Gage County Officials Approve Contract Amendments, Examine Road Repairs

BEATRICE - Food service and health care contract amendments for the Gage County Jail have been approved by the county board.
The county's agreement with Summitt Food Services will increase the per-meal cost of serving inmates, by $1.10. The total additional cost goes up about $28,000 for the coming budget year.
Supervisors also approved a change in health care services provided to inmates, which will increase from 8 hours per week, to 25-hours of service provided by Advanced Correctional Healthcare, Inc. The agreement involves nursing visits.
Sheriff Millard Gustafson says the increased hours has the potential for saving costs over the long term.
http://media3.floodradio.com/columbus/2019/05/Contracts-Pay1.mp3
:31 "because of this"
The amendment to the health care contract will increase the county's annual cost, by nearly $32,000. The additional food and health care costs would be part of the upcoming county budget, beginning July 1st.
Meanwhile, county board members are preparing to set hourly pay levels for employees for the next year. Supervisor Terry Jurgens says he favors holding increases as low as possible.
http://media3.floodradio.com/columbus/2019/05/Contracts-Pay2.mp3
:06 "as possible"
Gage County is at its maximum property tax levy and will be at the level for several years, because of the Beatrice Six case court judgment to be paid out.
Board member Gary Lytle says the county may have to approach the setting of pay more like private enterprise would.
http://media3.floodradio.com/columbus/2019/05/Contracts-Pay3.mp3
:23 "can't do that"
Supervisors are examining the possibility of repairs on three sections of roadway in the county.
They include the Holmesville Road, the asphalt road leading to Rockford State Recreation area, and Southwest 89th from Nebraska Highway Four to the Koch Nitrogen Plant.
County officials discussed the potential use of a traditional overlay, or a so-called "hot in place" asphalt surface that uses material recycled from the roadway.
Gage County Board Chairman Erich Tiemann says a recommendation is needed for budgeting purposes in the county highway department.
http://media3.floodradio.com/columbus/2019/05/Repair-Possibilities1.mp3
:14 "top of it, as well"
County Highway Superintendent Galen Engel says the Holmesville Road, where it connects to U.S. 136, has a daily traffic count of over 660 vehicles. To the south, where the road connects with the B-Line Road, is just over 240 vehicles, daily.
Updated counts were not available on the Rockford Road and Southwest 89th.
Terry Jurgens is Road and Bridge Committee Chairman.
http://media3.floodradio.com/columbus/2019/05/Repair-Possibilities2.mp3
:10 "some place"
The three segments were forwarded by the highway superintendent to the board, as the stretches of road most in need of attention. The past year, crews milled about three miles of the Holmesville Road to eliminate rutting, caused by heavy trucks accessing a nearby quarry.
The Road and Bridge Committee plans to meet with a consulting engineering to examine cost figures of various repair options.
Meanwhile, armor-coating work is beginning on county asphalt roads, and supervisors approved taking bids for new paint stripes on nearly 43 miles of asphalt road.