Commissioners complete annual budget

McCOOK, Neb. — Red Willow County Commissioners corrected a typographical error in the county’s valuation, but it had little effect on the finalized levy passed at the end of Monday’s meeting.

The error amounted to about $300,000 less in total county valuation, but the final levy remained lower than last year’s. Certification of levies completed the 2021 budget process, one of the smoothest in recent years.

With Commissioner Cayla Richards absent because of illness, Chairman Earl McNutt and Randy Dean also approved an annual contract for cyber insurance with current provider Travelers Insurance for $8,850 a year, rejecting a bid of $6,280 a year from EMC Insurance, because of lower limits on a number of items.

During the citizens' comment portion of the meeting, Brett Warren and Tyler Kotschwar of 20/20 Technologies outlined information technology services their company could provide. Warren, who helps provide television coverage of the Olympics, recently spent 65 days in Japan and is preparing to travel to China for the 2020 Winter Games.

However, his company has nine employees in McCook, including five technicians, and can provide on-site service as well as remotely.

Other routine business included two tax roll corrections, one for moving a mobile home and another for demolition of a mobile home; approval of $15,200.31 in accounts payable, mostly for county self-insurance for health claims, and approval of a county roadway occupancy agreement for Viaero Fiber Networks at Road 395 and U.S. 6.