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HARTINGTON – Cedar County Transit wants to keep serving people in eastern Knox County.
Transit Manager Nikki Pinkelman updated the Cedar County Board of Commissioners on Dec. 12 on the services the public transportation system has been providing to parts of the neighboring county to the west.
Knox County was contracted to pay Cedar County $2,000 a month – for a total of $24,000 – in 2023 for the use of Cedar County Transit’s services.
“They’re going to be really close to their numbers,” Pinkelman said. “Their payment’s $24,000.
“I don’t have all the numbers yet, but by my estimate, they’re going to be just slightly over that (at $24,244),” she said.
She wanted to check with the County commissioners to see whether she had the go-ahead to have the public transportation system continue to serve eastern Knox County next year.
Pinkelman also proposed increasing Knox County’s monthly payment by $100 to $2,100 for 2024, which would equal a total of $25,200 for next year.
The commissioners gave the green light for Cedar County Transit to continue serving eastern Knox County and for her to present the proposed increase to the Knox County Board of Supervisors.
“Just like we had in place for this year, where we’ll actually draw up a new contract, if they go over that $25,200, then they would be responsible for more,” Pinkelman said.
She noted her estimated figures are usually close to the actual final totals.
“We’re not going to come in under,” Pinkelman said. “It may go just a slight bit over, but then you have to look at your operating costs and if that stayed the same, and your maintenance costs and if that stayed the same.”
After updating the commissioners, she traveled from Hartington to Center and presented the Knox County supervisors the same update for the public transportation system and the proposed monthly payment increase in the contract for next year.
The Knox County supervisors approved the 2024 contract with Cedar County Transit at their Dec. 12 meeting after Pinkelman’s presentation.
“We get a lot of good recommendations from over there,” Pinkelman said of Knox County.
Cedar County Transit provides public transportation services for all of Cedar County and parts of eastern Knox County – Bloomfield, Crofton and Wausa area residents who live within 30 miles of the transit office located in Hartington.
Pinkelman noted she plans to provide the Cedar County commissioners a final end-of-year update for the public transportation system early next year.
“We’re going in the right direction, it seems,” Pinkelman said.
