2 weeks Ago By Caitlyn Thomas [email protected]
During their Monday meeting, Lincoln County commissioners extended the temporary moratorium on wind and solar energy and heard an update from West Central District Health Department on emerging funding concerns and future goals. First put in place in October 2024, the wind and solar moratorium was meant to give the commissioners a chance to review updates on the 10-year Lincoln County Comprehensive plan. That plan would include details on how the county can utilize wind and solar energy, in addition to regulations on the alternative energy sources.
The moratorium would have expired April 24, but the 5-0 vote extended it by nine months or until the comprehensive plan is completed and approved. Commissioner Chris Bruns said there will be a planning and zoning committee meeting Tuesday to review a draft of the plan. “But we still have a long way to go with regard to actually getting this finalized,” Bruns said, adding that it will go through the planning commission, a public hearing process and the County Board.
West Central District Health Department Executive Director Meghan Trevino presented the board with an update on the district's public health focus and concerns she has about future funding. The health district covers six counties in west central Nebraska and is governed by state statute. Commissioner Kent Weems sits on the board.
“Public health is all about prevention,” Trevino said. “It’s about creating opportunities and conditions where people can really thrive, where their longevity becomes a priority.” Trevino said they constantly look at “things that we can do in the community to make small, little changes that have a huge impact.
” “We often say that if public health is working well, you don’t even notice it because it’s happening in the background.” This work includes aiding and ensuring access to clean drinking water, safe food, disease prevention programs, healthy pregnancies and tobacco cessation. West Central District Health is funded in part by state and local grants, but “the largest portion of our funding comes through federal pass-through dollars,” Trevino said.
These federal funds include a public health emergency preparedness grant and a grant that helps provide vaccinations to uninsured or under-insured children. “I believe in full transparency, so I do want to point out that currently we are facing some funding challenges,” Trevino said. Trevino said health districts across the state are also facing a potential $4.
5 million cut in state support under the Legislature's next two-year budget. She said this would revert health-district funding to the same amount it received 24 years ago when health departments were first established in 2001. “This will create a significant barrier and impact all of the health departments across the state of Nebraska,” in addition to the federal funding cuts already affecting the department, Trevino said.
“So right now, we’re kind of in a difficult situation, I am very optimistic though,” Trevino said. U.S.
Rep. Adrian Smith’s Community Liaison Val Jansente was also present to give an update to the board. Jansente talked Smith's main goals in D.
C. as the chairman for the subcommittee on trade. Those goals include the trade deficit between the U.
S. and Australia in beef products and the establishment of trade with the United Kingdom and Kenya under the United Act. “Another thing he recently sponsored is bipartisan legislation to promote development of hydropower and appropriation stewardship of water resources,” Jansente said.
“...
he’s a big promoter of trying to use the natural resources of water and things like that.” Additionally, Jensente said Smith is working toward moving the health care system to “biosimilar” drugs that are “highly similar, but not identical to, FDA approved” medications. “They figure using biosimilars saves the healthcare system up to $181 billion over five years,” he said.
After discussing the Las Mañanita Community Advocates community development plans at the board’s April 7, meeting, Bruns moved and Weems seconded being the pass-through entity for a community development block grant. Commissioners approved the motion unanimously. In other business, commissioners: Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
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