Tourism Director Rocha Moves On

Kimball County Tourism Director Jessica Rocha submitted her resignation to the Kimball County Commissioners at the August 2 regular county board meeting. Rocha will continue until August 12 as the County Tourism Director. She has been in the position for three and a half years.

According to Rocha, she has accepted a job as the executive secretary for the superintendent for Pine Bluffs Schools.

The commissioners approved the Master Human Resources Outsourcing Agreement between Zelle, LLC and Kimball County to provide HR Services.

County Veterans Service Officer Program Coordinator Darcee Wheeland also met with the commissioners and presented her data from May to July. In that period, 15 new veterans began receiving benefits.

Wheeland helps veterans apply to veterans homes, get hunting and fishing permits, park permits, and homestead exemptions, to name a few of the benefits.

According to Wheeland, $56,341 of veteran benefits are received by Kimball County veterans on a monthly basis.

In other business, District Judge Derek Weimer from the 12th Judicial District met with the commissioners to request an increase for court appointed counsel for this district, county and juvenile court. The motion was made and approved to set the hourly rate at $100. It previously had been $85 for district court and $70 for county and juvenile court.

Randy Bymer, county highway superintendent, said his department was blading, and he is breaking in two new guys on the graders; they had previously been on the gravel crew which is shut down. The six miles of chip seal will start on August 8, and then in September, the stripping of the new roadway will be done, but the pricing has increased to about $11,000 for six miles of stripping, almost double what it was previously.

Bymer is looking for a solution to getting new hires a CDL for a reasonable rate.

Bymer presented a letter that will be sent to landowners and operators of pivots should they repeatedly shower the roads with water. The water on the road from pivots is a hazard and dangerous, and the letter says that there is a penalty for this infraction.

Kimball County Transit Service was one of the final subjects that the commissioners dealt with on August 2. The commissioners approved a Supplemental Agreement between Kimball County and the Nebraska Department of Transportation to authorize an increase in federal and state funds for the transit.

Transit administrator Christy Warner explained and discussed the future needs of Kimball County in relation to public transportation, including trips to DIA, Clean Harbors possible needs, and first and foremost, the people of Kimball. No decision was made on expansion.

With the budget season upon the county, Josie Morgan, county budget officer, presented the preliminary property tax request from the Kimball County political subdivisions for 2022-23, and they were received by the board. In addition, Morgan reviewed the dates for the budget and appointments with officials. The commissioners will meet later in August to go over the budget.