Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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An agreement outlining responsibilities for road upkeep during potential pipeline construction, signed by TC Energy and Holt County officials, is no longer in effect. County supervisors voted to terminate the road haul agreement, April 28, during the board's regular meeting. Holt County Attorney Brent Kelly said TC Energy lawyers, from MacGrath North, in Omaha, reached out regarding the agreement. "To make sure their I's are dotted and T's are crossed, they want to go ahead and terminate those...
After existing for 42 years, Holt County's comprehensive plan will be updated. But, a proposed 18-month moratorium on industrial pipelines, wind and solar power, will not be in effect while updates take place. Supervisors voted 6-0, Wednesday, March 16, to deny the moratorium, following a public hearing in O'Neill. The moratorium request came from the county's planning and zoning commision, which voted 6-2 in favor of the moratorium, March 7, following a two-hour public hearing. At that time, la...
PROCEEDINGS ANTELOPE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Neligh, Nebraska Feb. 8, 2022 Vice-Chairman opened meeting. Notice of meeting published as required by statute. Approved agenda. Approved minutes from Jan. 4 and Feb.1, 2022, BOC Meeting. Approved payroll. Approved vendor claims. General: AFLAC ins 850.00; AMERITAS LIFE INS CORP ins 15,853.47; ANTELOPE CO COURT ex 88.00; APPEARA ex 31.78; APPLIED CONNECTIVE TECH ex 2,376.88; LUANN BARTOS ex 47.46; BLACK HILLS ENERGY ut 1,014.78; BCBS ins 57,154.05; BLUE360 MEDIA ex 174.59; BOMGAARS ex 285.42;...
PROCEEDINGS ANTELOPE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Neligh, Nebraska July 6, 2021 Chairman opened meeting. Notice of meeting published as required by statute. Approved Agenda. Approved minutes of the June 8 and June 22 board of commissioners and June 22 board of equalization meetings. Correspondence was reviewed. Bobbi Risor, Region 11 Emergency Manager, gave a brief review of Region 11 activity. Discussion of TransCanada road use agreement. Approved one improvement grant and one promotional grant. Zoning administrator report. Zoning permit...
A decision on an appeal regarding TC Energy's application for a pipeline construction permit in Holt County will wait a little longer. Following nearly 3 and one-half hours of testimony by 60 individuals during a public hearing Oct. 29, at O'Neill's community center, the Holt County board of adjustment recessed until Thursday, Nov. 5, at 2 p.m. In February, Holt County supervisors voted to deny the permit, until conditions laid out by the county planning commission, are met. In denying the permi...
istory, the Holt County Board of Adjustment held an organizational meeting, Sept. 24, to elect a chairman and set parameters for an Oct. 29 public hearing on the TC Energy pipeline construction permit application appeal. O’Neill resident Gene Kelly was selected chairman and presided over the meeting, which ran approximately two hours. Board members opted to hold the hearing at the O’Neill Community Center, scheduled to begin at 4 p.m., with sign-up scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. A list of cri...
An Antelope County commissioner had several questions about an annual agenda item during the board’s meeting Tuesday, Sept. 8, in Neligh. Commissioner Dean Smith was curious about the 2020 inventories of county personal property, which had been presented to the board the previous week. However, due to the absence of the inventory of the county sheriff’s office at the time, the commissioners delayed acting on the agenda item. “How thoroughly have they been reviewed?” Smith asked about the inv...
Holt County Supervisors faced a Shakespearean-like conundrum during the group’s Aug. 31 meeting at the Holt County Courthouse. To include $2.5 million, monies promised by TC Energy for a road-use agreement, or not to include that amount in the upcoming road and bridge budget, dominated more than an hour of discussion. Without payment in hand, the proposed levy would cost taxpayers an additional eight pennies, jumping to 36.25 cents, a 31% increase. In the end, supervisors agreed to pursue a $...
The Antelope County Board of Commissioners has approved a road-use agreement for the duration of potential construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. However, the board’s decision was neither quick nor unanimous, as the commissioners discussed the agreement for about an hour and 40 minutes during their nearly five-hour meeting, Tuesday, Aug. 4, at the courthouse in Neligh. Board chair Charlie Henery and commissioners Eli Jacob and Carolyn Pedersen approved the agreement as presented, while v...
As the 2020-2021 fiscal year neared its second month, Antelope County leaders started their annual budget work with a special workshop meeting last week at the courthouse in Neligh. The budget must be submitted to the state by Sept. 20, with a public hearing required prior to its adoption. Although values won't be certified until later in the month, Assessor Kelly Meuller-Oltjenbruns has unofficially reported about a 3% decrease in valuation countywide. Commissioners reviewed department's...
The Holt County supervisors finalized seating of a board of adjustment when they met at the courthouse in O’Neill last Tuesday, June 30. Vice chair Steve Boshart presided, due to the potential for board of adjustment action related to TC Energy matters, with which chairman Bill Tielke has a declared conflict of interest. Clayton Goeke of Atkinson was selected, by written ballot from a pool of three interested citizens, to serve as the alternate board member. Goeke garnered three votes, Cheri Frisch of Atkinson, two, and Tom Schaaf of Lynch, non...
The Holt County supervisors approved a road-use agreement for duration of potential construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline, despite the county leaders’ denial of a construction permit in February. Consideration of the road-haul agreement was on the agenda when the supervisors met in the courthouse for an in-person meeting April 30. The agreement had been drafted by Omaha attorney David Domina, with Brent Kelley, Holt County attorney, proceeding, at the request of the supervisors, to negotiate terms with TCE officials. Kelly was present in t...
The Holt County supervisors approved hiring a human resource firm when they met at the courthouse in O’Neill on April 16. With all seven supervisors in attendance at the meeting, the leaders voted 5-2 to contract with Zelle Human Resources of Lincoln to provide consulting services for an initial six-month term, after holding a phone conference with Zelle representative Chad Thies. Supervisors Bob Snyder and Don Butterfield voted nay. According to Thies, the firm would update the county’s employee handbook, making sure it is relevant and mak...
Aaron Boggs of Creighton, who has served as foreman of Antelope County's road department for about a year, was hired to head the department when the county commissioners met at the courthouse in Neligh on March 10. The commissioners entered closed session to consider applications, after an announcement by chairman Charlie Henery just before 11 a.m. "I have to leave by noon or so," he said. "So, we need to go into executive session to talk about personal employee stuff. We need a motion to do...
Six Holt County supervisors listened as nearly 50 citizens presented testimony last Friday afternoon. A public hearing regarding TC Energy's application for a pipeline construction permit was held in the district courtroom at the Holt County courthouse. Pipeline opponents, from elementary students to 90-year-old grandparents, packed the courtroom, filling approximately 100 seats, and spilled out to the second-floor hallway. Speakers were called in order of sign-up, which had begun in the morning...
This Friday, Holt County Supervisors will consider whether a conditional use permit will be granted for TC Energy or if a recommendation from the Holt County Planning and Zoning Board will take precedence. A public hearing is set to begin at 1:30 p.m., in the district court room at the Holt County Courthouse in O'Neill. At a Jan. 28 hearing, zoning officials voted 6-1-1 to recommend the board of supervisors to deny the application as incomplete, per section 2.1, paragraph three, until...
The Holt County supervisors spent nearly two hours at a meeting last week, reviewing a road-haul agreement brought to the table by TC Energy representatives last October, paragraph by paragraph, despite having a new agreement drafted by Dave Domina in hand. The scrutiny came after Holt County attorney Brent Kelly presented a preliminary agreement drafted by the Omaha attorney who was hired by the county officials on a 4-2 vote Oct. 31, 2019, to negotiate a road-haul agreement with TC Energy. At Kelly’s suggestion, the supervisors held an execut...
Holt County citizens filled the county supervisors’ meeting room in the courthouse last Friday morning as the county leaders took care of business. Bryan Steskal of Steskal read a letter penned by his wife, Diana Steskal, who was unable to attend the meeting. In the letter, Steskal wrote the Holt County zoning board members denied TransCanada’s conditional use permit until two conditions are met, including one that requires obtaining easements. Many, she said will most likely be appealed. She also cited three federal court cases filed aga...
Antelope County zoning administrator Liz Doerr issued 168 permits in 2020, according a summary she presented to county commissioners Jan. 7. Permits issued generated more than $44,000 in revenue for the county, including $250 in late fees. The value of non-wind turbine permitted projects was projected at just shy of $4 million. By township, building permits issued include: Blaine, one permit, with estimated value of $150; Burnett, two permits, $305,000; Cedar, four, $100,200; Clearwater, three, $32,700; Crawford, two, $400,000; Custer, three,...
The Holt County supervisors met Monday, Dec. 16, in front of a crowd of concerned citizens. Agenda items regarding a TC Energy road-haul agreement and some township road concerns drew the visitors. The supervisors heard an update on a bronze statue planned for the courthouse lawn by the “Finian Women.” They are a group headed by daughters of longtime Holt County resident, Doc Cook, who referred to himself as a Finian, according to county clerk Cathy Pavel. Natalie Cook Butterfield addressed the leaders regarding fundraising and planned placemen...
The Antelope County commissioners postponed action on an agenda item requested by Andy Frey, Elm Township road closures follow-up, sending a half-dozen county residents away without resolution. The commissioners held public hearings Sept. 3 on proposals to close two segments of county road. Both closure requests, one mile of 848 Road, from one-half mile east of 529 Avenue to one-half mile east of 530; and one-half mile of 847 Road, were petitioned by Frey. Brian McDonald, county engineer,...
As many of you are aware, TC Energy (formerly TransCanada Corporation), is renewing its efforts to build a tarsands oil pipeline through the United States, including here in Holt County. The project is massive in scope and size, and will have a massive impact socially, culturally, environmentally, and economically. Whether the impact in each of those categories is positive or negative is the subject of heated debate. That debate is not the subject of this letter, and I am certainly not in a...
The final item of business handled by the Holt County supervisors last Thursday afternoon at the courthouse in O'Neill caused some disunity among the leaders. As the supervisors passed time waiting to address an agenda item regarding outside counsel to handle a road-haul agreement with TC Energy, the meeting room filled with about two dozen county residents, many who are facing eminent domain proceedings for pipeline right-of-way easements across their land. While three of those citizens, Bryan...
Drama unfolded once again and the county attorney was called in for advice at a meeting of the Antelope County commissioners at the Neligh courthouse last Tuesday, Oct. 1. The final item on the agenda, taxpayer concerns/general comment/Regina Krebs, was moved up. Krebs assists various county officials and subdivisions with budget preparation and, in her capacity as a certified public accountant, has conducted audits of public entities, including Antelope County in years past. She introduced...
Seats in the Holt County supervisor’s chamber at the courthouse in O’Neill were all occupied and additional chairs were taken in, when the leaders met Monday. Many audience members voiced concerns, during the 10 minutes set aside for public comment, regarding TransCanada’s route across the county, as well as a new transmission line that will also cross the county. Diane Steskal of Stuart presented a letter to the supervisors, signed by herself and her husband, Byron Steskal, regarding the proposed Keystone XL pipeline route. She read the letter...
