Seward County Commissioners will change their policy on hiring bonuses to include the current staffing situation at the detention center.
Detention Center Director Sara Stenger appeared before the commission on April 28 to request a hiring bonus to attract a female corrections officer to fill an essential position while two female corrections officers are on leave and a third has resigned.
The jail must have a specific number of female officers to fill shifts accommodating female inmates.
Stenger said the county has had only one applicant for the position and she hopes the bonus – which would amount to about $1.68 per hour more – would help attract more applicants.
However, county policy requires a position to be open at least 30 days before a hiring bonus is offered.
Commissioners took no action, but asked Deputy County Attorney Barbara Armstead to draft a change to the policy on hiring bonuses to include this essential employee situation.
Also on April 27, the commission selected three photos by Seward County photographer Roger Richters to be placed in the Justice Center lobby for the remainder of 2026.
Commissioner Raegan Hain has met with Richters who offered to loan the county the photos. He submitted several photos with rural patriotic themes from which the commissioners chose a photo with a street view of grain elevators with a line of flags, a close-in photo of a flag and a photo of a barn with a single American flag displayed.
In other action, the board:
• Approved two agreements with Cidnet/Encartele for content and security application data usage and audio and video applications purchases at the Detention Center, from which funds from inmate usage benefit the jail’s commissary fund.
• Recognized Larry Bechtal of Beaver Crossing as Veteran of the Month.
• Awarded a $338,000 bid for the purchase of a used motor grader.
• Approved short form plats for Bluff Hill Estate in Township 11 North, Golden Subdivision 1st Addition in Township 11 North, and Bob Christy Oaks in Township 12 North.
• Approved the use of up to $6,035 from the Opioid Fund for staff in the Seward District Court Problem Solving Court to attend the Rise 26 treatment court conference after staff provided additional documentation that sessions at the conference would address opioid abuse topics.
• Reviewed plans to begin audio-video recording of commission meetings with Tom Nielsen of Soarin Group.
• Appointed Susan Burkey of Milford and Jean Eggleston of Beaver Crossing to the Aging Partners Areawide Council.
• Acting as the Board of Equalization, approved a personal property tax refund, a tax list correction and 19 homestead exemption changes based on the 2022 state audit.
