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Box Butte County commissioners approve road vacation, equipment lease and jail software agreement
Summary
At their May 6 meeting in Alliance, the Box Butte County Board of Commissioners approved two road resolutions (denying CR 62 vacation; approving partial Wayne Road vacation), accepted a tractor lease RFP for 2027, approved a jail RFID software contract, declared surplus property for sale, accepted the FY2025 audit and approved a DWEE Tier 1 work plan with a consultant.
Box Butte County commissioners met May 6, 2026, in Alliance and carried a series of routine and land‑use actions, approving two resolutions on road vacations, accepting contracts and RFPs, and accepting the county audit. The board recessed briefly mid‑meeting and heard reports from county staff and the sheriff.
The meeting opened at 9:00 a.m. with Chairman Steve Burke noting the meeting notice and affidavit of publication; Commissioners Brett Ditsch and Mike Sautter were present and Martie Burke, County Clerk, recorded the proceedings. The board unanimously approved the consent calendar, which included payroll and claims (NET PAYROLL reported as $186,285.53) and reports from elected officials.
On land‑use and transportation matters, the board adopted Resolution 2026‑06 denying a request to vacate County Road 62 and adopted Resolution 2026‑07 approving vacation of an identified portion of Wayne Road with the right‑of‑way to be returned to adjacent property owners (one‑half on each side). Both resolutions passed on unanimous votes.
The board accepted a 2027 tractor lease RFP submitted by Alliance Tractor and authorized the signature of the title for a 2001 Chevrolet pickup to be sold on Purple Wave. The board also declared listed county property surplus for sale on Purple Wave, retaining the maintenance snow blower from the surplus list. All motions passed unanimously.
Chairman Burke moved to approve the Jail Management Guardian RFID Software Agreement (contract number 2026‑14); the board approved the contract unanimously. Sheriff Ryan Dannar briefed the board on planned law‑enforcement center upgrades, citing proposed RFID door locks and new security cameras, and presented estimates for patrol vehicle upfitting; no board action was taken on those upgrade estimates during the meeting.
Commissioners proclaimed May 2026 as Mental Health Month and unanimously accepted the fiscal‑year 2025 audit submitted by Contryman Associates, PC. The board also approved signing the Nebraska Department of Water, Energy and Environment (DWEE) Tier 1 Pre‑Investigative Assessment Work Plan Form with consultant Panhandle Geotechnical & Environmental, Inc.
JD Cox, city manager for Alliance, introduced himself and discussed potential future city‑county projects; the board took no formal action on those introductions. The public comment period produced no speakers.
Votes at a glance
- Consent calendar: approved (Ditsch: yes; Sautter: yes; Burke: yes). - Prairie Dog Management Plan amendments: approved (unanimous). - Resolution 2026‑06 (deny CR 62 vacation): approved (unanimous). - Resolution 2026‑07 (approve partial Wayne Road vacation): approved (unanimous). - Alliance Tractor RFP for 2027 tractor lease: accepted (unanimous). - Title signature for 2001 Chevy pickup (sale on Purple Wave): approved (unanimous). - Surplus property list (except snow blower retained): approved (unanimous). - Jail Management Guardian RFID Software Agreement (Contract 2026‑14): approved (unanimous). - Proclamation — May 2026 Mental Health Month: approved (unanimous). - FY2025 audit (Contryman Associates, PC): accepted (unanimous). - DWEE Tier 1 Pre‑Investigative Assessment Work Plan Form with Panhandle Geotechnical & Environmental, Inc.: approved (unanimous).
What happened next
With all agenda items addressed, Chairman Burke adjourned the meeting at 12:08 p.m. Board actions that will require follow up include implementation steps for the approved DWEE Tier 1 work plan and contract administration for the jail RFID software agreement and the tractor lease.
