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

Antelope County has a new weed superintendent.

The path to hiring for the position met a thorny obstacle along the way.

Antelope County Commissioners' Chairman Charlie Henery said, during a Jan. 5 meeting, "The young man we proposed to hire declined."

Brian Benson, of Neligh, was initially offered the position during the Dec. 8 commissioners meeting. He declined to accept the job.

Bryan Cornett, of Oakdale, was the only other applicant for the full-time weed superintendent's position, which opened after the retirement of Bruce Ofe, who served in the position for more than 40 years.

Weed control board member Ed Jensen spoke with commissioners last Tuesday and asked if they wanted to re-advertise the position or talk with Cornett.

Commissioner Carolyn Pedersen asked Jensen if he had spoken with Cornett.

"He's willing to do it," Jensen said.

Commissioner Eli Jacob said he was unsure if making the recommendation should be up to commissioners.

Henery suggested commissioners enter executive session.

When commissioners re-entered regular session, they approved a motion to offer the position to Cornett.

If he accepts the offer, his starting annual salary would be $38,000, until he completed all of the necessary certifications.

Commissioners entered executive session a second time with zoning administrator Liz Doerr.

Prior to entering executive session, Henery said Doerr will conduct zoning work remotely "for the time being."

"We are going to advertise for a zoning administrator, part time, with other duties possible within the courthouse," Henery said.

The position will be advertised in the county's three legal newspapers: the Summerland Advocate-Messenger, The Elgin Review and Antelope County News.

Conditions of county 911 signage dominated a report from Road Superintendent Aaron Boggs.

Earlier in the meeting, Boggs informed commissioners that, in the past, 911 signs have been replaced on corners on an as-needed basis.

"They are now out of compliance, as of 2018 or 2019. They changed it to the bigger signs, like what you see in Boone County. As a cost issue, it would be quite a project, it would be pretty costly, to replace every sign," he said.

Boggs suggested purchasing signs and replacing those that have been knocked down or are in disrepair.

"By the time we get everything done in the county, they will change it again," Boggs said.

Henery asked if new post brackets would be necessary.

Currently, signs are held by aluminum cross members, with one sign on the bottom and another on top, which would need to be taken apart if they are to be replaced. Boggs said most have oxidized and tend not to hold up because of weather conditions.

"Basically, we're going to replace two signs every time we need to replace one," he said.

Questions were raised about whether signs would require new posts.

Boggs offered several suggestions and noted either way, the cost of replacement "would be a wash."

Smith queried about a timeline to complete the project.

"We should've had it done already," Boggs said. "They're there for emergency personnel ..."

"They're not regulatory," Commissioner Eli Jacob interjected.

"Right," Boggs said. "The problem we get into is there's a 911 call and somebody can't find their way. They're very important. From the agronomy side, if you're hauling fertilizer, you go by them all the time."

The road superintendent suggested first replacing signs along the Nebraska Highway 14 corridor.

Smith asked how much the project will cost.

An inventory will need to be completed first, according to Boggs. Then, he will be able to formulate a quote.

Discussion regarding an improvement grant for the New Moon Theatre was tabled until the commissioners' Jan. 12 meeting after concerns were voiced about the application's timeline.

Antelope County Clerk Lisa Payne said, "I know as a commission we discussed this is maybe their second or third application here in the last year, but one was for the roof and one was for the facade. We approved it this time and hope to discuss that in the future."

Pedersen said she believes it is in the law that funds can only be requested once per year.

"I know in the past we've held others to that ... no matter what they're using it for," Pedersen said. She formerly served on the Antelope County Visitor's Committee.

"Are they applying for 2021?" Henery asked.

Pedersen said she believed the group received one grant in 2020.

"I know in the past we've made them wait a full year (to reapply)," she said.

Payne said the group has received two $1,500 improvement grants, one in January 2019 for general restoration work and one in January 2020 for a new roof. The current grant application will be used for roof and internal repairs.

Smith asked if a group can apply prior to the one-year mark of when funds were last approved.

Henery said the current application was approved in November.

"I think Mr. (Mike) Tabbert signed it in October," Payne said.

Smith made a motion to return the application to the visitor's committee to ensure the application falls within the fund's guidelines. The item was scheduled to be discussed, again, at the Jan. 12 meeting.

In other business

• Learned the county received $175,386.68 for COVID CARES act reimbursement. Payne said the amount did not include a smaller project she has yet to submit. The funds will be returned to the General Fund.

• Approved removing items from inventory of the Nebraska Extension office. Brittany Spieker, extension educator, cited a broken folding machine and a workable fax machine, which has been replaced.

• Covered Nebraska Extension's updated bylaws. "There wasn't a lot of fundamental changes to the document," Spieker said.

• Acting as a board of equalization, commissioners approved 16 tax roll corrections and five motor vehicle exemptions.

• Signed an interlocal agreement with Region 4 Behavior Health Services.

• Appointed Maurice Soper and Brian Whitesel to the Antelope County Airport Authority

• Discovered the Pioneer Church, at the Antelope County Museum Complex, has a bat infestation. Pedersen said the church is used for events and weddings. Curator Ron Westlake researched bat removal and received bids of $2,500 and $4,500. Henery said it is "a necessity" to have the bats removed.