SUPERIOR, Nebraska (STPNS) -- Bids were opened and reviewed for a proposed geographic information system (GIS) for the county assessor's office at Monday's regular meeting of the Nuckolls County Board.

Two bids were received for installation of the GIS system, which is being mandated by the state for all county assessors' offices.

GIS Workshop, Lincoln, bid $41,000 for services, tools, software, training and support. GIS Workshop offers payment options up to three years. Marcus Tooze, GIS Workshop president, made a presentation to the board in April about his company and services.



Great Plains GIS Consulting, Ravenna, bid $34,800 for the system, plus about $1,200 for software. Mitchell Clark, Great Plains GIS Consulting owner, was on hand for Monday's bid opening to answer questions from the commissioners and from Janice Murray, Nuckolls County Assessor.

The board voted to table a decision on the bids until they have an opportunity to read each proposal more carefully and ask Tooze the same questions they asked Clark Monday. The primary concern of the commissioners is the cost of annual or continued services from the two companies after the system is installed.

"We all need to read these (proposals) over more carefully than we can during a meeting," board chairman Arnold Brown said. "And I have some of the same questions for Marcus."

Both Tooze and Clark estimated it could take up to a year to get a GIS system up and running in the assessor's office. After that, it could also be utilized by other offices and departments, most notably the road and bridge department and the sheriff's office. Chief Sheriff's Deputy Scott Stemper was in attendance at Monday's bid opening.

The NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service, formerly the Soil Conservation Service) is no longer making soil books available; the only way to access the new soils is in a digital GIS format, leaving counties without GIS technology no way to start using the new soil maps.

Additionally, the Nebraska Property Assessment Division requires county assessors to begin using the new soil codes for assessment purposes by Jan. 1, 2009. County assessors using GIS technology will have no trouble meeting that deadline.

Janice Murray, Nuckolls County assessor, said the new GIS system will eliminate guess work and estimation by her office, be completely accurate and save her staff hundreds of hours.

In another matter, County Attorney Tim Schmidt met with the board about the contract between the county and Region 3 Behavioral Health Services for EPCs (emergency protective custody).

Schmidt said the most recent contract expired July 1 and he did not receive a new one to review until June 27. He said there were changes, primarily involving the billing process, and he has some concerns about the new contract, concerns he said that are shared by the county attorney in Adams County. Schmidt recommended the board table a decision about the contract until more information can be gathered, or a meeting can be arranged with the Region 3 director. The vote to table was unanimous.

In other business:

· The board met with Mark Mainelli, county highway superintendent, Gary Warren, assistant highway superintendent, and Cindy Buescher, road department executive secretary, for a report on road department activities. A brief discussion was held on a salary and contract for Mainelli, however no action was taken.

· The jail standards inspection report from the Nebraska Crime Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice was accepted.

· Commissioner Mike Combs asked for highway superintendent Mainelli's help in dealing with the railroad about several rough crossings west of Superior. Combs said he has complained repeatedly about the condition of the crossings, but the railroad has done nothing to correct the problem. Mainelli said he would get involved and would also inspect the crossings Monday afternoon with Warren.