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Save the Dates For:
County Board Workshop
June 1-3, 2016
Holiday Inn
Cornhusker HotelLincoln
RegistrationTentative Agenda
Highway Superintendent, Surveyors, Engineers Workshop
June 14-16, 2016
Mid-Town Holiday Inn
Grand Island
Registration Form
Agenda
Treasurers Workshop
June 14-16, 2016
McCook (June 14)
Hayes Center (June 15-16)
Assessors Workshop
August 22-25, 2016
Holiday Inn
Kearney
ALL UPCOMING EVENTS
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For details contact:
LeRoy.Janssen@nacone.org
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| WHO SUPPORTS NACO AND THEIR MISSION?
 Associate and Sustaining Members
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NACO Associate and Sustaining Members enable NACO to enhance its continuing education programs for county officials across the state. Visit NACO's complete associate and sustaining membership list here.
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 Nebraskans Hail Gov. Ricketts' Transportation Initiative as "Historic" | |
The Transportation Innovation Act Accelerates Expressway Construction And Bridge Repair
 LINCOLN - On Monday, April 18, Governor Pete Ricketts signed LB960, also known as the Transportation Innovation Act (TIA), at a signing ceremony where he was joined by numerous Nebraskans who helped build support for the initiative over the past several months. The TIA targets $450 million towards accelerated expressway construction, county bridge repairs, and investments in infrastructure projects which will help Grow Nebraska. This legislation was one of the Governor's top priorities for the 2016 legislative session, and was passed with overwhelming support from the Legislature. The Transportation Innovation Act was developed by the Governor's Office in conjunction with the Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR) and the Legislature's Transportation and Telecommunications Committee, which held hearings on potential infrastructure proposals during the interim last summer and fall. "Across Nebraska, the Transportation Innovation Act will help to build the infrastructure that Nebraskans use to see their families, drive to work, and get to school every day," said Governor Ricketts. "Agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism, our state's three largest industries, depend on a 21st-century infrastructure to grow and expand. Accelerating work on our expressway systems and investing in projects that help grow and expand businesses, will help kick-start economic growth in these areas. "I appreciate the work and support of the numerous legislative leaders and Nebraskans who worked on this legislation from concept to final passage and enactment. These investments will fund key infrastructure priorities for Nebraska for years to come." The Transportation Innovation Act includes $450 million in targeted infrastructure funding in three key areas:
- Accelerated completion of Nebraska's expressway construction
- Repairs to bridges maintained by county governments
- Projects that connect new and expanding businesses to our infrastructure system
Additionally, the legislation creates a new design-build process, which will allow the state's largest and most complex projects to be completed 2-4 years more quickly. "The cutting-edge concepts included in the Transportation Innovation Act will help Nebraska build on its reputation as a national leader in roads," said NDOR Director Kyle Schneweis. "The infrastructure bank fund in this bill targets investment in key infrastructure priorities with the help of the new design-build process, which will cut red tape and help accelerate our state's most complex infrastructure projects." LB960 was introduced at the request of the Governor by Transportation & Telecommunications Committee Chairman Jim Smith of Papillion and was prioritized by Senator Lydia Brasch of Bancroft. "Thank you to the countless organizations and individuals who helped make the Transportation Innovation Act a reality for Nebraskans," said Chairman Smith. "Last summer, our committee traveled the state to hear from Nebraskans, and their input and insights were an important part of making LB960 successful. It has truly been a pleasure working with Governor Ricketts and the entire Legislature to pass this remarkable initiative." "Thanks to the leadership of Governor Ricketts, Nebraska will finally see significant progress towards completion of our state's expressway system," said Senator Brasch. "I designated this legislation as my priority for the session because infrastructure funding is one of the top concerns I hear. This bill builds on the work of Senator Deb Fischer's Build Nebraska Act, and together they will provide the resources Nebraska needs to work through our infrastructure priorities for years to come. Numerous associations and organizations endorsed the Transportation Innovation Act and worked tirelessly to ensure its passage in this legislative session. These groups include the League of Nebraska Municipalities, Nebraska Association of County Officials, 4 Lanes 4 Nebraska, Nebraska Farm Bureau, Nebraska State Chamber, and Nebraska Cattlemen among countless others. "This is a historic moment for our state, and it would not have happened without the vision and leadership of Governor Ricketts," said Marlene Johnson, Mayor of West Point and Past President of the League of Nebraska Municipalities. "The Transportation Innovation Act is the most important infrastructure initiative our state has passed since the creation of our expressway system in the 1980s. This is a major achievement and Nebraskans should be proud of the Governor and Legislature." "Through the Transportation Innovation Act, the Governor has demonstrated a landmark commitment to assisting county governments with the momentous task of repairing our bridges," said Larry Dix, Executive Director of the Nebraska Association of County Officials. "With the funding for county bridges included in this bill, local governments across Nebraska can begin to work through a backlog of projects, and improve the integrity of the bridges Nebraska's families, farmers, businesses, schools, and communities depend on every day." "Thank you to Governor Ricketts and Senator Jim Smith for championing the Transportation Innovation Act," said Dirk Petersen, 4 Lanes 4 Nebraska Board Member and incoming Nebraska State Chamber President. "Accelerating expressway construction is critical to helping our entire state grow and vital for Nebraska's businesses and families. This bill is a big win for all of Nebraska, and I applaud the Governor and Legislature for their work." The Transportation Innovation Act funding begins later this year. NDOR will provide updates on the implementation of the TIA as funding comes online and the project selection occurs.
Governor's Office Media Contacts:
Taylor Gage, 402-471-1970
Eric Maher, 402-471-1974
Other related articles:
The Washington Times, April 18, 2016
Nebraska.TV, April 19, 2016
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| May 5th Budget Workshop Cancelled | |
Following a review of the factors affecting attendance at the proposed biennial Budget Workshop conducted by the Nebraska Association of County Officials, it was decided that this year's workshop will be cancelled.
The review of previous budget workshop attendance figures concluded that the majority of the attendees are county clerks and county board members. Each of those groups holds an annual workshop within a month of the proposed day long budget workshop. This year the County Board Workshop Agenda Committee has chosen the Nebraska State Auditor's Office to present budget information along with auditing procedures that will build awareness of proper procedures associated with creating and maintaining a balanced budget with all aspects of accountability in place. Traditionally, the Clerks, Register of Deeds and Election Commissioners also engage the State Auditor's Office to speak at their mid-year workshop with the same topics in mind.
In addition, NACO heard from a number of county clerks who are also election commissioners and they noted that the proposed date for the budget workshop is the week preceding the Nebraska Primary elections. This in all probability will have a negative impact on the number of county clerks who are election commissioners that might attend the budget workshop given their election deadlines and the workload associated with conducting a primary election.
Additionally, many counties hire budget preparers outside the realm of current county employees. Attendance records indicate those outside preparers rarely attend the budget workshop.
With the county clerks and county board members consisting of over ninety percent of the attendees and each of them addressing budgeting and its processes during their respective annual workshops, it has become evident that attendance at a dedicated budget workshop will be very limited. NACO appreciates the comments and concerns that have been raised in regards to this year's budget workshop and will continue to look for the best way to deliver educational opportunities to our members in the future. Back to Top |
| Golf Outing Prior to County Board Workshop | 
NACO is currently in the process of discovering the interest and feasibility of hosting a golf outing on the day prior to the County Board Workshop. It is our vision that the outing would be held at a local Kearney golf course from 1 to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 1st of this year.
This event will not be a part of the workshop registration. It will be a separate and stand alone event. We have considered the possibility of having any excess funds generated being contributed to the NACO Scholarship Fund and being used to support county families that have children attending college.
If you might be interested in participating in such an event, please send an email to LeRoy.Janssen@nacone.org prior to May 1 to determine initial interest.
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| 2016 NACO Scholarship Recipients Selected |
Twelve children of county officials and employees have been selected to receive $1,000 NACO scholarships to assist with college expenses for the 2016-17 school year. The recipients and their home counties are:
Kasey Cllifford, Hayes; Paige Cross, Banner; Austin Freeman, Pierce; Megan Giese, Dodge; Jasmine Jallen, Cheyenne; Ashlyn Lang, Scotts Bluff; Josie Minor, Lancaster; McKenzie Paulison, Douglas; Sarah Ruzicka, Hall; Jacob Schaub, Cheyenne; Jace Walther, Frontier; Andrew White, Sarpy.
A more detailed article about the recipients will appear in the May 6 edition of E-Line.
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| State Board and Commission Appointments Sought | |
Boards and Commissions Openings - Appointments By Governor Needed
Kathleen Dolezal from the Office of the Governor Pete Ricketts has sent NACO the current list of appointments for boards and commissions needed for 2016. This is an opportunity for people in county government to become or to stay involved in government at the state level. If one of the positions on the two lists that accompany this article happen to interest you, make sure you contact Kathleen and express your desire to participate. Or if after your review, consider sharing this list with anyone and/or an organization that has members that you feel may be interested in serving.
The boards and commissions are uniquely different and are looking for people that have a diversity of interests in a variety of fields. Dolezal is quoted as saying, "it is very humbling, every day by how truly dedicated, hard-working, and talented Nebraskans are and that they are willing to give freely of their time and talents to serve." January - June 2016 Boards and Commissions with positions available
Kathleen Dolezal
Office of Governor Pete Ricketts
State Capitol, Room 2304
P.O. Box 94848
Lincoln, NE 68509-4848
402-471-1971 - phone
402-471-6031 - fax
kathleen.dolezal@nebraska.gov
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MIPS Bytes
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Printing Tricks in Windows 10
Windows 10 has been rolling out via Windows Update since July 29, 2015. Many Windows users were hesitant to upgrade early in the release cycle because of concerns from prior releases of Windows. Now, after nearly nine months, there has been a steady increase in the number of computers running Windows 10.
In older versions of the Windows Operating System there was no built in way to create a PDF document. If users needed to create a PDF they had to download and install a third party program to allow them to do so. Microsoft has included the ability to create a PDF document from any program that allows printing in Windows 10. Windows 10 users have a "Microsoft Print to PDF" printer listed in the Devices and Printers screen. This "printer" will prompt the user for a file name and location to save the PDF document when it is selected as the printer to print to.
Windows 10 has a new "feature" that allows the Operating System to automatically handle your default printer settings. While this sounds great, it can be a real annoyance if you have multiple printers you print to on a daily basis. All this "feature" really does is set your default printer to whichever printer you last used. This setting can be shut off by clicking the Start Icon > Settings and then click on Devices. On the Devices screen, scroll to the very bottom of the printers and scanners. Turn off the option to "Let Windows manage my default printer." This will allow you to select your default printer and Windows will not change it when you need to print to another printer.
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County Government Day PowerPoint
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The PowerPoint presentation is available electronically at no charge (sent via e-mail) for use by counties during their annual County Government Day. The PowerPoint provides a comprehensive look at county government functions in the State of Nebraska and can be customized by each county. CD's are also available for $10.00 each to cover processing, shipping and handling. To request the County Government Day PowerPoint electronically, please e-mail your request to larrydix@nacone.org. The CD order form is available here. Back to Top
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NACO's 2015 Directory of County Officials is a valuable resource that not only gives you names, addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers and e-mail addresses of every county official in the state, but includes a listing of county board meeting days, NACO districts, county seats, NACO officers and directors, affiliate officers and NACO staff. As of January 2016, NACO will no longer print the hard copy of the directory and send one to each county. The directory has been made a part of the NACO website through a clickable and searchable icon and will be updated as corrections are submitted. The directory on the website is downloadable for a printed copy and it can also be transferred electronically to office computers and devices with memory storage such as smartphones and ipads. For a copy of the latest 2015 directory, click here for the order form. Back to Top |
2015 County Board Handbook and Revisions
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The 2015 County Board Handbook and related revisions are now available! The cost for a current handbook, including legislative information from the 2015 session, is $80.00/book plus $18.00 shipping and handling per book. The 2015 Supplement to the County Board Handbook is available for $25.00 plus $5.00 shipping and handling. The order form is available on the NACO website. For questions, contact Elaine Menzel by email or call her at (402) 434-5660 ext. 225.
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| News From NACo |
Join county officials, experts from the private and nonprofit sectors and other leaders from across the country in Los Angeles County, Calif. for the 2016 NACo Annual Conference and Exposition.
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| NACo Webinars |
Keeping Counties Moving: Technological Innovations in Transportation
May 18, 2016, 1:00 pm - 2:15 pm CDT
Contact: Jenna Moran (202) 942-4224
Join us on this interactive webinar to learn how counties are leveraging technological innovations to improve transportation systems and ready them for the future. Transportation and technology experts will discuss national trends and current county projects in connected vehicles and open data sharing, the actual and expected benefits and future plans for innovation. This discussion will give county elected officials and staff members an idea of where the field of transportation is heading in the face of rapidly developing technologies and suggest next steps.
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