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GRAND ISLAND – Hall County Corrections Director Todd Bahensky told Hall County Commissioners April 8 that the jail has space set aside for eight Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) inmates.
They have to be held in a separate portion of the jail.
Hall County Attorney Marty Klein told Commissioners that the ICE hold is for 24 hours.
In March 2024, Commissioners passed a resolution that Hall County is not a sanctuary county for noncitizens. Hall County at that time was listed on the Center for Immigration Studies’ website as a sanctuary county. Hall County is no longer listed on the website as a sanctuary county. The resolution is posted on the county’s website. Commissioner Jane Richardson asked that the resolution be modified and asked that the Commissioners review the resolution again in two weeks.
“We have a great rapport with ICE,” Commissioner Pam Lancaster said.
She said the community is welcoming to people who are here legally. She does not want to see people locally who have entered the country illegally and also have committed crimes.
In another matter, Commissioners discussed issuing a $10 million revenue bond for construction of the Tri-City Sports Complex north of the Bosselman Travel Center at Interstate 80. The county is not paying any money toward the project, only issuing the bonds. Estimated cost of the project is $25 million. After some discussion, Commissioners asked that a revised resolution be presented to the Board at its next meeting in two weeks.
Burke Harr with Lyndsay Harr MacDonald of Lincoln, a government relations firm, addressed Commissioners April 8 about the Sports Complex. After the discussion, Harr said that a start date for construction of the sports complex has not been set.
In other action, Commissioners unanimously approved getting a plow for the Public Works Department for approximately $15,500.
Commissioners unanimously approved a $1 surcharge per month for wireline phones as an E911 surcharge.
At the request of Commissioner Gary Quandt, Commissioners discussed safety issues at the intersection of Wood River Road and Highway 281. It was suggested to place additional signs such as speed limit signs in the area. Commissioners voted unanimously to refer the issue to the Public Works Committee with input from the Hall County Sheriff’s Department.
Commissioners discussed making an addition to the Hall County Handbook discussing procedures to be followed if a complaint involving a county employee is given.
Preliminary work on the addition to the Hall County Courthouse is underway. The building formerly housing offices for the Department of Health and Human Services has been torn down, and demolition of the “old jail” is occurring.
At the table at the front of the photo, Hall County Corrections Director Todd Bahensky (left) and County Attorney Marty Klein (right) address Hall County Commissioners April 8, (Carol Bryant, Central Nebraska Today)
