Banner County adopts one‑and‑six road improvement program after public hearing

Banner County commissioners adopted the county's one‑and‑six year road improvement program, Resolution 25‑13, following a public hearing on July 15 and a roll‑call vote recorded by the board.

The one‑and‑six program sets the county's short‑ and medium‑term road priorities under state law and frames which projects the highway department will pursue and budget for in coming years.

Highway Superintendent Eric McCoy presented the program and reviewed specific items on the county's six‑year plan. McCoy said one project, a realignment and sight‑distance improvement at Hendrickson Hill, now appears to meet current standards and may not need the planned $35,000 reconstruction. "There was really nothing in there to constitute us going in there and spending $35,000 on a sight issue because the road meets all standards," McCoy said. He recommended a followup field inspection before allocating funds.

McCoy and other highway staff discussed using local borrow material from adjacent pasture land, shifting the roadway slightly, and replacing several culverts where needed. The board and staff also discussed a separate minimal‑maintenance project at Hubbard's Gap to address a spot near the top of a hill that county staff said requires corrective grading to improve safety and maintainability.

The board opened the public hearing at 9:07 a.m. and, after discussion, closed the hearing and moved to adopt the resolution. The resolution text references state requirements and a published notice; as read in the meeting it cites "section 39‑21‑15 and section 39‑21‑19 of chapter 39 of the cumulative supplement of the Revised Statutes of the State of Nebraska." The transcript records affirmative roll call responses of "Dawn: Yes" and "Roman: Yes" during the vote; the recorded roll call in the available transcript is partial but the resolution was adopted as read.

The board directed highway staff to inspect Hendrickson Hill again, to proceed with the planned minimal‑maintenance work where appropriate, and to move forward on the Hubbard's Gap spot to improve access and safety. Staff said they will report back with any landowner agreements and estimated costs if heavier reconstruction is required.

The resolution formally adopted the county's one‑and‑six year road improvement plan as amended and dated July 2025; with adoption the listed projects become the county's prioritized road work for budgeting and scheduling.

County staff said culvert replacements and routine maintenance remain a high priority given recent storm washouts, and that the department is compiling a longer‑term list of culverts to expose, inspect and, where necessary, replace to restore drainage and reduce repeat failures.