(From The Neligh News)
Antelope County Attorney Joe Abler addressed the Antelope County Board of Supervisors regarding protocol to interview applicants for the newly created road boss position, at the Tuesday, Oct. 13 regular meeting.
The county advertised for the position last month and four applications were received. The board will conduct interviews Nov. 3.
Three TransCanada representatives gave a brief update to the supervisors regarding status of a pipeline proposed to be placed across the county. Georgia Parment, contractor stakeholder relations personnel, said TransCanada has filed an application with the Nebraska Public Service Commission for approval of the Keystone XL pipeline across the state of Nebraska. She said the process of review by the PSC is expected to take seven to 12 months for a decision. The route through Antelope County submitted to the PSC is the same route through the county as previously listed. Field Land Manager Brock Taylor said, “In Antelope County, we have secured a little over 75 percent of the easements at this point. Our acquisition efforts at this time are on hold unless a landowner wants to contact us. Taylor said landowners’ easement contracts with TransCanada expired Jan. 1, 2015. TransCanada representatives will be present at the Nebraska Pipeline Association meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 14, at the Neligh American Legion Club regarding pipeline safety. The meeting begins at 6 p.m.
In other matters:
The board approved a resolution to change the county’s dental insurance carrier to Blue Cross Blue Shield. The change will take place Jan. 1, 2016.
Bids were opened for two projects during the meeting. Tyson Construction was awarded the bid for the Clearwater South Bridge Project with a total base bid of $297,131.70. The bid included painting the structure and removal of the painting line item. The bid came in as the low bid compared to those submitted by KIA Construction of Milford, JJK Construiction of Lincoln and Norfolk Contracting. The project has a March 1 start date. The bid for box culverts south of Oakdale was awarded to JJK Construction with the low bid of $90,813.01. That project has a November 2015 start date.
At the Oct. 5 board of supervisors’ meeting, the board approved selling the former jail building through a public auction. Clerk Lisa Payne was asked to contact three auction companies. Larry Bartee of Tilden is interested in handling the auction and the board will ask him to set an auction date.
At 9:30 a.m., the board convened as a board of equalization. Assessor Kelly Mueller presented tax list corrections including personal property filings for Jesse Schindler in 2013 and 2014 and personal property filing for Four Daughters Farming in 2014. A homestead exemption for Dwayne Voborny in 2013 was not approved and that property should be included on the tax rolls. Two personal property listings of Tom and Bonnie Hoefer and two listings of Jeremy Hoefer’s were removed from the tax rolls as the items were located in Boone County.
Treasurer Deb Branstiter presented distress warrants for two parties as uncollected. The board voted to strike the personal property taxes for Mark and Brenda Wurdinger, doing business as the T-shirt Factory for tax years 2010 through 2012. Wurdingers’ 2013-2014 personal property taxes were previously stricken. Wurdingers’ T-shirt Factory business closed in 2013. The personal property tax of Ryan Schwager, was the other distress warrant.
Although the board voted to strike the taxes, Branstiter explained the taxes are still owed. Also during action as the Board of Equalization, the board approved the levies for the county, townships, fire districts and other subdivisions.
The board selected a committee of Neil Williby, Greg Koinzan and Merlin Bolling to review delinquent tax listings and will have Abler order foreclosures after the review is completed.
Overall, Antelope County has an actual valuation of $26,054,350.71 with a total county general levy of .144174.
ANTELOPE COUNTY VALUATION LEVY
General* $26,054,350.71 .144174
(*Includes reappraisal fund, veterans aid fund, building fund and law enforcement bond fund)
SUBDIVISIONS VALUATION LEVY
Ag Society $26,054,350.71 .005123
Airport Authority $26,054,350.71 .001410
ESU#8 $137,775,961.82 .012625
CITIES AND VILLAGES VALUATION LEVY
Brunswick $111,625.07 .449965
Clearwater $94,091.82 .500000
Elgin (gen. and debt) $312,730.76 .439990
Neligh (gen. and debt) $623,015.05 .759133
Oakdale (gen. and debt) $36,921.12 1.208131
Royal $11,910.65 .449430
Orchard (gen. debt, bond) $123,876.67 .690876
ANTELOPE COUNTY SCHOOL TAX RATES
Neligh-Oakdale* $5,710,632.31 .776828
Special building* $5,710,632.31 .130008
QCPUF* $5,710,632.31 .035377
(*valuation includes Antelope and Pierce Co. properties)
Total Neligh-Oakdale .942213
Elgin Public $7,227,618.12 .338855
Special building $7,227,618.12 .030304
Total Elgin .369159
NE Unified #1 $10,595,788.18 .633705
Special Bldg $10,595,788.18 .020473
Clearwater Cap Purpose $3,152,698.70 .019327
Verdigre Bond $2,481,249.84 .149508
