore. The airport chairman will have other duties.

Davenport said if they are going to separate the farm from it, people need to understand what that means.

The other motion was for the chairman to appoint an outside committee to select the airport manager.

Ruben said he has talked to State’s Attorney Jonathan Wright, who said there could be a problem of a conflict of interest of the board choosing a member to do this job.

Ruben said, “I suggested using an outside committee made up of no members of the board except maybe an advisory member to answer that committee’s questions.”

Ruben said the committee would be made up of individuals from the community, which would take away any conflicts of interest. He said the board would just be approving who that committee picked.

The board approved sending both motions back to the committee for more discussion.

Road and Bridge Committee update

Road and Bridge Committee Chairman Bob Farmer brought forward two motions.

The first was a motion to approve a second addendum to the engineering agreement for construction inspection at Hilltopper Wind Farm in the amount of $238,446.80.

Ruben said the amount has run over quite a bit because of the way some things were done.

Logan County Highway Engineer Bret Aukamp said the construction of the wind farm has taken much longer than what anybody expected.

Aukamp said they are still putting in rip rap on culverts installed several months ago because they did not take the time to put the rip rap in earlier when they were in a hurry to get the roads done and build the wind farm.

He added that it has taken much longer for roadway construction than planned and they have been revisiting sites over and over again, which creates inefficiencies in construction.

Aukamp said the project construction is “no business of mine,” however, with the project’s construction inspection the agreement is through the county. He said these issues have meant man-hours for construction inspector, it “has been a bit of a learning curve” and challenge on how to handle the issues.

Aukamp and Ruben said Swift Current Energy has paid all the costs so far, so they have lived up to their word on the road use agreement. He said the company will pay the additional amount for the construction inspection.

This motion passed 10-1 with Bateman voting no.

A motion to pay the county’s engineer salary for 2019 using the ‘State’ recommended salary option.

This motion also passed 10-1 with Bateman voting no.

Insurance/Legislative/Liquor Committee update

Insurance, Legislative, and Liquor Committee Chairman Annette Welch’s motion to approve definition of Retiree in the Employee Handbook was unanimously approved.

A motion to approve the Firearms Sanctuary Resolution was approved with Bateman, Blankenship, Davenport, Estill, Farmer, Luster, Ruben, Sanders, Schaffenacker and Welch voting yes.

Hepler abstained since he has not had a chance to read it.

A motion to approve a worker’s compensation claim was approved 9-1-1.

Blankenship, Davenport, Estill, Farmer, Luster, Ruben, Sanders, Schaffenacker and Welch voted yes.

Bateman voted no.

Hepler abstained since he was not there for the discussion that took place during the Workshop in executive session.


Animal Control

Animal Control Chairman Bob Sanders brought forward three motions:

- To restructure callout pay from flat fee to hourly rate of $13.50 per hour.

- To approve the re-appointment of Jane Whiteman to Animal Control Warden
 

- To approve the re-appointment of Russell Hunt to Assistant Animal Control Warden.

These motions were unanimously approved by the eleven board members present.

Building and Grounds

Building and Grounds Chairman Kevin Bateman brought forward three motions:

- To accept the snow removal bid from Robinson Construction for the county parking lots.

- to approve the use of the Logan County Courthouse lawn from December 2, 2018 thru January 2, 2019 for a Nativity Scene by Julia Zanoza.

Another motion was discussed concerning possibly closing Logan County Courthouse on Monday, December 24, 2018.

Logan County Circuit Clerk Mary Kelly asked if the court was aware of the board’s plans and whether there were not any cases set for the day. Kelly said unless the Chief Judge closes it, “the court is still open.”

Ruben said all the board is doing is approving for courthouse employees to be off that day, if they can. “So, if the courts would be open and need your services, you are going to have to be here.”

All three motions were unanimously approved by the eleven board members present.

Transportation Committee update

Transportation Committee Chairman Kevin Bateman’s motion to approve a downstate transportation operating assistance grant agreement passed with nine yes votes and two no votes.

Bateman, Davenport, Estill, Farmer, Hepler, Luster, Ruben, Sanders and Welch voted yes.

Blankenship and Schaffenacker voted no.

Executive and Personnel Committee update

The board unanimously approved Executive and Personnel Chairman Emily Davenport’s motion to approve an MOU [Memorandum of Understanding] with RLGA for e-waste services in 2019.


Chairman’s report

Ruben thanked the board for a pleasant two years while he served as chairman and for the job they have done. He said the board has made it easy by doing their jobs, “I have nothing but good remarks for everybody concerned.”

Other communications

Turner, who is completing her term at the end of the month, congratulated all who had been elected to serve another term.

Turner said the swearing-in ceremony will be December 3rd at 9 a.m. in the third-floor courtroom of the courthouse.

An organization meeting will follow at 10:30 a.m. in the first-floor courtroom. At that time, the board will elect a new Chairman, Vice-Chairman, and Parliamentarian, and give new committee assignments.

The next Regular Board meeting will be Tuesday, December 18 at 7 p.m. in the Logan County Courthouse.

[Angela Reiners]