County highway superintendent resigns

After months of second guessing and debating between the Chase County Commissioners and County Highway Superintendent Jeff Tidyman, the board received Tidyman’s resignation at the Dec. 28 commissioners’ meeting.
Tidyman, highway superintendent since March 1, 2009, provided the initial plans for road work on the roads south of Wauneta, Avenue 346, and west of Champion, Road 734.
The commissioners received different a variety of advice from Mark Balderston, county road foreman at the time, and from Jack Baker of Baker and Associates and Toney Krajewski which led them to question the engineering provided by Tidyman and Engineering International.
Baker and Associates was chosen as the commissioners to serve as engineers for the projects.
Tidyman’s resignation will be acted on at the commissioners’ Jan. 11 meeting.
The county had requested two road studies in Champion from Tidyman and has not received information on either.
The board also said it will talk to Krajewski about the Champion bridge.
Elected officials’ salaries
The commissioner’s continued discussing salaries for 2023-2026.
Based on the recommendation of the Nebraska Association of County Officials, Sheriff Kevin Mueller told the commissioners he’d like his salary to be 125% more than the clerk, treasurer and assessor.
From 2019-2022 the sheriff’s salary is $64,200, 120% higher than the clerk, assessor and treasurer’s salaries of $53,500.
At the Dec. 28 commissioners’ meeting, Mueller asked that his salary for managing dispatch be raised from $6,000 to $10,000.
During discussion, Commissioner Dennis Kunnemann said he’d like to see the sheriff’s salary stay at 120% and increase the dispatch salary.
The board took no action on setting salaries.
Other business
As the county moves forward on the Nebraska Department of Revenue’s decree that commissioners approve all easements in their counties, the Upper Republican Natural Resource District’s Nate Jenkins attended the commissioners meeting to discuss conservation easements and the work it includes for county clerks and assessors.
Hours for the county roads department were changed to five eight-hour days from four 10-hour days. Each shop will set its start and stop time with the approval of the district’s commissioner.