Antelope County commissioners hear complaint about stuck truck

The Antelope County Commissioners worked through their agenda in short order Oct. 8, at the Neligh courthouse, authorizing claims and payroll before hearing Casey Dittrich's road report and a complaint that had been posted on social media.

"We had some complaints about south of Clearwater, grinding up the road," Dittrich said. "I reached out to some of the people who started a post on Facebook that's gained a lot of attraction," he said.

The road in question is 846 Road, from the bridge westward, about a three and one-half mile stretch, according to the road superintendent.

"We had an errant truck driver, trying to get to the Royal Road, come up 513 (Avenue), turn, go around our barricades, go down a closed road, and stuck it right in the middle of the road. (An area resident) got on Facebook, took a picture of it, put it on there and said, for 40 years they hadn't seen anybody stuck on this road."

Dittrich explained to the commissioners that a contractor was working the road for Invenergy, but hauling rock onto the road was delayed due to bridge work. "We couldn't get it covered up because the bridge concrete, had to wait 28 days before we could put pressure on the deck of the bridge."

Dittrich, Commissioner Chairman Tom Borer and Brian McDonald, county engineer, had visited the site the previous day, finding the road "very passable, but rough."

"The people complaining were at this meeting, at the meeting in this room, when we made that decision, but they were attacking me personally and the commissioners and I want to clear the air about how it happened," he said. "All of these options were discussed at this table and a decision was made and now we have a group of people who are upset, (who) are using certain parts of this to fit their agenda and complaining about it and I want people to understand why we made that decision. Had we ground those miles of Zigzag (Road), the five miles we originally did, it would have cost us about $50,000 to $60,000 a mile to repair them with the Sinclair gravel. Instead, it cost us $20,000 to grind it, and some trucking on top of that, to receive probably about $30,000 a mile in millings...We would be comfortable saying the county invested about $5,000 a mile in this project. Our other option was hotmix that we all saw was about $300,000 a mile."

Dittrich said he reached out to the main complainant, who he said had also visited Invenergy's office and called several commissioners.

"(He) never called me, doesn't want to discuss it, says we are going to keep doing whatever we want to do," Dittrich said. "It was a disaster. I'm confident that had that truck not gone around our barricades, that we would have survived."

Borer asked if a road closed ahead sign should be installed.

"Obviously, it doesn't work if he went around our barricades," Commissioner Charlie Henery said. "We can put up warnings, I'm for that."

Dittrich said proper barricades had been placed by the contractor, Klabenes Construction.

"And we have a very good detour route, posted detour route on Highway 14, that not only says the road is closed and bridge is out, but it gives you instructions on which road to take. We made these signs that say, 'Go to 843 Road,'" he said. "Had that truck done that and not tried to save four miles on his GPS, we probably wouldn't be having this conversation."

Borer asked if the truck had gone off the Royal Road the next day. The superintendent nodded.

"Off the hotmix," he said. "He got towed out and the next morning he continued on to do the business he was going to on the Royal Road and down in the ditch, every tire off the road, completely destroyed the new shoulder."

When asked if 846 Road will be rocked all the way to the county line, Dittrich replied, "That was the decision that was made last week, from the corner where Meyers live at (Highway)14. They (Invenergy) weren't going to do that stretch, going to fix it. They have seen how much it has blown out now, it will be continued all the way to where they already started at the laydown yard and they will continue all the way to the Holt County line."

"I hope people are patient with us, give us a few more days, I am up here speaking for the contractors, but at the same time the decision was made here, it's just not a very easy process and I want people to understand why we did it, where we are at on it," Dittrich concluded.

On Dittrich's recommendation, the leaders approved improvement plans for two Thunderhead wind project roads, known as sites three and four. The plans for 515 Avenue and 848 Road had been approved by McDonald. Before signing off, Dittrich and McDonald will assure standards are met. He said two more improvement plans are being finalized.

"The wind towers come in and tell us they can't use the road as it is, they need to upgrade it. They send their plans to (McDonald), he finesses it as needed to meet safe specifications we need to meet standards," he said.

The leaders also approved a pay application sent by McDonald on behalf of Thiessen construction for the Poorman Bridge and a corresponding claim in the amount of $160,919.

Dittrich said the project was more extensive than expected, taking "a lot more dirt," and will require a change order, but the project was on target for completion in the next two weeks.

The Clearwater and county line bridge projects were also slated for completion within two weeks. Dittrich said the "Meyer tube" and Klabenes bridges are open, although some grading and riprap are still needed.

An application for an access permit was approved for Joe Funk Construction to install a driveway at a storage unit.

Consideration on applications for 50 underground permits, submitted by Invenergy, were postponed until November. Dittrich said he had not yet reviewed the applications.

In other business, the leaders approved the following by unanimous vote:

~Administrative plat application submitted by Levi and Elva Borntrager for a five-acre tract about two miles north of Orchard, on the recommendation of Liz Doerr, zoning administrator;

~Application for $300 Promotional Fund grant for Antelope County Does Care;

~Payment of gravel claims from balances remaining in township accounts;

~Inventories, with the addition of values on two recently purchased tractors; and

~Collateral review, at $1 million, as presented by Lisa Payne, county clerk.

And, as a board of equalization, the commissioners:

~Approved 2019 tax levies for multiple entities, as presented by Payne, including cities, villages, school districts and fire districts, unanimously. County levies were also approved, with Bentley and Borer voting nay. It was noted the ag society and airport levies were included in the county vote, as well as educational service unit with the vote on school levies.

~Approved tax roll corrections, as presented by Kelly Mueller, county assessor; and

~Approved list of tax-exempt vehicles, as presented by Mueller.