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HARTINGTON — Cedar County Commissioners took steps toward a possible road closure near Hartington and addressed a range of county business during their March 23 meeting.
The board approved a resolution to hold a public hearing at 10:15 a.m. on April 28 to consider vacating and abandoning a half-mile stretch of 562 Avenue. The section under consideration runs between Roads 886 and 887, just north of Hartington.
Cedar County Highway Superintendent Carla Schmidt presented her findings on the roadway prior to the vote, outlining conditions and considerations for the proposed closure.
Schmidt also informed commissioners of a similar situation along the Dixon and Cedar County line in the southern part of the county. Dixon County officials have already approved closing that roadway, and Cedar County may need to schedule its own public hearing to take corresponding action.
In other road-related business, commissioners opened a single bid totaling $163,442 from Midwest Coating for a chip seal project on the road in front of the Cedar County Fairgrounds.
Commissioner Dave McGregor rejected the bid, citing both cost concerns and the proposed timeline. McGregor said he had requested the work be completed prior to the Cedar County Fair, but the bid listed a completion date that would run too close to the event.
With only one bid submitted, the board took no further action on the project.
Commissioners also approved a change to the liquor license for the Shop EZ convenience store in South Yankton. The updated license allows the store to sell off-sale wine and liquor in addition to beer.
The board had briefly considered tabling the request to gather more information about how those sales would be taxed. County Clerk Jessica Schmit contacted the Nebraska Department of Revenue for clarification before the board moved forward with approval.
In board appointments, commissioners accepted a recommendation from Cedar County Tourism Board Chairman Josh Rayford to appoint Megan Wortmann of rural Hartington to the tourism board. Commissioners noted Wortmann’s experience operating an Airbnb at the former George and Gretchen Hirschbach estate northeast of Hartington as a valuable asset.
Cedar County Emergency Manager Kevin Garvin also met with the board regarding updates to the county’s federally mandated Local Emergency Operations Plan. The plan, last updated in 2022, must be reviewed and updated every few years.
Garvin said commissioners will need to appoint individuals to serve in key roles for the plan, including a designated public information officer. He recommended the county clerk serve in that capacity.
Zoning Administrator Tim Gobel presented four building permits for approval, including two for Joe Noecker in Precinct 8 — a 2,500-square-foot home and a 70-by-40-foot machine shed. Additional permits included a 13,000-bushel grain bin for Richard Junck in Precinct 19 and a 12-by-30foot greenhouse for Neil Feilmeier in Precinct 10.
Also during the meeting, Cedar County Auditor Janelle Heikes presented information regarding an accelerated personal property tax request from Danny Heimes, who recently sold equipment at auction.
The next meeting of the Cedar County Board of Commissioners is scheduled for April 14 at the Cedar County Courthouse in Hartington.
