[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6087856,"mediaKeyId","2887886-360ab871bb17a52d26b2ee9a816a93ce","parentId",2887886,"title","Tourism director suspension draws public comment and calls for review of liaison role","audioSeconds",200,"startMs",5396000,"endMs",5596000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2887886-360ab871bb17a52d26b2ee9a816a93ce&start=5396&end=5596","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2887886-360ab871bb17a52d26b2ee9a816a93ce/thumbnail_5396000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6087856/Scotts-Bluff-County/Nebraska/Tourism-director-suspension-draws-public-comment-and-calls-for-review-of-liaison-role","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6087856-baed3425defedbd3d9c5b62b6bf3d0c4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770819271&Signature=VJdLUgVrFMcumnhZt~0ih2D0maWYefZVE3tMuT4XW5nUSI~zymvjkM~sPkEjIJNFW78SlT~FxYN7xIYLPSvzYph-2q1fdAzCky8ncamET4F3I1ZavztfLFzcD-pPzWdG2gRTo92Tw8biIpGkrs~FyTPzRTLXxvhES2vTM1a9guLS2GB2WjSxzBaCmdh4Ai8D9HvSZV0B~JPAyXUVdyuSOrCvm4nlfNpPymfKuM6BMsVYcQ049TXkyjQkgj3umr3GvXdVxwOrlr4XDWZRW~njlvWQPm-mbIb8K-YdZSz48vxKlTNA3fxAx3ipQj9C3OMZz37DXh1PvHixlnjELJBXgQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Scotts Bluff County, NE","date","2025-04-06T01:01:48.37Z","article","Public comment at a Scotts Bluff County commissioners meeting focused on the recent suspension of the county tourism director and the role of the tourism liaison, prompting calls for review and greater transparency.

Several tourism stakeholders and business owners told commissioners the director's suspension came at a disruptive moment for local events and damaged ongoing partnerships. Colleen Johnson, executive director of Old West Balloon Fest, and other tourism stakeholders said canceled meetings and the director's absence had immediate economic effects, including an event meeting cancellation that one vendor estimated cost $3,000 in lost revenue for a local provider. They credited the tourism director with past successes — including national ballooning events and increased lodging and sales tax revenue — and urged the board to preserve continuity in tourism leadership.

Other public speakers and a county official raised concerns about the conduct and public statements of the tourism liaison, Commissioner Charlie Knapper. Speakers described a dispute over whether the county should prioritize sports/tournament tourism versus leisure and cultural tourism that supports museums, the discovery center, and arts organizations. Some commenters said the liaison's public remarks and personnel actions reflected an abuse of power and asked the commission either to remove the liaison from that role or to investigate whether the director was retaliated against for raising concerns.

Register of Deeds Jean Bauer asserted procedural problems with personnel-related documents that referenced her and an unrelated tourism board member without authority, and requested removal of their names from an internal write-up. Public commenters asked the board to clarify supervisory roles, the personnel-review process and the tourism office's chain of command. Several commissioners responded that the liaison role is a commissioner-assigned supervisory role under county practice and that commissioners sought to work toward reconciliation; one commissioner said he had temporarily been assigned as the tourism director's supervisor.

No formal personnel action was taken during the meeting; commissioners said they would accept public input and that staff and the tourism advisory board would continue to work through outstanding questions. The board also paused the Placer AI agenda item to allow further review and to receive more detailed agenda language for the next meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Scotts Bluff County Commissioners Meeting, Monday, March 31st, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Public commenters at the Scotts Bluff County commission meeting criticized the suspension of the county's tourism director and urged commissioners to remove or investigate the tourism liaison amid concerns about alleged retaliation and a proposed shift toward sports tourism.","taxTitle","Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska","taxId",69685,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6087862,"Commissioners table Placer AI trusted-data agreement to allow review of alternative mapping product",1921,3413000,5334000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2887886-360ab871bb17a52d26b2ee9a816a93ce&start=3413&end=5334","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2887886-360ab871bb17a52d26b2ee9a816a93ce/thumbnail_3413000.jpg","/articles/6087862/Scotts-Bluff-County/Nebraska/Commissioners-table-Placer-AI-trusted-data-agreement-to-allow-review-of-alternative-mapping-product","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6087862-de97e84a9248e2dfdb084545235ffc24/orig.mp4?Expires=1770819271&Signature=oKbciI2QG517vAqG9ofCLL71zQFdJPGrhNVTIFuro7lBjdJLs8WmbNJmMXqVcpwBhltXIV5IIvkxSqLzL7leQZ8zkxB6g2sWswKJZH2Eacw~0naX80LOipVcsApHeP~WskcPpIAiIasn3d3LsYeRliUMQgBPCk4nbHe~bduYaIjSdenMymFoGqNnkFMw74NV7yGiTs0Wha5P2UJq2l3EE4DZONXdWejY6Xd7PTPinVy4t2OugcRxqNhslO745AltqW-nqGkzI-9tpKFN7r5GfVKE1hOxWJOfdz0ZQ9A1XSA4NyaXJoAtybND3Qb9VoR5q~Ym6IctBMnHcv4~a2o~9A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Scotts Bluff County commissioners voted to table consideration of a one-year shared-service agreement with Twin Cities Development (TCD) to purchase Placer AI foot-traffic analytics, saying staff should first evaluate an alternative mapping product already licensed to county offices.

Commissioner discussion and questions centered on functionality and cost. Amanda (mapping supervisor) told the board the county already licenses an Arc/Esri product that offers demographic and site-selection functionality; she arranged a demonstration with an Esri representative to determine whether the county's existing tool can supply the foot-traffic data the Placer AI platform provides. Tourism and economic-development representatives said foot-traffic analytics were important for event planning, public-safety staging and business attraction; others said the Esri option might meet many needs at a lower incremental cost.

Two votes were pending: commissioners had previously motioned to enter a shared-service agreement to share the Placer AI subscription and cost with Twin Cities Development. During the meeting a motion to rescind the earlier motion was made and the board then voted to table the item to the board's next meeting on April 7 so staff can present the Esri demo and provide a clearer cost comparison. The clerk recorded a 5-0 vote to table the item. Commissioners asked staff to make the April 7 agenda language explicit about the product(s) under review and to provide details about TCD's participation and cost share.

Several members of the public and tourism stakeholders spoke during public comment, saying Placer AI's foot-traffic analytics would help plan large events but questioning a $30,000 price and requesting clearer procurement options and transparency. The board instructed staff to return with more detailed agenda language and the Esri demonstration before acting on the Placer AI purchase.","The board voted to table a proposed shared-service (trusted data) agreement with Twin Cities Development for a one-year Placer AI subscription and asked staff to schedule a demonstration of an existing Esri product first.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6087867,"Commissioners debate budget timeline, targets; consultant urges review of county health plan",2757,728000,3485000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2887886-360ab871bb17a52d26b2ee9a816a93ce&start=728&end=3485","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2887886-360ab871bb17a52d26b2ee9a816a93ce/thumbnail_728000.jpg","/articles/6087867/Scotts-Bluff-County/Nebraska/Commissioners-debate-budget-timeline-targets-consultant-urges-review-of-county-health-plan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6087867-a8b2a6b38f5a54c6425e688a4a5a4374/orig.mp4?Expires=1770819271&Signature=auCOkfbE2Vq9dveWdXa9aMs~BmWbgefP6wooHEJRDy1knIqM6vYVT8B9zL~Q0emXUZ5tDoKlYvFpORcGepflT8eOk8aVxAdZHhj1w0ePQAtpwpRpbd93QnK7iOSjV3kOIQ6VWRoq2xNGPVeDkez9boliLuB3x1ONLwJfLEwP-az3xZPzuLK4l92R~FKHnfwe7162xavga9naqjdgXpIkbnEVXSnJjuMS6vqpCFvj~XGqbxKbWcu-2G0mhvsWYKhHwALZ3bOEcgvPSSupsKZk9n-mG07t-3KdGA~625h2EYdL3hqYhWYgRnScgrbqDlm3Xhn1qAw1X12cjOe3yOMLrA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Scotts Bluff County commissioners opened a wide-ranging discussion about the FY2025-26 budget calendar and guidance for department budget submissions and heard a public presentation urging a review of the county's health-insurance contracts.

County staff said the annual call for departmental budgets will proceed earlier this year and suggested commissioners decide whether to set a target percentage (for example, 2.5%) that departments should use when preparing requests. Commissioners disagreed on setting an early, firm cost-of-living or percentage target: some urged providing a planning COLA or target soon so departments build proposals to a shared expectation; others said revenue uncertainty counselled waiting until revenue estimates were clearer.

During the budget discussion the board invited comments from outside speakers on cost-saving opportunities. Nick Lees of Next Gen Benefit Solutions told commissioners he reviewed public budget figures and estimated the county spends roughly $3.7 million annually on health insurance, with about $2.9 million in claims. Lees recommended the county issue an RFP or hire an independent benefits consultant to analyze contracts and networks and negotiate lower reimbursement rates; he said such changes could generate conservative savings in the mid-hundreds of thousands without large employee impacts and could reduce employee premium shares.

Commissioners directed staff to prepare a budget timeline and to return with specific dates and a short statement for departments describing any preliminary guidance on COLA/target percentages. Several commissioners asked Lisa (county staff) to bring a recommended timeline and to return to the board for a follow-up meeting where the commission could set a target, if desired. The board did not adopt a fixed percentage at the meeting.","Board members discussed starting the FY2025-26 budget process earlier, setting a target percentage for department budgets, and consequences for late submissions. A public presenter recommended hiring an independent consultant or issuing an RFP to reduce county health insurance costs.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6087872,"Commissioners approve detention-center medical RFP with one-year noncompete addendum",335,401000,736000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2887886-360ab871bb17a52d26b2ee9a816a93ce&start=401&end=736","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2887886-360ab871bb17a52d26b2ee9a816a93ce/thumbnail_401000.jpg","/articles/6087872/Scotts-Bluff-County/Nebraska/Commissioners-approve-detention-center-medical-RFP-with-one-year-noncompete-addendum","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6087872-339708fd5550e0245162fa76ca0bf179/orig.mp4?Expires=1770819271&Signature=jK8Xlj8K~Diyk9n7BtHd65PTxd71tBrrfWem2ynyeDNKh8UlzPkQyPl-3M3VcLulZVNVU2F3Uh4PKaGG6mJ52Ql8PnUZ9aCRui2nRV5jv7gkL8ERP8IYr69Nx7e5lHiNSjKsMARivTmW1lSnF7lBSOEkQH3IMutHNfdwYxPsZOLhYodd~IBv1Bv8yc~FX7QYwZG9yUrkmQPquNNvUToYUfljKyhOnWwI35rTh6hrAJy2-LuTvZcfRLT608iPrxz4wz537xvMrl2QLY1rb4y8GueYjuZy~6AQd62isvuD7dfxlcX~7jXxlwSGa2oymWhKiRLJAYTWNagbiBF5e7Uhzw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Scotts Bluff County commissioners approved a request for proposals for medical services at the county detention center and added an amendment requiring proposers not to employ current county staff for at least one year after contract expiration or termination.

The action came after county staff said the draft RFP had been reviewed by NERMA and the county attorney; the county attorney recommended language to protect the county’s investment in specialized staff. Commissioners identified the change as “Amendment 1” and instructed staff to insert the clause in the RFP package before it is released.

County staff said the RFP text was otherwise the same as previously circulated, with only timing adjustments to account for a short delay in distribution. No public comments were offered during the discussion. Commissioners voted to approve the RFP as amended; the clerk confirmed a 5-0 recorded vote.

The RFP approval moves the procurement forward toward soliciting proposals for nursing and other medical services at the detention center. Staff said signature pages and final insertion of Amendment 1 would follow in the finalized contract packet.

The board did not set a firm award date during the meeting; staff will return to the board if further contract details or awards require formal commissioner action.","The Scotts Bluff County Board of Commissioners approved a request for proposals for jail medical services and inserted an addendum requiring proposers not to employ current county employees for one year after contract end.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Tourism director suspension draws public comment and calls for review of liaison role

Commissioners table Placer AI trusted-data agreement to allow review of alternative mapping product

Commissioners debate budget timeline, targets; consultant urges review of county health plan

Commissioners approve detention-center medical RFP with one-year noncompete addendum