Krajewski hired as county highway superintendent

The Chase County Commissioners accepted the resignation of Jeff Tidyman as county highway superintendent at their Jan. 11 meeting and hired Toney Krajewski as his replacement.
Tidyman resigned in December after serving in the position since 2009.
Krajewski is a Keith County Commissioner and provided a list of his expected duties as AJK Services.
Krajewski proposed a $50 monthly retainer plus $40 an hour with a max of four hours per day which would cover “the necessary county highway superintendent services required for Chase County to conform to the requirements of the Nebraska Board of Classifications and Standards.”
Commissioner Dennis Kunnemann said Krajewski presented a very generous offer.
There was some debate as to whether Krajewski would be considered an employee or contract labor. While considering benefits, the commissioners decided to err on the side of caution and consider Krajewski an employee.
Krajewski left the meeting with a list of assignments which included the Champion bridge to the lake.
Krajewski said he would perform a hydrologic analysis, but at this time his suggestion is to put in a 60 to 72-inch tube and “call it good.”
Commissioner Jacci Brown said Champion residents worried about trees upstream from a culvert or low water crossing blocking the river if there was a flood.
Krajewski said those concerns should be the same whether there’s a bridge or tube.
The county would be able to put the tube in and, if dirt started washing away, haul in more dirt to support the road.
Kunnemann asked Krajewski to look at Road 740 by Avenue 325. The stretch of road has washed out twice in the last three years. Krajewski said it’s worth it to have hydrologic and engineering assessments performed to cover the bases if the road washes out again and injuries occur.
Krajewski and Baker and Associates will be on hand at the Jan. 25 commissioners’ meeting to go over plans for the Champion and Wauneta highway projects. With approval, Baker and Associates will send the plan out for bids. County Clerk Debbie Clark reminded the commissioners that the bond for the projects still needs to be finalized.
One last project for Krajewski to review was a county easement on Road 736A between Avenues 347 and 348 at Craig and Jo Fannings.
Discussions between the Fannings and Brown included the county adding a small ditch and culvert to divert water away from the road, which has a tendency to wash out.
County attorneys and the Fanning’s attorney agree that “the road is the road” and the county doesn’t have the right to go into the Fanning’s field to create a new ditch.
Jo Fanning suggested a culvert on the main road, as well, where water runs from Ave. 347.
The commissioners also plan to ask Krajewski to look into vacating an alley in Champion and reviewing property lines on Teply property by the Champion Museum.
Salaries set
After spending several meetings discussing possible salaries for the county’s assessor, attorney, clerk and treasurer for 2023-2026, the commissioners signed that resolution.
The board agreed that they didn’t want to lock in cost-of-living raises for each year.
Though the commissioners said they want to make sure their employees are fairly compensated, they also were clear that maintaining the county’s budget took priority.
After discussion the commissioners set the salaries for the four positions at $66,000 for 2023, followed by salaries of $67,980, $70,019 and $72,119 in the following years. Department deputies receive 65% of the elected positions.
Sheriff Kevin Mueller had asked for an increased salary for running the dispatch center. The sheriff also asked that his salary be 125% of the assessor, attorney, clerk and treasurer’s salaries in accordance to Nebraska Association of County Officials’ recommendations.
The commissioners concluded that it would be best to add the dispatch center management to the sheriff’s job description and increase the sheriff’s pay accordingly.
The sheriff’s salary for 2023-2026 was set at $89,500, $92,185, $94,940 and $97,788.
After those positions were settled, the commissioners moved on to their own salary, typically 50% of the elected officials’ salaries.
Commissioner Duane Dinnel was in favor of a large decrease in the commissioners’ salaries in the hope of hiring a road foreman. Until that position is filled, the commissioners plan on hiring shop foreman in each district.
With that in mind the commissioners approved decreasing their salaries from $33,000 per year to $30,000 and left the door open to adjusting their salaries every two years with elections.
Wages for County Emergency Manager Duane Dreiling will stay at 50% of the elected officials’ salaries.
The commissioners would like to meet with the Veteran’s Service Office board before naming a salary for Veteran’s Service Officer Duane Todd.
The next meeting of the commissioners will be Jan. 25 at 8 a.m. in the courthouse.