Scotts Bluff County board approves veteran MOU, accepts accountant's resignation and adopts communications center wage schedule

At its regular meeting, the Scotts Bluff County Board of Commissioners took several formal actions: it approved a memorandum of understanding with the Nebraska Department of Veterans Affairs, accepted the resignation of the county's management accountant Lisa Ryan and adopted a new wage-rate schedule for the Scottsbluff County Communications Center following an executive session on contract negotiations.

The board authorized the chairman to sign the MOU covering 2026'028 after a commissioner described the veterans service office's role in securing benefits for local veterans; the motion carried on a recorded voice vote. County officials noted the veteran service office had helped secure millions of dollars in federal benefits for county residents in prior years.

Lisa Ryan read a resignation letter to the board stating she will start a new limited-hours position on Dec. 29, 2025, and offered to assist in onboarding her successor. Commissioners thanked Ryan for her service and voted to accept her resignation; staff were instructed to post the vacancy and begin recruitment. The board also discussed advertising for a facilities/grounds position and indicated hiring and interviews would proceed under normal county hiring rules.

Following a closed session to discuss union contract negotiations for the communications center, the board adopted the negotiated wage-rate schedule and authorized retroactive pay covering the contract start date; the county intends to make retro payments in April. County counsel and staff said the closed session was held under Nebraska's Public Meetings Law authority for collective-bargaining negotiations.

Other votes recorded during the meeting included vehicle-exemptions approved under the Board of Equalization and the earlier consent agenda approvals. The meeting ended after a second executive session to receive an update on pending litigation.