County tables dispatch agreement; opposes 30x30

McCOOK, Neb. — While the sheriff’s office is satisfied with dispatching services provided by the city of McCook, Red Willow County Commissioners want more information before renewing a contract for those services.

The city is proposing a 3% increase over 2021-22 costs, or $69,322 for the new contract, divided monthly.

Commissioner Randy Dean, who serves on the county’s E-911 committee, made the motion to table the agreement.

“I’d like to see more itemized information,” he said, including assurance the county isn’t billed for something state Enhanced 911 funding is paying for.

City Manager Nate Schneider said a separate account is kept for E-911 funds, and Smith said, in his short tenure as chief, it has been used for a “voice logger,” dispatching furniture and $30,000 in dispatcher salaries.

Schneider said it is not easy to compare local dispatching costs with other communities, because dispatching services are more commonly provided by counties.

The discussion brought up perennial questions about whether McCook residents are being taxed twice, for city and county services, and the need for better cooperation between the two entities. A city-county cooperation committee has been inactive in recent years.

30x30

Following a public hearing, commissioners unanimously approved a three-page resolution opposing the Biden Administration’s “30 by 30” executive order designed to put 30 percent of U.S. land and water under federal protection by 2030.

Supporting the resolution were Sue Doak, who said the proposal would take 15 million acres out of production and cost local governments $420 million in property taxes; Tim Krause, who said “if it comes from the government we have now, I don’t want anything to do with it.”

Brendan Funk said 30x30 would prevent more farmers from feeding America, and make citizens more dependent on the government for food, and Bob Wilcox said it was just another example of “the government coming in and taking care of us idiots that don’t know what we’re doing.”

Dale Cotton spoke in favor of the proposed National Heritage Area as a boon to tourism.

Both the 30x30 and NHA have drawn widespread opposition, including from Gov. Pete Ricketts, and Red Willow County joins a number of other counties in opposition.

Cotton said he might circulate a petition proposing a resolution in favor of the National Heritage Area to bring to the commissioners at a later date.