Commissioners looking to help Cozad, Tenneco

The Dawson County Board of Commissioners discussed the situation developing in Cozad with the Tenneco plant and its possible closing.

The closing, if it takes place, would leave 535 people without jobs and Dawson County would not feasibly be able to absorb all of those jobs.

Dawson County Chairman, Dean Kugler said the county could pledge up to $200,000 to go along with $100,000 the city of Lexington has already pledge to help keep the plant open.

“There’s 535 jobs all in Dawson County,” he said. “It is of vital importance of this county that we retain these jobs.”

Kugler said the county was able to pledge the $200,000 because it would come out of the funds from the county’s inheritance taxes.

Robyn Geiser, Executive Director of the Cozad Development Corporation told reporters that the situation looks grim for the county and Cozad.

“The impact would be far greater than any of us even care to evaluate at the moment,” she said. “We can’t identify what the impact would be, but it’s grave.”

Geiser and the Cozad Development Corporation do not deal directly with Tenneco, but rather discuss plans of action through Ernst and Young, the firm that is trying to help the automotive plant through the process.

Also during the meeting, Dawson County bank presidents were present at the Dawson County Commissioners meeting Monday to propose to continue a financial arrangement between the two that has existed since 1999. 

The County treasurer, Sharon Wood has invested county funds in participating banks in Dawson County in the form of deposits.  The banks then use these monies to make loans to area farmers and business people. 

According to the banks, the arrangement provides a win-win-win relationship between Dawson County, the banks, and taxpayers.  In the last fiscal year, the county deposited over $2.3 million in the participating banks, and earned around $218,000 in interest. 

In July the Commission had decided against investing in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac collateral.  Since then the two have been backed by the Federal Government as of Sept. 7 when the Federal Housing Finance Agency placed the two government-sponsored enterprises (GSE’s) in conservatorship.

As conservator, the FHFA has full powers to control the assets and operations of the firms.  The U.S. Treasury has put in place a set of financing agreements to ensure that the GSE’s continue to meet their obligations to holders of bonds that they have issued or guaranteed. 

After Matt Williams, President of the Gothenburg State Bank, addressed the issue in front of the commissioners Monday, they reversed their decision from July and unanimously accepted the possibility of investing in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac collateral.   

The next item on the agenda at the commissioners meeting was a presentation by Jake Ripp, County Surveyor, on Riparian Rights and his policies to follow Nebraska Law concerning the surveying of rivers and creek beds.

In other business, the commissioners addressed the appointment of an individual from each of the Commissioners’ districts to the Dawson County Extension Board.  From District No. 1 Tim Maline was appointed. Dale Biehl was reappointed, from District No. 2.  Julie Otero from District No. 3, Todd Morris from Distric No. 4 and Elizabeth Nichols from District No. 5 were also appointed. 

Terry Krohn, of the Two Rivers Health Department, gave a department update, and made a request for sales tax exemption to the Commission.

State Senator John Wightman, representing the people of the 36th district, was on hand to assure his future availability to the commissioners, should any concern arise.

In the matter of the appeal of Gary Flint, who claimed he was wrongly terminated from his job because an altercation he and Noxious Weed Board Superintendent Marty Craig had, Flint was not reinstated to his former position.

According to commissioner documents the matter went into executive session and, “After careful consideration of the evidence before it, the Board finds that, although it is unclear whether or not the Appellant (Flint) was actually fired, the events which transpired on Oct. 6, 2008, between the Appellant (Flint) and Superintendent Marty Craig could reasonably have been construed by Appellant (Flint) to be the termination of his employment with the Dawson County Weed Control. However, according to section 4.15(b)(2) of the Dawson County Employee Handbook (Oct. 2001), the Board of Commissioners shall only reverse the decision of the department head if it is determined by the majority of the board that the decision was arbitrary and without basis in fact or in violation of a specific rule or regulation or statute. Based upon the evidence, the Board is unable to conclude by a majority of its members that the decision of Marty Craig resulting in the termination of the Appellant’s (Flint) employment was arbitrary, without basis in fact or in violation of a specific rule, regulation or statute. It is, therefore, the order of this Board that Appellant’s (Flint) appeal should be and hereby is denied.”

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