Auditor's advice to county puts non-profit donations at risk

McCOOK, Neb. — Governmental entities like Red Willow County can’t donate to nonprofits without specific statutory authority, and it is up to those nonprofits to cite the law, a state auditor has informed the county.

The restriction could have far-reaching effects on local organizations that depend on such donations, most of which are submitting routine requests for funding in advance of the county’s budgeting process.

The auditor’s advice to the county was raised earlier this month, when Kathy Haas, director of the Family Resource Center spoke to commissioners about that organization’s operations.

She told commissioners that the center, from July 1, 2022, to May 31, 2023, provided parenting support to 43 families, nearly 600 people in the children’s clothing exchange program and more than 200 families with clothing giveaways, school supplies for more than 90 children, support for 54 foster families, free food, baby food and formula to nearly 70 families, books for 107 families and myriad other services.

Other groups that could be cut from funding from the county include organizations like the McCook Humane Society, Domestic Abuse-Assault Services, Court-Appointed Special Advocates, Tri-Valley Transportations and others.

Commissioners will be seeking legal advice as the budgeting process gets underway in the coming weeks.

Another issue was tabled for legal advice and further information at Monday’s meeting of the Red Willow County Commissioners, that being the future of the Household Hazardous Waste program.

Founded in 1996 with a grant to collect common household hazardous waste in Southwest and Central Nebraska, the program now collects material as far away as Fremont and South Sioux City.

Commission Chairman Ted Gans questions several aspects of the program, one of the chief being that the county does not have — and probably never has had — insurance coverage should a wreck traveling from one of the collection sites result in a spill of hazardous materials.

He also questioned a lack of records concerning how much and what types of materials are being collected, what services are actually provided for the county’s citizens and wonders whether the activities would more appropriately be handled by a commercial company.

“It’s hard to quantify how we are serving the people of the county,” Gans said.

He suggested planning one or more collection days a year, perhaps at the fairgrounds, where materials could be brought to the site by owners and disposed of by a commercial company.

“I’m not interested in doing collections around the state,” Gans said.

Commissioner Randy Dean said that it was probably appropriate to provide the service to nearby counties, however, and wondered exactly what the grant contract required.

In the end, the board tabled to question pending more details on the program and legal advice from the county attorney.

In an emergency item, commissioners unanimously approved a request that Hitchcock County share half of the expense of installing a tube where Road 378 crosses the Meeker Canal on the county border.

Commissioners opened a sole bid for road gravel, from Paulsen Inc. with manager Kelly McCoy at Monday’s meeting.

As expected, commissioners rejected that company’s bid, as state auditors said awarding a bid would prevent the county from buying gravel from another supplier should the winner be unable to provide the gravel.

With a new gravel truck and additional driver, the county now plans to haul all its own gravel, which Paulsen bid to provide a $9.75 per ton at its own gravel pit. Delivered prices ranged up to $16.78 for various county road districts.

McCoy said other counties he deals with routinely approve all bids, but commissioners indicated they had received the opposite advice.

Commissioners approved several tax roll corrections offered by County Assessor Kristi Korell, the largest involving the North Pointe Addition owned by the McCook Economic Development Corp.

Building lots on the addition were assessed as if utilities were in place and were ready for building, but such is not the case.

The tax roll correction resulted in a decrease of $453,000 in valuation for property taxes.

Questioned by County Treasurer Crystal Dack about the interest the county is collecting on its accounts, commissioners said they agreed with the current practice of placing some deposits with the Nebraska Public Agency Investment Trust, which now pays 5.13% daily interest. MNB, which also holds part of the county’s money, offered a 4.84 weekly rate.

She also said her office would be closed on July 26 for motor vehicle fraud training.

Commissioners approved an informal bid of $7,597, from Corky’s Cabinetry of McCook to replace cabinets and countertops in the Red Willow County Public Health Department on the fairgrounds. Other, higher bids were received from Kitchen Solvers and Mead Lumber, both of McCook.

Commissioners, who have received 37 property tax protests so far, set hearings on July 17-19, with commercial protests, of which eight had been filed so far, on July 18.

On the consent agenda, commissioners extended the moratorium on renewable energy in the county for six months or until new zoning regulations are approved, whichever is shorter.

By approving the consent agenda, commissioners also appointed Tricia Wagner to the CountyHealth Board to replace Jana Kmoch, with a term expiring April 30, 2026, and a county roadway occupancy agreement for Twin Valleys Public Power District.