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Sarpy County board changes former sergeant’s firing to unpaid suspension, sets reinstatement date
Summary
The Sarpy County Board voted to modify the termination of a former county sergeant to a suspension without pay effective through reinstatement on March 2, 2026, after returning from executive session and additional deliberation. The board then closed the grievance hearing and adjourned.
SARPY COUNTY, Neb. — The Sarpy County Board voted Wednesday to modify the termination of a former county sergeant to a suspension without pay through his reinstatement date of March 2, 2026.
After the board returned from executive session, board member Lisa Taylor Jones moved “to modify former Sarpy County Sergeant Esteban’s termination to a suspension without pay through his reinstatement on 03/02/2026.” Donald Gifford seconded the motion. The board recorded five members in favor, and the motion carried.
Melissa Kimberling, who presided over the meeting, said the additional time and deliberation helped the board weigh the parameters of the policy board’s authority and the information presented by “both Mr. Estevez and his team and the County.” She apologized for an interruption at the prior meeting and said the later deliberations allowed the board to be thoughtful about the decision. “The deliberation tonight allowed the board to really be thoughtful about all of the information that was presented,” Kimberling said.
The motion, as stated on the record, names the former sergeant in slightly different ways at different points in the transcript (the motion text uses “Esteban,” and a later read-back uses “Azavez”). The record does not resolve that discrepancy; the motion as recorded set the reinstatement date at March 2, 2026.
Earlier in the meeting the board voted to go into executive session to further discuss the disciplinary hearing. The motion to enter executive session was recorded on the floor as having been made by Brandy Bennett and seconded by Donald Gifford. When the board reconvened in open session later in the meeting, members voted to adopt the decision as presented.
The board then moved to close the grievance hearing. A motion by Gifford, second by Bennett to close the hearing at 7:36 p.m. carried, and the meeting adjourned at 7:37 p.m.
The meeting opened at 6:58 p.m. and included a roll call showing Jonathan Davidson, Donald Gifford, Brandy Bennett, Lisa Taylor Jones and Melissa Kimberling present. Carrie Plummer Galecki, board secretary, and Jody Riddle, Human Resources director, were listed as attending.
