Marissa Pfile spends a lot of time reading regulations, studying maps and working with people who may or may not want to be dealing with a zoning issue.
By state statute (23-114.03), every county board has to adopt a comprehensive development plan and zoning “promoting the health, safety, morals, convenience, order, prosperity, and welfare of the present and future inhabitants of Nebraska.”
After that the statute lists 14 examples of more specific purposes zoning regulations might address, including developing urban and nonurban areas, minimizing waste of excessive roads, fire safety, providing adequate light and air, provisions for transportation, water flow, water supply, drainage, sanitation, recreation, soil fertility, food supply, protecting the tax base, fostering agriculture, recreation and other industries, and encouraging the most appropriate use of land.
Seward County’s zoning regulations fill 114 pages – though in truth the first 40-or-so pages are the table of contents and definitions of everything from accessory dwellings to yards (front, rear and side).
So knowing what a property owner can and cannot do on their land can be complicated.
That’s where Pfile comes in.
As Seward County’s zoning administrator, she fields questions, helps people find the rules that apply to their land, and reviews permit applications. For some, she visits sites for which permits have been applied and where construction is taking place.
She also prepares documents, agendas and minutes for the Seward County Planning Commission, then takes their recommendations to the county board of commissioners.
She started the job in May of 2024 after having worked in the Seward County Veterans’ Service Office.
The work has not slowed down.
The planning commission and board of commissioners are working to complete and adopt an updated version of the lengthy zoning regulations that has been in the works for a few years. During 2025, the county has processed applications for conditional use permits for four concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) or poultry farms.
“It was something new. A new challenge,” Pfile said of the job change in a recent interview. “I really do like helping people figure out what they can do and where they can do it. It’s something different every day.”
Passersby on the courthouse’s third floor rarely see her standing at the front counter talking to someone. She prefers to bring them around to her desk where they can sit and look at the computer screen if necessary.
“It kind of eases tensions a little bit. If I had a coffeemaker up here, everybody would have a cup of coffee,” Pfile said.
She has had to come up to speed quickly, but she’s been around zoning conversations a long time. Her husband, Patrick Pfile, was previously on the Seward County Planning Commission and her father, Gary Grantski, has served as Beaver Crossing’s zoning administrator.
“I am not afraid to ask questions. I am pretty sure legal (the county attorney’s office) has gotten tired of me going for clarifications,” she said.
County Commissioner Misty Ahmic has helped her acclimate to the role, she said.
“Honestly, everybody has been great if I ask,” she said.
Not everyone loves dealing with zoning issues. She said she gets some unpleasant messages sometimes, but she hopes if people want to know if they need a permit or have other zoning questions, they can call her office.
“I have had to tell people no. It’s part of my job, but I can help them make it work on a different piece of property or make changes in their plan. I don’t want to quash anyone’s dreams,” she said. “We break down their project and figure out what they want to do and how they want to do it, and we figure out if they can or what we need to do.”
Some people will dismiss the zoning and say they will do what they want because it is their property.
“I just know that our regulations are what they are, and we have to follow them,” Pfile said.
Some parts of her job are more time consuming than people realize, she said. Sometimes the steps take awhile to complete.
Pfile’s other duties include administering the flood plain designations in the county. She is now completing certification for that role.
She also administers the county’s general assistance program, which she brought with her from the Veterans’ Services Office, but the program is not limited to veterans.
With that, she assesses applications for what people expect to be their last source of financial assistance, which could be for rent, utilities or medical needs, and often includes cremation expenses.
She said requests are infrequent, but she was the one who knew the process.
The Seward County Board of Commissioners approved plans to hire an assistant administrator this fiscal year, and Pfile hopes to have someone training soon.
In January or February, she hopes the two of them will be able to expand the office’s four-day schedule to also be open on Friday.
