Supervisors adopt ‘second amendment sanctuary’ resolution

The Dodge County Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution during their regular meeting Wednesday to declare the county “a second amendment sanctuary.” 
 
Fremonter Paul Von Behren submitted the resolution. He serves on the state’s Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education. 
 
The board considered the resolution at its June 2 meeting, but wanted to get Dodge County Sheriff Steve Hespen’s input before proceeding. Supervisor Pat Tawney provided an update Wednesday. 
 
“We held this up until we could meet with Sheriff Hespen, which I did,” Tawney said. “He has had several meetings and contacts with several sheriffs in the state, and they are all on board. I think we would be one of the last counties to adopt this.”
 
Von Behren, who was in attendance on Wednesday, thanked the board for adopting the resolution. He said it was a real statement, given talk of limiting gun rights at the national level. 
 
“We’re living in an environment where the talk coming out of (Washington) D.C. is at least concerning,” Von Behren said. 
 
Supervisor Greg Beam provided an update from the Board of Corrections, specifically about an agreement housing Dodge County inmates in the Saunders County jail. 
 
“The rate Saunders County put forward was $73 per person,” Beam said. “The rate they are charging other counties is $75. The rate they are charging the feds for inmate holding is $90.”
 
The new rate will be an increase of about $6 per inmate. 
 
“I also want to remind the board that Saunders County provides two transports a day for shuttling inmates between our two facilities,” Beam said. 
 
Board chairman Bob Missel said the increase was expected. There were no other changes to the agreement. 
 
In other business, the board approved the moving of $150,000 from the county’s Inheritance Fund to the Road Fund. 
 
Dodge County Clerk Fred Mytty said state and federal funding for the Road Fund hadn’t come in yet, prompting the request for the transfer. 
 
The supervisors also approved the recommendation from the Joint Water Management Advisory Board to accept JEO Consulting Group’s bid for the East Fremont/Elkhorn Township Drainage Improvement Project. JEO’s bid was $739,580. 
 
“As Fremont grows, drainage to the east will be a big issue,” Missel said. “We really feel this is an important effort and it is nice to have the grant dollars to help support it.”