With a $4 million federal allocation nixed and the possibility of receiving the $1 million since appropriated seeming unlikely, Seward County Commissioners are looking for another way to finish the paving of 420th Road between Interstate 80 and Highway 34.
Seward County Commissioner Reagan Hain on Oct. 28 asked that discussion about how the county could use bond financing to complete the project be placed on a future meeting agenda.
“Assuming we would go after additional funding, I am hesitant to believe there will be funding for such things in this next calendar year,” Hain said. “We were appropriated another $1 million for this project, but we have not received any of that.”
A public finance professional will be asked to attend a meeting soon to explain financing options for the project.
In July, Hain had heard from U.S. Rep. Mike Flood that a $1 million allocation for Seward County’s paving project on 420th Road was in the works.
But even if that arrives, it will fall a few million short of covering the project’s costs.
A $4 million funding earmark for 420th Road from Sen. Deb Fischer was deleted in April along with $4.5 million in water and road projects for Milford, Staplehurst and Malcolm and the Congressionally Directed Spending (CDA) allocations of other senators.
In all, $100 million in Nebraska earmarks were cut when the U.S. Senate adopted a stopgap funding bill to keep the government from shutting down mid-March.
The 420th Road project had previously received $3 million in congressional appropriations in FY 2024.
Also at the Oct. 28 meeting, the commissioners considered adding criteria to the Seward County Planning Commission’s bylaws to make geographic representation a factor in appointments.
Commissioners reappointed Curt Eberspacher of Beaver Crossing and Dale Niemann of Staplehurst to the Seward County Planning Commission for terms ending Jan. 17, 2029, with Chair Misty Ahmic expressing appreciation for their commitment to the Planning Commission’s work.
Non-incumbent Dave Kendle had applied for the position and commissioners noted that he is well qualified, but lives in the eastern portion of the county and the two incumbents are in the southwest and northwest quadrants of the county.
They said it is important to have geographic distribution of the existing board even though the commission’s bylaws do not address that.
In addition to Eberspacher and Niemann, the commission includes Jack Daniel, who lives in Seward County but has a Denton address, Katie Schweitzer who lives in Seward County but has a Friend address, and Ryan Krenk who lives in Pleasant Dale. Three planning commissioners – Brent Schluckebier, Phil Hargis, Aaron Shropshire, and Sue Medinger – have Seward addresses, but could live in any direction from the city.
Ahmic will draft an addition to the bylaws for the commissioners to address geographic representation on the planning commission.
In other action, the commissioners:
• etermined that county departments no longer have to seek approval to display colored lights on the courthouse windows in recognition of specific events, including Operation Green Light for Veterans, which will run from Nov. 4 to Nov. 11 Instead the county will establish a calendar to track those observations each year.
• ecognized Paul Spieker of Pleasant Dale as Veteran of the Month.
• eard Commissioner Darrell Zabrocki report that the county received a $25,308 dividend check from the Nebraska Intergovernmental Risk Management Association.
• pproved a non-transferrable conditional use permit for Legends Truck Repair to establish a truck body repair shop owned by Jack Blacketer north and west of the Milford interchange in Township 10 North.
• pproved short form plats for Steckley Subdivision in Township 9 North, Krska Home Place Acres in Township 12 North, LZ Acres in Township 10 North, and Piening Place Subdivision in Township 10 North.
• pproved Sheriff Mike Vance’s request to retire two canines and allow their handlers to purchase them for $1 each and noted that the dogs would not be replaced at this time.
• pproved the Seward Detention Center’s request to extend a maintenance and support agreement with IDEMIA equipment.
• pproved Seward Police Chief Brian Peters’ request to place a movable 20-foot metal storage container at the county’s firearm range for storage of equipment excluding firearms and ammunition, and to add a flagpole at the range on which a red flag would be flown when shooting activities are taking place.
• ccepted the Seward County Treasurer’s certification of distress warrants for the 2024 tax year to be collected by the sheriff.
