Supervisors hold off on U.S. 30 decision

Dodge County supervisors are not yet ready to join Fremont officials and area business organizations in changing their minds on their preference for a new expanded alignment for U.S. Highway 30.

Supervisors discussed the proposal at their regular meeting Wednesday morning but decided to wait on a recommendation from the Dodge County Board of Supervisors’ roads and bridges committee.

Supervisor Rob George, who sits on the roads and bridges committee, said they were not yet ready to make a recommendation because there are too many unanswered questions.

"We’re waiting to hear what the city of North Bend has to say," George said. "It’d be nice to hear what the drainage district has to say. But the big one is what North Bend wants."

For more than 15 years, the Nebraska Department of Roads has planned an expanded four-lane U.S. 30 from Fremont to Columbus as part of a statewide expressway system that was initially studied 20 years ago. But those plans have gotten derailed and are no further along than they were then.

A special panel of 16 Fremont, Dodge County and North Bend government officials and community leaders met for 18 months to recommend a corridor for the new U.S. 30. By a 9-7 vote, panel members recommended using mostly the existing County Road S corridor for the new highway. At the time, Dodge County and Fremont officials favored using the current U.S. 30 corridor.

Dodge County officials said it would cost too much money to maintain the 16 miles of the current highway that would be relinquished to the county if the highway is moved.

Last week, members of the Fremont City Council changed their opinion and approved a resolution to favor the County Road S plan after a proposal was introduced by business leaders David Mitchell and Bart Qualsett.

But George said supervisors couldn’t afford to assume that North Bend officials would still support the County Road S plan without talking with them.

"We don’t need to get burned on this," he said.

Supervisor Paul Marsh said he can’t agree with this.

"The city’s play in this is totally different than ours," he said. "They don’t have the financial obligation."

George said the County Road S plan would open Fremont up for more development along the city limits. Fremont already has barriers in place to keep the city from expanding in many directions: The Fremont Lakes State Recreation Area, the Platte River and the U.S. Highway 275 freeway.

Dick Johnson, who owns Johnson Cycle and Auto, 1700 W. 23rd St., said he doesn’t want to see the highway moved.

"If you do that, we’re going to lose traffic along West 23rd Street," Johnson said. "It’s difficult to get people to come into this town as it is."

Moving U.S. 30 two miles north of the city limits would make it too easy for motorists to drive past Fremont without slowing down, he said.

Dodge County Board chairman Bob Missel said there will be more discussion on this topic.

"This continues to be a huge issue," Missel said.

If all groups involved can reach a consensus, there’s a better chance that the project will be completed sooner, he said.

"Obviously, we still have a lot to talk about," Missel said.

George said the roads and bridges committee could have a recommendation in place by the county board’s next meeting on June 18.

In another matter, supervisors approved a three-year contract with JDS Security to man a standing metal detector system in the east lobby of the Dodge County Courthouse.

Supervisor Lon Strand, who chairs the county board’s building committee and the county’s security committee, said the system should be set to start June 16.

At least temporarily, the east lobby doors will be the only access into the courthouse. Eventually, key cards will be installed at other entrances for courthouse employees and county officials to use.