Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Budget Public Hearing Sept. 19
Kimball County Highway Superintendent Randy Bymer met with the Kimball County Commissioners on Sept. 5 at their regular meeting to provide an update on the road department.
Bymer said the department is out graveling and that the roads had received a sizable rain north of Bushnell.
A discussion ensued about a complaint that the clerk’s office had received stemming from the gravel trucks on Road 37. Bymer explained that there is “not a whole lot we can do.” The complaint mentioned the volume of trucks, noise, speed and dusty roads.
Pine Bluffs Sand and Gravel is hauling gravel from the gravel pit on Road 37 to missile sites in Weld County and Laramie County.
In response to the noise issue, Bymer said that the county does not have a “jake brake” ordinance, so the noise complaint is impossible to enforce. Bymer said Pine Bluffs Sand and Gravel does water the road twice a day, although he would mention to them that mid-day watering would help control the dust. The speed limit on Road 37 is 40 mph, and there is nothing to do about the volume of traffic.
In other business, KCTS administrator Christy Warner updated and explained the reason for the need and approval of an agreement between the Nebraska Department of Transportation and Kimball County Transit.
NDOT will provide funding for the Contractor’s Intercity Public Transportation System, which began July 1, 2023, and will end June 30, 2025. This agreement provides 100% funding for one of the Denver International Airport routes, and the county is committed to a two-year time frame. This route requires reservations but would bring in an additional $278,824 in funding.
The commissioners approved adding IT Security Equipment at the Road Department and KCTS Transfer Center.
An informational meeting on Nebraska’s Open Meeting Act is set for 7 p.m. Oct. 17. Political entities, villages and boards are encouraged to attend.
To be compliant with LB644, at 7 p.m. Sept. 19, a joint public hearing on the budget will be held at the KCTS meeting room.
LB 644 requires that if a county, city, school district or community college increases their property tax request by more than 2% plus growth, they are required to participate in a joint public hearing, and provide notice of the proposed tax increase on a postcard to all affected taxpayers.