Traffic safety, personnel manual on county agenda

McCOOK, Neb. — At their weekly meeting Monday morning, Red Willow County commissioners will discuss traffic safety and the county’s personnel manual and employment records at 9:30 a.m.

The discussion is likely in response to an incident in which county road crew member and commissioner Earl McNutt slid a rake in front of a school bus on Thursday, May. 10.

McNutt said at the commissioners’ meeting Monday, May 14, that, in frustration at the end of a day filled with drivers driving too fast past his and his crew’s construction, he slid a garden rake in front of a school bus he felt was driving too fast for conditions in the construction zone north of McCook on County Road 385, the county’s extension of McCook’s of West Third Street. McNutt did not deny the incident, and apologized for his behavior.

The bus driver responded on social media that she was not speeding and there were no warning signs before she came over a hill to find the county work truck stopped in the road.

Sheriff Alan Kotschwar said Tuesday, May 15, that there would be no charges filed against McNutt. Kotschwar talked to an Associated Press reporter later in the week, and said he and county attorney Paul Wood would meet today (Friday) to discuss the incident.

Neither Kotschwar nor Wood was in his office this morning.

The commissioners’ weekly meeting begins at 9 a.m., as it does every Monday with public comment. Also as it does at every meeting, the board reserves the right to go into executive session if such a session is clearly necessary for the protection of the public interest or for the prevention of needless injury to the reputation of an individual.

The meeting also includes a board of equalization meeting and public hearing at 9:15 a.m., with county assessor Kristi Korell, to receive comments on a real and personal property tax exemption application.

At 10 a.m., building and grounds director Greg Holthus will present a proposal from B S & B Construction for the repair of a water line on the courthouse grounds.