PIERCE - At the Monday, Jan. 5, organizational meeting of the Pierce County Commissioners, discussion was held on the appointed boards for 2026 for the board members.
Carl Martinson was elected as chair - man of the Pierce County Board of Commissioners for 2026, and Brad Albers was elected as chairman of the Pierce County Board of Equalization for 2026.
The following boards were ap- pointed and approved: Martinson with John Steinkraus as alternate — Northeast Nebraska Area Agency on Aging Board Albers with Martinson as alternate - Region IV Mental Health Board Steinkraus with Albers as alternate — North Star Martinson with Albers as alternate — Goldenrod Joint HousingAuthority Martinson with Albers as alternate - Juvenile Detention Center Board Martinson with Steinkraus as al ternate — County Used Oil Contact person Steinkraus with Albers as alternate — Northeast Nebraska Economic Development District Steinkraus with Martinson as alter nate — North Central Public Health Board
Steinkraus with Albers as alternate — Pierce County Economic Develop- ment Board Albers with Martinson as alternate - Region 11 Emergency Manage - ment Board Albers with Martinson as alternate - Elkhorn Valley LEPC Board Albers with Steinkraus as alternate — Pierce County E911 Advisory Board
Steinkraus with Albers as alternate - RC & D Board
Steinkraus with Albers as alternate - NE NE Solid Waste Coalition Board Commissioners also approved the Osmond Republican, Plainview News and Pierce County Leader as the legal newspapers for Pierce County for 2026, and approved the county web page, piercecountyne.gov, as an additional method of providing notice for Pierce County for 2026.
Other appointments for 2026 in- cluded: LaVern Schroeder, county surveyor; Brian McDonald, County Highway Superintendent; Dr. Lane Handke (reappointed), County Physician and County Coroner Physician.
Commissioners then approved the appointments and pledged collateral of Midwest Bank, N.A. of Pierce, Security Bank of Osmond, Midwest Bank, N.A. of Plainview, Nebraska Public Agency Investment Trust (NPAIT), Nebraska CLASS (Coopera- tive Liquid Assets Securities System) and Elkhorn Valley Bank and Trust of Pierce as Pierce County Bank De positories for county funds for 2026.
The following machine hire rates for 2026 were approved with the follow- ing stipulations: (1) that adjustments in rates may be made at a later date, depending on the cost of fuel; (2) that Pierce County set these rates and does machine work only on request for a small job and when it would be difficult and impractical for a private contractor to haul his machinery to a location for such a small job and the County is already in that location and with a minimum of 1 hour:
$250 per hour for backhoe/excavator with man; $175 per hour for motor grader with man; $250 per hour for loader with man; $200 per hour for scraper with man; $150 per hour for 10-yard dump truck with man $150 per mile for mowing of road- way ditches (SS 39-1811)
In other business at the meeting, commissioners: - approved Resolution 2026-1, vacating or abandonment of 861st Road between 534 and 535 Avenues.
— signed the annual weed report for 2025.
— discussed roads and bridges that need attention in 2026.
- approved a designated liquor license for Kay Hunt/Charlies for an event at the Pierce Pavilion on Satur- day, March 21, from 3 p.m. to 1 a.m.
