Commissioners re-elect McNutt as chairman

McCOOK, Neb. — New District 3 Red Willow County commissioner Cayla Richards attended her first board of commissioners' meeting Monday morning, and District 1 commissioner Earl McNutt was elected to another term as chairman of the board.

District 2 commissioner Steve Downer will continue as vice chairman of the board and as chairman of the board of equalization. Richards will serve as the vice chair of the board of equalization.

McNutt and Richards will serve as chair and vice chair of the county's Noxious Weed Control Authority.

Commissioners divvied up appointments to committees and boards:

McNutt: Fair board, Red Willow County Health Board, Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department board of trustees and the grant-writing REWARDS committee.

Downer: E911 Committee, Resource Conservation and Development board, Region II Governing Board, the county's Planning Commission and Hillcrest Nursing Home.

Richards: Work Ethic Camp Community Involvement Committee, Veterans Service committee, County Visitors Committee and the City/County Cooperation Committee.

In other action during the yearly reorganization, commissioners:

— Renewed the contract with Miller & Associates for the county surveyor.

— Renewed the contact with county tourism director Carol Schlegel.

— Appointed Kristi Korell as the interim zoning and planning administrator.

— Appointed Red Willow County Sheriff Alan Kotschwar as the county's emergency manager.

— Designated the McCook Gazette as the official county newspaper and the Red Willow County website as an additional method of providing notice of meetings.

— Adopted a resolution designating depositories for Red Willow County for 2019: MNB Bank, Pinnacle Bank, First Central Bank and Horizon Bank in McCook, Adams Bank and Trust of Indianola and State Bank of Bartley, and the Nebraska Public Agency Investment Trust (NPAIT).

— Reappointed these county employees to the Personnel Committee — Teresa Kuhlmann, Becky Loop, Penny Cooper, Lori O'Dea, Diana Wilkinson, Crystal Dack, Deb Lafferty and Lloyd Ogorzolka.

— Reappointed these county employees to the Safety Committee: Alan Kotschwar, Crystal Dack, Karla Polly, Lori Stevens, Greg Holthus, Tracy Soderlund, Charles Collins, Tami Teel, Jody Bethell, Gretchen Wiebe, Teresa Kuhlmann and Bill Elliott.

In other action during the commissioners' regular meeting, commissioners:

— Approved a resolution certifying the completion of the state-sponsored advance railroad warning sign project that started about four years ago.

— Appointed Brian Rokusek to replace Jim Howard on the Hillcrest Nursing Home Board of Trustees, a four-year term to expire Dec. 31, 2024. Howard retired at the end of his term Dec. 31, 2018.

— Approved zoning permits for Rob Fisher, a $40,000 storage shed; Bruce Kelley, a $290,000 home with basement and garage; and Michael Manker, a $35,000 chicken house.