During the Seward County Commissioners’ Sept. 12 meeting, the board:
• approved the budget for the 2017-2018 fiscal year. The county’s total budget, which includes potential grants, is $31 million.
The public hearing and approval of the county’s tax request was postponed, as the Seward County Independent failed to publish the public hearing notice. In budget documents sent by County Clerk Sherry Schweitzer, the county’s proposed tax request is $8.6 million.
The hearing was to take place during the commissioners’ Aug. 19 meeting.
On Sept. 12, Schweitzer said the public hearing and vote on the county’s levy will be held in October. The budget document states the proposed levy is $0.277295 per $100 of valuation.
• heard an annual report from Sandy Morrissey of Region V Prevention Coalition.
• authorized the sheriff to sign an agreement with Advanced Correctional Healthcare and approved an amendment to the agreement for inmate health services.
Detention Center Director Maria Hatfield said the agreement will provide mental health services for three hours every two weeks for inmates at the Seward County Justice Center. She also said the agrement increases a nurse’s hours from six to eight hours a week. The cost is $725/month, but Hatfield said the price may decrease if the inmate population is low.
• approved a special designated liquor license for Miletta Vineyards and Winery for the Seward County Chamber and Development Partnership’s Ignite the Flight event on Oct. 21.
• approved several special designated liquor licenses for Junto Winery for events Oct. 1, 7, 20, 21 and 27.
• approved the county clerk fee report for August for $23,000.
• approved the clerk of the district court fee report for August for $52,000.
• officially requested assistance from the Upper Big Blue Natural Resource District for repairs on the Brackham-Marquardt road dam, located near O Street and 476th roads, south of Utica along the Seward/York county line. Dave Pankoke of the Seward County Road Department, said the dam protects land near Beaver Crossing and roads, especially in the wet season.
“If you turn this water loose, it finds its way across the new Cordova pavement,” Pankoke said.
He added that if the NRD could pay up to $50,000, if it agrees to assist the county.
• reviewed a right of way request from Norman Luebbe. At a previous meeting, Luebbe discussed flooding in the ditches off his property near Goehner. Pankoke said Luebbe wanted to divert the water.
The commissioners took no action, electing to wait for the highway superintendent to make a recommendation.
• denied a building permit from Bob Meyer. The board also decided to refund his permit fee and sent the issue to the planning and zoning board to explore conditional use and/or permitted use in areas zoned commercial, specifically C-2.
