Red Willow, Furnas counties sign pact for veteran services

McCOOK, Neb. -- Red Willow County,'s veterans service officer will provide services to veterans living in Furnas County from Jan. 1, 2015, through June 30, 2015.

Red Willow County's commissioners Monday morning signed an interlocal agreement with Furnas County in which Red Willow County's VSO Tom Stritt is appointed Furnas County VSO, and the Red Willow County (through its county treasurer) will be paid $6,762.81, which is the unused half of the $13,525.62 that Furnas County commissioners budgeted for the Furnas County's veterans service office for 2014-2015.

The payment from Furnas County to Red Willow County is what Furnas County would have paid the second half of the 2014-2015 fiscal year for a VSO (salary, taxes and retirement), operating expenses, supplies and materials, capital outlay and memorial markers and flags.

The agreement can be renewed on an annual basis; it can be cancelled by either county with a 30-day notice in writing.

Four-hundred-or-so Furnas County veterans had previously been served by the Phelps County VSO. Red Willow County has about 840 veterans.

Stritt told commissioners the new arrangement is "doable" without assistance. He said if he obtains many more veterans, he will need help. He said however that the population of veterans Red Willow County is decreasing, as World War II and Korean War veterans die. Gene Witte, the chairman of the Furnas County Veterans Service Committee, said the majority of veterans now are from Vietnam and Desert Storm and on.

Stritt said he may have to travel to Furnas County if a veteran is house-bound and unable to travel to the Red Willow County office in McCook. Mileage for such trips would come from the funds paid by Furnas County.

Stritt's salary will be increased slightly for the next six months, said Red Willow County commissioner Earl McNutt, and the increase will be paid for with revenue from Furnas County.

During Red Willow County budget workshops last summer for the 2014-2015 fiscal year, Stritt's salary (from Red Willow County) went up from $36,320 to $37,760, an increase of $1,440, the same as other county officials. Stritt had requested a $4,000 increase.

Dan Stramel, chairman of Red Willow County's veterans service committee, suggested at budget time that if Stritt wanted a compensation increase, he should document the time he already spends with veterans who live outside of Red Willow County, and that Red Willow County should then charge the veterans' home counties for that time.

Way back in 2006, Red Willow County commissioners suggested consolidating veterans services with neighboring counties. Stritt's predecessor, Joe Williams, had a vision of creating a centralized veterans service office in McCook with two full-time VSO's, one to travel to neighboring county seats and one to remain in McCook.

In other action, commissioners gave Red Willow County Judge Anne Paine and Clerk Magistrate Gretchen Wiebe permission to offer two rooms in the former sheriff's office, on the alley behind the courthouse, to attorneys or guardians ad litem who may need a place for private conversations with clients or children.

Anyone needing handicap accessibility can still use space in the courthouse.

Old jail cells and access to the second floor storage will be locked/blocked.

The sheriff's office is still equipped with phone and intercom services left there after the sheriff and his officers and staff moved to the new law enforcement facility and jail in September.