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HARTINGTON – A new aviation development near Laurel was not cleared for take-off.
The Cedar County Board of Commissioners did not approve a conditional use permit from Tekamah-based aerial application service, Nebraska-Iowa Helicopter, to develop a landing strip parallel to Highway 15 in southeast Laurel.
Chairman Dave McGregor made a motion to approve the company’s conditional use permit, but it failed to get a second from either Mike Meier or Dick Donner at the board’s meeting last week.
The Cedar County zoning board gave the project the green light prior to it landing at the commissioners’ desk for approval. Landowners within 1,000 feet of the planned development were notified and no objections were raised, said Zoning Administrator Tim Gobel.
Not only does the county not have any zoning regulations in place to guide such a development but neither does the state, Gobel said. The Nebraska Department of Transportation was notified since the new grass landing strip would be near and parallel to Highway 15, and officials did not raise any objections, either.
Commissioner Meier lives about one-half mile from the proposed development and expressed concerns about safety.
“I’m not against this business being in Cedar County but the (landing strip) layout for myself, and others, had safety issues with it,” he said in an interview after the meeting.
If the aviation company wants to bring forth a new proposal with a different layout, Meier said he would be open to reviewing it again.
In a meeting earlier this month, Meier also raised concerns about noise and impact to both people and animals near the proposed development.
In new business, the commissioners agreed to pursue an interlocal agreement with the City of Randolph to allow for keno there and share in any dividends earned.
Voters approved countywide keno lottery at the general election last fall, and the county entered into an agreement with Nebraska Cooperative Government (NCG) who oversees keno in the state.
After paying a winner, keno proceeds are distributed according to sales with the state receiving a 2 percent lottery tax; the local outlet offering keno receives 6-7 percent; Nebraska Cooperative Government who oversees keno in the state receives 6-7 percent for equipment and 1 percent for legal and accounting; and the county receives 10 percent.
If the City of Randolph successfully enters an agreement with Cedar County, the two entities could share the county’s portion of the keno dividend.
Actual terms of the agreement will be drafted by NCG and reviewed by both parties before being approved, said County Clerk Jessica Schmit.
Other counties, including nearby Knox, have successfully handled keno proceeds in this manner.
The Nebraska constitution requires that any net lottery proceeds must be used for community betterment. Some counties or municipalities use lottery proceeds in their general funds to help offset property taxes, while others save it for a special project.
How much revenue keno brings into the county is dependent upon how much it is played. Randolph’s portion of the dividend is limited to any keno vendors approved within its city limits.
At its meeting last week, commissioners also discussed raising the rate paid for county burials. No action was taken but the issue will be discussed further at the next regular meeting at 8:30 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 25.
