Seward County commissioners took two actions aimed at improving county roads at their March 3 meeting.
One project takes aim at dust problems on county roads, while the other will dedicate staff time and equipment funds to building or rebuilding roads.
The commissioners approved a road construction crew member job description to be used for an internal road construction team dedicated to building or rebuilding roads. Funding from April 1 through June 30 will be $514,000 for this team, which will be paid from the Inheritance Fund. After July 1, it would be included in the department’s annual budget.
The team plans include raising team members’ hourly pay to $25 per hour, which Highway Superintendent Jon Regnier said recognizes a level of knowledge and skills related to road building, and he expects some current staff to be interested in the team.
Commissioner Scott Pekarek said he questioned whether that pay level would be enough to retain staff, but others noted their frustration with the competitive nature of road department jobs between counties and between county and commercial employers.
Regnier said the pay level and county benefits offer another step for county staff members.
Regnier said about 60 miles of road have been identified as needing to be redone in some form.
Commission Chair Misty Ahmic said the shift to a dedicated team to rebuild roads makes sense. The county had looked into hiring a company to tackle some of the roads in bad repair, but cost was a deterrent.
“There are so many stretches of road in this county that are in ridiculous condition,” she said.
The department also received funding to test Perma-Zyme Soil Stabilizer on three county roads and the county’s stockpiles of gravel and rock.
The $27,444 test of the dust-reduction product will also require the purchase of additional equipment costing $22,334. Regnier said the additional equipment, which includes a straight trailer, would also be used for other projects.
The three sections of road to be tested will be one mile of 420th Road north of Highway 34, one mile of McKelvie Road between Highway 34 and 196th Road, and one mile of 252nd Road south of Pioneers Road, which reflect different traffic patterns in the county.
The project, totaling $49,9444, will be funded from the Inheritance Fund.
Also at the March 3 meeting, the commissioners approved a contract for tuckpointing work on the first eight to 10 feet of the Seward County Courthouse, which will be done this spring by Commercial Restoration Group of Lincoln. The $5,600 project will be funded by the Commissioners’ Sinking Fund.
Eric Hofer, superintendent for building and grounds, presented three bids on the project. The other two were $8,000 each. He said Commercial Restoration Group had done similar work, including work at Concordia University.
Highway zone changed
Referencing an earlier commission decision, the board on March 3 granted a rezoning request for the Transitional Ag (TA-1) land to a Highway Commercial District (C-2) after granting a special use permit for a business in the area on Feb. 3.
Jim Daws, owner of J&L Enterprises, LLC, filed the zoning change request with Ron Schroeder of Wacker Revocable Trust. The two own the property along Highway 15 south of Interstate 80 where Daws previously headquartered his trucking company.
Daws and Seward County Chamber and Development Partnership CEO Jonathan Jank spoke at the public hearing for the zoning change.
The zoning action makes the special use permit approved in February unnecessary because the Hwy 15 Truck Repair LLC business is among the allowed uses of this zone.
The commissioners had split 4-1 when they approved the special permit after Deputy County Attorney Barbara Armstead said the conditional use permit could set a precedent for other zones in which a specific conditional use is not permitted.
Commissioner Raegan Hain, who had voted against the special use permit, said March 3 she appreciated Daws’ quick action to request the zoning change.
In other action March 3, the commissioners:
• Approved the One- and Six-Year Road Plan presented at a Feb. 24 public hearing.
• Were introduced to Tim Kallhoff, new county weed superintendent, and Megan Eckles, new emergency manager and zoning assistant.
• Approved a letter to be signed in support of the request for Community Project Funding through U.S. Rep. Mike Flood’s office for the 420th Road paving project.
• Approved an amended liquor license application for Western Oil II/Speedee Mart.
• Approved a short form plat for Niemann Acres in Township 12 and a replat of 5.57 acres for Segner Addition in Township 9N.
• Approved a conditional use permit for American Tower and AT&T to upgrade and/or modify equipment to an existing wireless tower in Township 10 N after no one spoke at a public hearing.
• Approved 62.5 hours of catastrophic leave for an employee.
• Recognized Paul Rexroad as Veteran of the Month.
