The Auburn City Council voted 4-2 Oct. 12 to table a four-year, $2.15 million interlocal agreement with the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement in the city, putting off a decision until after the Nov. 3 election.
At the same meeting, the council honored a city parks employee who helped a resident and her dog out of a pond, authorized up to $7,500 for an engineering review of a stormwater damage claim and approved advertising for bids on pool and sports complex projects. The city also received a state award for 50 straight years as a Tree City USA [See related story].
Sheriff contract on hold
The Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office provides law enforcement for Auburn under a three-year agreement that runs through the end of 2026. The proposed agreement would cover 2027 through 2030. The only changes from the current agreement are the term and the cost.
Auburn has contracted with the sheriff’s office since January 2013, when the city dissolved the Auburn Police Department. The contract pays for one officer on duty in Auburn 24 hours a day, which the sheriff’s office calculates as 4.3 full-time positions. The office has 11 patrol officers.
The city would pay $519,000 in 2027, about 10% more than the $471,570 it pays this year. The payment would stay at $519,000 in 2028, then rise to $539,760 in 2029 and $567,350 in 2030, for a four-year total of $2,145,110.
Under the current agreement, the city paid $444,500 in 2024 and $457,835 in 2025, increases of 3% a year.
In a later interview, Sheriff Brent Lottman said the Nemaha County commissioners, who fund the rest of the sheriff’s office budget, approved a 10% raise for county employees, which for this contract affects the sheriff and deputies. The county also has 27 pay periods in 2027 instead of the usual 26, which adds to next year’s cost. That extra pay period is why the payment stays flat in 2028, he said.
Lottman said insurance and fuel costs also factor into the amount, and the city’s and county’s budget cycles do not line up with the contract’s start date.
Councilman Shawn Clark made the motion to table. He pointed to the election and said that because the agreement runs four years and the council had little time to review it, it would be prudent to wait until the November meeting.
Councilman Tom Clark seconded the motion.
“I agree. I don’t know that we should get into a four-year contract,” Tom Clark said. “I want to look into it more.”
Shawn Clark, Tom Clark, Johnny Curttright and Nathan Seitz voted to table the agreement. Council members Rick Janssen and Brian Lavigne voted against.
Lottman is running unopposed in the Nov. 3 general election, but the Auburn mayor’s race and two City Council seats are contested. Shawn Clark and Seitz, who both voted to table the agreement, face challengers.
Shawn Clark said after the meeting that waiting a month should not cause problems because the agreement would not take effect until January.
In a written statement released Oct. 15, Lottman said county salaries for officials and deputies are set four years at a time, which allows the city to budget for the full term of the contract.
Auburn has about 49% of the county’s population and accounted for 48.5% of the sheriff’s office’s calls in 2024 and 2025 and just over 53% so far this year, according to the statement.
“If the city decides not to move forward with the sheriff’s office providing coverage for Auburn, that is its right,” Lottman said. “As it stands now, the city pays for us to have officers in Auburn 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with a usual response time of two to five minutes. Should that change, response times would increase dramatically, possibly to 20 minutes.”
Without a contract, Lottman said, deputies would still answer calls in Auburn, but no officer would be assigned to the city, and response times would be similar to those in the rest of the county. State law would limit deputies to enforcing state law and the laws of the political subdivision that employs them, so city ordinances, such as those on loose dogs and on-street parking, would not be enforced.
Parks employee honored for pond rescue
Mayor Chris Erickson presented a certificate of recognition to city parks employee Terry Niederklein for helping a resident and her dog out of a pond Sept. 23.
Clarann Henrichs was walking her dog, Jack, that evening when he slipped out of his collar and ran into a drainage pond near the Westgate housing development. Bohling followed him into the pond, and neither could climb out.
Niederklein was driving nearby and realized he had not seen Bohling and her dog leave the area. He found them in the pond, called emergency services as he went in and helped them both out. Neither was hurt.
Engineers to review stormwater claim
After a closed session to discuss potential litigation involving property at 511 17th St., the council returned to open session at 7:35 p.m. and authorized the city attorney to hire JEO Consulting Group to investigate a stormwater damage claim.
John and Kristine Gill filed the claim Sept. 23 over damage to the property. Spending on the review is capped at $7,500 without further council approval.
The review may look at historical drainage conditions, existing drainage infrastructure, upstream development, earlier projects, engineering records and the condition of the property.
The motion stated the authorization is not an admission of liability or a finding that any city facility caused or contributed to the damage. It also does not commit the city to build, repair or replace any drainage improvement or private structure.
Pool, sports complex projects go to bid
The council approved advertising for bids on two projects: converting the tennis courts at the Auburn sports complex to pickleball courts and renovating the municipal pool.
City Administrator Crystal Dunekacke said the city has worked with JEO Consulting Group on the sports complex project. Both projects will be advertised for bids starting next week, with bids opening at 11 a.m. Nov. 4. The council will review them at its November meeting.
Both bid packages include options that let the council award all or part of each project, depending on prices. City crews will handle some of the sports complex work, including demolition, to save money.
Other business and consent agenda
In other action, the council appointed Nate Powell to the Planning Commission.
The council also approved the consent agenda, including payment of claims, minutes, the city’s financial report and special designated liquor license applications for the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission. The licenses are for Mike Gableman of Street Level Villain, doing business as Southside Saloon, for a banquet Nov. 5 at the Auburn 4-H building and for events Nov. 12, 19, 20 and 21 for Ruth Heywood at The White Spot, Gallery 75.
The next City Council meeting is at 7 p.m. Nov. 9 at Auburn City Hall.
