The Summerland Advocate-Messenger - Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community

A Holt County supervisor recently traveled to Washington, D.C., to participate in the National Association of Counties Legislative Conference.

Bill Tielke, chairman of the county supervisor board, was notified in January that he had been appointed to the association's Environment, Energy and Land Use Policy Steering Committee. The committee is responsible for matters pertaining to air, water, energy and land use – including such things as water resources/management; stormwater; pesticides; air quality standards; solid, hazardous and nuclear waste handling, transport, and disposal; national energy policy, renewable/alternative energy; alternative fuel vehicles, energy facility siting; electricity utility restructuring; pipeline safety; oil spills; superfund/brownfields; eminent domain; land use; coastal management; oceans; parks and recreation.

"Like any organization, the National Association of Counties Officials looks for leaders within to serve on national committees, so the main criteria for selection is being an elected county official and interest in serving on a committee on the national level," Tielke said.

Tielke flew to the nation's capital Feb. 28 to attend the conference that took place from Feb. 29 to March 4.

"The conference was at the Washington Hilton, which many might remember as the location where President Regan was shot," Tielke said. "This was a jam-packed conference and (I) felt very lucky to be able to attend."

President Donald Trump spoke to the assembly Tuesday. Tielke was seated at the head table -with the national NACo president, Mary Ann Borgeson, of Omaha, and her son; Bob and Wilma Post, from Banner County; and two couples from Idaho - approximately 50 feet from the president.

"It was amazing to see and watch the Secret Service along with the (White House) press corps, how they were concealed so they did not block the view of the president," Tielke said.

EELU Steering Committee's 40 members included 10 Nebraskans. Borgeson was among the 10, as was past president Chris Rogers, also of Omaha.

They began their tasks at a resolution meeting Saturday morning, Feb. 29, when they discussed proposed policy resolutions. Members heard from resolution sponsors and had the opportunity to ask questions before they voted, during an afternoon business meeting, on those to be advanced to the national conference. NACo's annual national conference was set for July 17-20 in Orlando, Florida, but Tielke said it will more than likely be canceled.

Topics presented for discussion, according to Tielke, included flaring (burning off) oil wells, protecting the fish or a national estuary program, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency refrigerant management rules, support of the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividends Act and a partnership for clean energy and rural development.

At Saturday afternoon's EELU Steering Committee business meeting, members heard from federal officials and policy experts about federal policy issues and reviewed the outlook for 2020, including potential legislation and regulations related to Waters of the U.S., climate and renewable energy and pending EPA regulations.

They voted on the policy resolutions discussed that morning to guide NACo's advocacy efforts before Congress, the White House and federal agencies. The refrigerant management rules, national estuary program designation and the proposed interim resolution on partnership for clean energy and rural development advanced. A flaring resolution failed and support for the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividends Act was tabled.

General session speakers Monday and Tuesday mornings included Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson; Department of the Interior Secretary David Bernhardt; Congressman John Kato; Congressman Stephanie Murphy; and former Secretary of State and former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, retired four-star general of the US Army, Colin Powell.

During the conference, Tielke also attended the Rural Action Caucus and meetings on cyber disaster recovery and positioning counties for the future.

The trip concluded with a meeting at the NACo Washington office.

Tielke currently serves on the Nebraska Association of County Officials' board of directors as Northeast district representative. He was elected NACO state president in 2017. Election takes place at the annual NACO convention with each of the five districts having one vote, according to Tielke.