KLZA - Richardson County Commissioners awarded a bid to build a bridge northwest of Falls City to M.E. Collins Contracting when they met Tuesday.  The company agreed to reduce the bid price by more than 35-thousand dollars due to work County workers will assume, including removing and disposing of the bridge and abutments, trees, stumps and brush necessary for the construction of the box culvert.  This will bring the bid price to $154,682.
    Commissioners also discussed the condition of two bridges on the “State Line Road” which is 702 Road between 632 and 633 Avenue in which Nemaha County, Kansas shares the costs of maintenance.
    Barb Vice and Gary Jorn represented the Falls City Chamber of Commerce requesting use of the Courthouse facilities for the Cobblestone Festival on August 25th.  Members of the Falls City Area Retired Senior Citizens have volunteered to serve as attendants for the building.  Commissioners requested the Falls City Library be opened during this time as well.
    Sheriff Randy Houser presented the Commissioners with a salary comparison of county sheriff department personnel from across the state of Nebraska of comparable counties.  Sheriff Houser proposed a 2.75 percent increase for deputies and sergeants;  a rate of $13.75 per hour for jailers and dispatchers and elimination of the shift differential;  a rate of $15 per hour for the administrative assistant and longevity pay of 50 – cents per hour for every five years of continuous employment with the County. 
    Commissioners took no action on the proposal.  The Board did receive notification from the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 571 that the organization will no longer represent the employees of the Richardson County Sheriff’s Department as of June 30th, 2012.  That was the date the collective bargaining agreement ended.