[{"_1":2,"_114":-5,"_115":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,84,94,104],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":-5,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6109700,"mediaKeyId","2759638-dad1c53e50a46bdd5e5e88ef9bed4892","parentId",2759638,"title","Votes at a glance: Keith County Board approves routine agenda items, billboard lease, travel request and RFP recommendation","audioSeconds",1354,"startMs",69000,"endMs",1423000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2759638-dad1c53e50a46bdd5e5e88ef9bed4892&start=69&end=1423","thumbnailUrl","https://d352y6ypj4mjo3.cloudfront.net/AudioPlaceholder.png","articleUrl","/articles/6109700/Keith-County/Nebraska/Votes-at-a-glance-Keith-County-Board-approves-routine-agenda-items-billboard-lease-travel-request-and-RFP-recommendation","mediaUrl","author","Keith County, NE","date","2025-03-05T00:00:00Z","article","At its meeting the Keith County Board of Commissioners took the following formal actions (roll-call recorded) during routine business and specific agenda items.

Approved agenda and minutes
- Motion to approve the meeting agenda: carried on roll call.
- Motion to approve minutes of the previous meeting: motion carried with Commissioner Irvin recorded as abstaining on the minutes roll call.

Payment of claims
- Motion to approve payment of claims: approved by roll call. Board discussion noted one claim related to a radar grant and the sheriff’s office; commissioners agreed staff will ensure correct coding of grant revenue and expense.

Billboard lease agreement
- Motion: Approve the billboard lease agreement between the Keith County Visitors Committee and the private billboard owner (payable to Aileen Fraser) at $800 per year for the stated term; motion moved and seconded. Roll call: motion passed. (Agreement described in the agenda as a multiyear lease; term and exact start/end dates were read from the presented agreement.)

Travel request
- Motion: Approve travel for Jamie Moore to attend Weed Control Association training in Norfolk (approx. March 24–27) using a county vehicle (~280 miles round trip). Motion approved on roll call.

Lakeview West RFP recommendation
- Motion: Accept the road superintendent’s recommendation to award the Lakeview West RFP to Oak Creek Engineering and proceed to negotiate scope and contract terms. Motion by Commissioner Irvin, second by Commissioner Anderson; roll call approval.

Each motion was recorded with a roll-call vote as indicated in the meeting minutes. No ordinances or resolutions were adopted at this meeting.","mediaType","Audio","parentTitle","Keith County Board of Commissioners Meeting March 5, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Keith County Board of Commissioners approved the meeting agenda, minutes, payment of claims, a billboard lease agreement with annual payment of $800, a travel request for Weed Control training, and accepted the road superintendent’s recommendation to hire Oak Creek Engineering for the Lakeview West RFP.","taxTitle","Keith County, Nebraska","taxId",73789,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":50,"_51":81,"_53":-5,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":82,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":83,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6109704,"Commissioners reopen debate on county HR support and liaison role; past contractor and on-site availability cited",738,6038000,6776000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2759638-dad1c53e50a46bdd5e5e88ef9bed4892&start=6038&end=6776","/articles/6109704/Keith-County/Nebraska/Commissioners-reopen-debate-on-county-HR-support-and-liaison-role-past-contractor-and-on-site-availability-cited","The Keith County Board of Commissioners reopened a multi-meeting discussion about human-resources support, liaison assignments and whether to pursue a limited, negotiated contract for HR services.

Commissioners reviewed past experience with an outside HR contractor (Zelle) and said some departments had benefited from on-site, prompt support while others declined to use the service. One commissioner summarized the history: the county had contracted for HR services, received mixed feedback after staff changes at the contractor, then chose not to renew the full contract during a prior budget review.

At the meeting commissioners said offices continue to report persistent gaps: the employee handbook remains partly incomplete, employees and department heads sometimes lack clear guidance on FMLA and other personnel matters, and the county’s small internal staff capacity means some issues stall. Several commissioners emphasized the importance of on-site availability: “If you call Pam, she tells you all this…and she said, check with your county attorney,” one commissioner said, identifying delays when telephone support is the only option. By contrast, commissioners said an on-site or locally available HR contact made problem resolution faster during earlier work with Zelle.

Commissioners noted there is $25,000 currently in the county budget for HR-related services and that Jordan (a county staff contact) indicated the vendor would negotiate a more limited, specific contract focused on the county’s highest-priority needs if asked. Commissioners directed staff to collect feedback from department heads, assemble recommended contract scope options, and return to the board at a future meeting (not next week; a later date was requested to avoid agenda conflicts) with a proposed approach that could include a partial contract, on-site visits for sensitive matters, or other alternatives.

There was no final vote at the meeting; the board agreed to readdress HR at a future meeting after gathering more office-level input.","Keith County commissioners discussed whether to re-establish or revise outsourced human-resources support after mixed experience with a prior contractor (Zelle) and identified a $25,000 line in the current budget for HR; commissioners asked staff to gather comments from offices and return with a recommendation.",{"_33":85,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":86,"_41":87,"_43":88,"_45":89,"_47":90,"_49":50,"_51":91,"_53":-5,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":92,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":93,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6109708,"Resident urges caution if County paves Road 80; commissioners note tradeoffs",253,287000,540000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2759638-dad1c53e50a46bdd5e5e88ef9bed4892&start=287&end=540","/articles/6109708/Keith-County/Nebraska/Resident-urges-caution-if-County-paves-Road-80-commissioners-note-tradeoffs","During the public-forum portion of the Keith County Board of Commissioners meeting, resident Warren Christopherson raised safety concerns about a proposed upgrade to Road 80, emphasizing hills, intersections, farm traffic and semitrailers.

Christopherson, who identified himself by name and location, said several steep hills and a crossroad near Roscoe create safety risks, especially where semitrailers and farm equipment converge. “There’s a lot of…farmers…this time of year you almost always see the cows coming because…they're moving from one field to the other,” Christopherson said, and he recommended additional warning signage and possibly lowering the speed limit through a residential section near a housing development.

Commissioners acknowledged the tradeoffs between improved road surfaces and higher vehicle speeds. One commissioner said paving could increase traffic and speeds on the corridor — “If you pave it and it’s going to be used a ton…it's only going to get worse if the road surface is better,” — and noted the difficulty of balancing improved infrastructure with the potential for more traffic and faster driving. The board discussed speed limits and sight-distance issues and agreed they would study the corridor and weigh right-of-way and underground utilities before any reconstruction.

No board action was taken at the meeting; the resident was thanked for his comments and commissioners said they would continue evaluation with road staff.","A resident urged the Keith County Board of Commissioners to consider safety, speed limits, and farm traffic before paving Road 80; commissioners acknowledged growth and the tradeoffs between improved surface and increased speeds/traffic.",{"_33":95,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":96,"_41":97,"_43":98,"_45":99,"_47":100,"_49":50,"_51":101,"_53":-5,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":102,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":103,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6109713,"Sheriff says unexpected radar grant found after budget; commissioners discuss coding and budget impact",349,849000,1198000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2759638-dad1c53e50a46bdd5e5e88ef9bed4892&start=849&end=1198","/articles/6109713/Keith-County/Nebraska/Sheriff-says-unexpected-radar-grant-found-after-budget-commissioners-discuss-coding-and-budget-impact","The Keith County Board of Commissioners discussed a recently awarded radar equipment grant for law enforcement that became available after the sheriff’s office budget was finalized.

Sheriff Jeff told the board the radar grant “came available. We put in for it, and we got it,” and that the department did not plan for the grant during the budget process. He said the sheriff’s law enforcement equipment budget was originally $18,000 and that the grant is a radar-specific award.

Commissioners discussed how to reflect the grant in county accounting and which budget line should show the expense. One commissioner said the grant funds had been coded to the sheriff’s equipment line in the claims listing but recommended that the county record the revenue to the general fund under contributions and donations and then record the expense so the use of the grant is transparent in county accounting. “To reflect it as an expense because you don't have revenue in your budget…that’s where it’s gotta go,” a commissioner advised, describing the contributions/donations coding as the appropriate place to identify grant revenue.

Board members also raised budget-management concerns: the sheriff’s equipment line was projected to be heavily used and the county is tracking overall spending percentages for departments as the fiscal year progresses. Commissioners encouraged the sheriff to coordinate with the county clerk/treasurer’s office to ensure the grant is recorded correctly and suggested using budget authority procedures if the department later needs an adjustment.

No formal vote was required at the meeting; commissioners approved the payment of related claims by roll call and directed staff to code and document the grant appropriately.","Keith County Sheriff’s office received a radar-specific grant after the county budget was set. Commissioners discussed where to code the grant, how it affects the sheriff’s equipment line (budgeted at $18,000), and whether to reflect the revenue and expense in the general fund to avoid later cuts.",{"_33":105,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":106,"_41":107,"_43":108,"_45":109,"_47":110,"_49":50,"_51":111,"_53":-5,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":112,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":113,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6109718,"Keith County accepts Oak Creek Engineering RFP for Lakeview West project",777,1983000,2760000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2759638-dad1c53e50a46bdd5e5e88ef9bed4892&start=1983&end=2760","/articles/6109718/Keith-County/Nebraska/Keith-County-accepts-Oak-Creek-Engineering-RFP-for-Lakeview-West-project","The Keith County Board of Commissioners voted to accept the road superintendent’s recommendation to award the Lakeview West request for proposals (RFP) to Oak Creek Engineering on a recorded roll call.

County Road Superintendent Thomas Wilbur presented the scoring summary and recommended Oak Creek Engineering, saying evaluators scored proposals against criteria in the RFP and that Oak Creek scored highest. “I gave you guys this kind of a breakdown of how all the proposals were scored,” Wilbur said, and added he was “very comfortable” with the averaged scores and the scoring process because it followed a written rubric established in the RFP.

Commissioners emphasized practical experience and local familiarity when debating the choice. One commissioner said Oak Creek’s proposed approach — including the firm’s experience with Portland-cement-based stabilization and requests for relaxations to Nebraska board classification standards — offered time and cost savings. The board also noted Oak Creek’s familiarity with local conditions around Bridal and the benefit of consulting the county surveyor during negotiations.

Commissioners said the next step is to meet with the selected firm to develop a negotiated scope, determine whether to use stabilization, asphalt or other methods, and obtain a project cost estimate before finalizing contract terms. Thomas Wilbur and commissioners said they expect the contract negotiations to include language that allows the county input on subconsultants and limits expensive, day-by-day on-site observation unless necessary.

Motion and vote: Commissioner Irvin moved and Commissioner Anderson seconded to accept Wilbur’s recommendation and award the RFP to Oak Creek Engineering. The motion passed on roll call.

The board signaled intent to involve the county surveyor and road staff in detailed scope and to preserve the right to revisit the selection if the negotiated costs are unacceptable. Commissioners also flagged the likely need to request relaxations of engineering standards for some curves and corners on the route, noting Oak Creek’s experience securing such relaxations could reduce delays and cost.

The board did not adopt a final construction contract at the meeting; it approved only the recommendation to proceed with Oak Creek as the top-ranked proposer and directed staff to pursue detailed scope and negotiation.","The Keith County Board of Commissioners voted to accept the road superintendent’s recommendation to hire Oak Creek Engineering to design and advise on the Lakeview West road project after scoring and reference checks; board members emphasized cost control and local involvement in subsequent contract negotiations.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Keith County Board approves routine agenda items, billboard lease, travel request and RFP recommendation

Commissioners reopen debate on county HR support and liaison role; past contractor and on-site availability cited

Resident urges caution if County paves Road 80; commissioners note tradeoffs

Sheriff says unexpected radar grant found after budget; commissioners discuss coding and budget impact

Keith County accepts Oak Creek Engineering RFP for Lakeview West project