Photo Courtesy of Ryan Duey
Topics discussed during the Clay County Commissioners’ meeting on July 21st included: Tower clock, 2026 Budget, KEMSA Conference, NRP Application, and bridge repair.
Ryan West, County Maintenance, reported on the tower clock and the chimes. They had to purchase a new motor for the clock, and it has been installed by JP Electric; the clock is running again. The bells have not worked for many years. They are experimenting with the setting of the timing and having the correct number of bells ringing at the right time. The Board granted permission for West to purchase two solar-powered lights, which are outdoor and waterproof, to be placed at the flagpole located at the Law Enforcement Center.
Randy Gassman, Pottberg, Gassman & Hoffman, met with the Board to hold a workshop for the preparation of the County 2026 budget. Several Department budget requests were reviewed. Revenues and expense reports for several County departments were reviewed. Gassman will return next week with changes and a draft budget for the Board to continue to work on until the final budget is complete. The Board has set the RNR and Budget Hearing for September 8 at 5:30 p.m. The decision to exceed the RNR levy of 55.272 was agreed upon by all three Board members.
Bobby Shomper, Highway Administrator, met with the Board to give the weekly report. Durwin Mall joined the meeting. Mall expressed his concerns about the bridge north of Green that is going to be replaced. Mall feels that the Engineer who inspected the bridge should have caught the condition at the time the bridge was inspected. Shomper informed Mall that it was an Engineer with Schwab Eaton who did the inspection. When doing an inspection, it is done with just viewing the bridge from different angles. The Engineer stated that there was a truck that crossed the bridge that was too heavy and caused a piece of concrete to fall out of the deck, causing the huge hole.
Alec Trembath, EMS Director, reported that the Department is currently on run 561 for the year. They continue to stay busy with emergency runs and out-of-town transfers. KEMSA Conference is coming up on August 8-10. There will be 3 full-time employees plus the EMS Director attending. The registration and the lodging will be reimbursed by Region 4 EMS. The Board approved an Event Approval for employees to attend the Conference in Manhattan.
Jim Bogart, Emergency Manager, reviewed the items that are currently being sold on Purplewave.
Alan Benninga, Sheriff, reported that they are going to have to replace the fingerprint scanner with a new one that will replace the Windows 10 operating system. The new one includes the computer, keyboard, scanner, mouse, and Life Scan software. A motion was made to purchase. Benninga reported that the new explorer patrol unit has arrived at Glavan Ford. Different brands of radios were discussed, and the option of purchasing used compared to new ones was discussed.
Jim Lippert, Lippert Grain, met with the Board to discuss the bridge replacement North of Green. Lippert is concerned about his business with the fall crops because the bridge is closed. He would like to have an Engineer out to see if the southbound lane could remain open while the other lane is being replaced. The Board informed Lippert that it has already been looked at by an Engineer, and they say that the entire bridge needs to be replaced. They say it’s only a matter of time with the large trucks that drive over it, that the concrete will fall out, and there will be holes on the southbound lane, too. The Board stated that they are concerned about the liability of the County if they would keep the one lane open. Lippert expressed that this is a huge deal for the elevator in Green. He has had customers state that they will not drive their trucks on the detour route to come to Green. The Board stated that they understand his concerns, but that they have to look out for the liability of the County also.
Greg Nelson, Landowner, and Sam Tiemeyer met with the Board to discuss the drainage west of Morganville. Bobby Shomper, Highway Administrator, and Kenny Blair, Senior Vice President, Cook Flatt & Strobel, joined the meeting. Tiemeyer stated that he had done most of the dirt work for Nelson on this piece of land and that the property has a drainage issue with the asphalt road being too high. Tiemeyer provided the Board with elevation measurements. Questions about the 1993 flood were answered, and Shomper stated that the current culvert was not there in 1993. Nelson stated that he was looking to get away from the artificial lake and would like to know their options. Blair stated that he had been the Engineer who had been there for the placement of the culverts and that the placement and the height were correct. Nelson asked if, after the crops are removed from the area if the Board would come and view what he feels is the issue, along with the landowners on the other side of the highway. The Board agreed to do the viewing later this fall. The County asked Blair if he would go to view the bridge north of Green and give his opinion on the bridge replacement. Afterwards, Shomper called back to tell the Board that Mr. Blair and he had been out to look at the bridge north of Green, and Blair’s recommendation is to move forward and remove and replace the bridge. The current one is in poor shape.
Rhonda Carroll, Landfill Director, reported that the skid steer has blown a hose and will need to have Bruna make the repairs. She presented a quote from Five Creeks Automotive on repairs that need to be made on the red 2008 Ford Pickup. The Board granted permission to fix the red pickup.
Danny Mesalles, County Appraiser, met with the Board to present a Residential NRP application for a full house remodel. The Board reviewed and approved the project to be placed in the Clay County NRP Program.
