Nuckolls Co Board approves nearly $2 million road plan

The Nuckolls County Board of Commissioners met at the county courthouse at 8:30 a.m. in Nelson, Monday. All three board members were present.

The Nuckolls County Board of Commissioners approved the county road department’s one and six year road improvement plan at their meeting Monday. Prior to their approval, a public meeting was held.

Cindy Buescher, executive secretary, Jim Bolte, road department foreman, and Jeff Wagner, county highway superintendent, laid out their proposal for the one-year plan first.

The department proposed undertaking 17 projects. They propose to replace nine bridges and four culverts. There is one intersection improvement in the plan as well as three gravel projects. The longest gravel replacement project is four miles, slated for Road T to Highway 4. Some of the bridge replacement projects include new gravel on the roads leading up to the bridges. Culverts will be installed in place of some of the existing bridges.

The six year plan includes three bridge and three culvert replacement projects as well as surfacing a shoulder area and one gravel project.

The total cost for the one-year projects is estimated to be $1.976 million.

The projects will be undertaken during the upcoming fiscal year.The county road department held a public meeting to present the one and six year county road plan. No members of the public were in attendance. The board signed contracts for the purchase of steel culverts from Ace-Eaton metals, Kearney, for the road department.

The board denied a request from the Davenport Rural Fire district for a levy. This is a procedural issue to allow the district to issue their levy.

The board adjourned and reconvened as the Board of Equalization to hear property tax valuation protests as well as the assessor’s office three-year plan. The board heard four protests. They agreed to lower a valuation on land owned by Cooperative Producers Incorporated. It had been valued at irrigated land rates but is not utilized as farm land. Three residential valuation protests were heard. The board agreed with the assessor’s valuation. The property owners have the option to appeal to the state board of equalization. Susan Rogers, county assessor, presented the three year plan, as required by state staute, to the board, for approval before submitting the plan to the state.

The board will meet at 8:30 a.m, Monday, Aug. 1, at the county courthouse.