Board sets up seperate arena budget

Red Willow County commissioners Ok'd a contribution to CEDARS Youth Services and changed their minds about creating a budget for the Kiplinger horse arena during their regular meeting Monday morning.

Commissioners rescinded last week's motion that requested a quarterly report of activities at the new horse arena on the fairgrounds. Instead, board members decided they want to keep track of revenue, expenses, expenditures and usage with a budget specifically designated for the arena. The budget also will track donations and payments to pay off the building loan.

Fair Secretary Deb Lafferty told commissioners she felt a separate budget would create more paperwork, require more time and involve guessing at what revenue may be this first year of operation. Fair board members originally asked for a quarterly report to track revenue and expenses.

McNutt said taxpayers have a right to know that the arena has cost about $50,000 in tax payers' money for architect's fees and site preparation, despite commissioners' and benefactor Tom Kiplinger's desire that no tax money be spent on the arena project.

Sheila Ruble, manager of the CEDARS program in McCook, said CEDARS is moving from the former convent owned by Southwest Nebraska Youth Services to leased office space at 1111/2 East C in downtown McCook. At the convent location, the county paid utilities, which amounted to about $9,000 last year, according to commission chairman Earl McNutt.

Rather than paying utilities in the new location, CEDARS is requesting a contribution of $6,750, which will be used to pay for pretrial juvenile diversion programs.

Ruble said about 73 youths will have participated in pretrial diversion in 2002-03, and about 55 of those will have been from Red Willow County.

James Blue of Lincoln, CEDARS president, said in a letter to commissioners, "Court costs, attorney fees and other legal expenses are saved by Red Willow County when a youth is referred to Juvenile Diversion." Blue also asked for commissioners' support in requesting grants from other Southwest Nebraska counties that benefit from CEDARS programs.

McNutt said commissioners support the program. "There are always kids in need," McNutt said. "If we catch them early, we can get them turned around."

Commissioners scheduled property tax protest hearings and inspections:

- Monday, June 30, 1 p.m. until 4 p.m.;

- Tuesday, July 1, and Wednesday, July 2, from 8 a.m. until noon and 1 p.m. until 4 p.m.;

- Monday, July 7, from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m.;

- Monday, July 14, from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m.;

- Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, July 15, 16, 17 and 18, from 8 a.m. until noon and 1 p.m. until 4 p.m.

Commissioners will allow 15 minutes for each hearing, and County Clerk Paulette Gerver will notify protesting property owners 10 days in advance of hearings.

Gerver told commissioners she has had requests for protest applications from 79 property owners. The deadline to file a protest is Monday, June 30.

Commissioners heard 130 protests in 2002 and 126 in 2001. They listened to a record 240-some protests in 2000, McNutt said.

In other action, commissioners:

- Approved a motor vehicle tax exemption for a 2003 van purchased by Hillcrest Nursing Home for patient transport and errands.

- Transferred a blue-and-white 1976 Chevy two-wheel-drive three-quarter-ton pickup from the county's District 1 road crew inventory to the fairgrounds inventory; and one red-and-white 1985 Chevy four-wheel-drive three-quarter-ton pickup from the weed control inventory to the District 1 road crew inventory.

- Approval health insurance claims.