BROKEN BOW, Neb. — The Custer County Board of Supervisors approved a higher fee for recycling brought into the county and authorized two temporary road closures for the upcoming Sandhills Open Road Challenge during its Tuesday meeting.
Supervisors unanimously agreed to increase the out-of-county recycling rate from 2 cents to 4 cents. Board members described the increase as a starting point that could be reviewed again after the county determines how the new rate affects the amount of material being delivered.
Out-of-county recycling loads are weighed when they arrive, with customers billed according to the weight of the material. Payments are then submitted to the Custer County Treasurer’s Office.
Board members said the county had charged the previous rate for an extended period and believed doubling it was a reasonable initial adjustment without making the increase too severe.
The board also formally authorized road closures connected to the Sandhills Open Road Challenge.
A three-mile portion of the Callaway-Cozad Road will close beginning at 8 a.m. Friday, Aug. 7, for the event’s one-mile shootout. The affected section runs from approximately 13 miles to 16 miles south of the road’s junction with Nebraska Highway 40. The road will reopen after the final vehicle completes its run and a designated county official determines it is safe.
The following day, the blacktop road running north from Arnold to Nebraska Highway 2 will close at 7 a.m. for the main Sandhills Open Road Challenge. That road will also remain closed until the final vehicle finishes and an official reopens the route.
In other action, supervisors approved the creation of a county Employment Handbook Committee. The group will develop a handbook covering employment practices and policies shared among county offices. Its initial membership includes representatives from the County Board, Treasurer’s Office, District Court, Highway Department and Emergency Management. Members will eventually be appointed to staggered terms.
The board also directed the county highway superintendent to study the possible vacation or abandonment of a portion of County Road 351. A report and recommendation are expected to return to supervisors within 30 days.
Meeting as the Board of Equalization, supervisors determined that a 2014 Dodge van owned by the Callaway Good Life Center qualified for a property-tax exemption as a vehicle used by a charitable organization.
County Treasurer Sherry Bryant also reported that Custer County ended the fiscal year with a balance of approximately $13.46 million, including about $13.29 million in investments. Bryant said the county clerk had certified that no unpaid claims remained as of June 30.
The Custer County Board of Supervisors will next meet on August 11th on the top floor of the Custer County Courthouse at 9:00 AM.
