SESSION OVERVIEW

The Pawnee County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. Chairman Ron Seitz presided, with Commissioners Jan Lang, Lavon Heidemann, and County Clerk Lindsay Kostecka present. The meeting was properly noticed in the Pawnee Republican. The Board approved the minutes from the April 14 session and moved through an agenda focused on department reports and substantial fiscal claims.

TIMELINE OF EVENTS

• 09:00: Meeting called to order; Open Meeting Law acknowledged.
• 09:05: Approval of April 14 minutes and current agenda.
• 09:10: Public comment period; no attendees spoke.
• 09:15: SENCA presentation regarding the 2025 Annual Report and 60th Anniversary.
• 09:45: Approval of Tax Exemption applications presented by Treasurer Cindy Johnson.
• 10:15: Highway Superintendent Chris Rauner presents rock reports and personnel updates.
• 10:57: Adjournment following the signing of General and Road/Bridge fund claims.

ANALYSIS & EVIDENCE

Community Action & Public Proclamation

Susan Keholm (SENCA) provided the 2025 Agency Annual Report and highlighted SENCA's 60 years of service. Krystal Nickels updated the Board on Family Development Associate services within Pawnee County. Following the presentation, the Board unanimously approved a proclamation naming May as Community Action Month.

Legal and Emergency Management Reviews

County Attorney Emily Sisco met with the Board to review 2025 law enforcement metrics. The data presented suggested a significant disparity in activity, with one deputy (Rohrbaugh) accounting for 30 citations and 80 warnings—the bulk of departmental output Emily elledged. Board Member Heidaman questioned the lack of parity among other officers and raised concerns regarding public transparency.

However, these metrics stand in stark contrast to reports obtained by the PCWatchdog. Sources indicate that citation issuance is relatively equal across the Pawnee City Sheriff’s Office, but suggest the County Attorney’s office is only responsive to a fraction of submitted cases.

The Sheriff has further clarified that the salary figures cited in the session—specifically the $28.00 per hour rate—apply to deputies who are fresh out of the academy and currently in their Field Training Officer (FTO) period. Once this training phase concludes, which is expected within the next few weeks, their pay is slated to increase to approximately $31.00 per hour. This context suggests that any perceived lack of parity in departmental output may be attributed to the ongoing training of new personnel rather than a lack of officer initiative.

These reports allege that despite the PCSO meeting all criteria and demands, investigations are being stalled in "indefinite limbo" due to a lack of cooperative effort from the County Attorney’s side.

The PCWatchdog will be publishing an investigative report at the Editor’s Desk later this week post reception of requested additional details.

In other business, Emergency Manager Megan Buckley provided departmental updates, while representatives from Project Response were notably absent from the session.

Highway Department & Personnel Claims

Hwy Superintendent Chris Rauner’s report covered a wide scope: rock reports, project lists, and equipment status. A point of contention regarding a safety wear claim was resolved; after initial hesitation, the Board approved a $400 uniform allowance reimbursement for Steve Bedea following Rauner's clarification.

Financial Breakdown & Major Claims

The Board reviewed and signed off on significant expenditures across multiple funds:

Fund	Major Payee	Amount
Road/Bridge	ME Collins Contracting Co.	$189,714.12
Road/Bridge	Martin Marietta (Rock)	$30,036.26
General	Pawnee County Treasurer	$122,143.99
Opioid	Region 5 Systems	$223.76

Total Net Payroll for the period was recorded at $45,371.79.