Nebraska Association of County Officials

1335 H Street Lincoln, NE 68508

Phone: (402) 434-5660
Fax: (402) 434-5673
County Board Workshop Registration Deadline
Today!
Registration for the 2019 County Board Workshop is online at the NACO website . The agenda is also located on the website for review. Registration after May 31 will add $15 to the registration fee.

The 2019 Board of Equalization Workshop will be held the previous date on June 5.

One can sign up for both workshops but each one requires a separate registration.

Also please note that NACO will be offering a reduced registration if you do not want a sack lunch on the final day of the County Board Workshop. Before June 1, workshop registration is $85 without the sack lunch and $100 if you wish to have the sack lunch to eat at the noon closing of the workshop or take it along with you for the travel home.

Veterans Home Tour Scheduled

An optional tour opportunity of the Central Nebraska Veterans Home (4510 E 56th St, Kearney, NE) is scheduled for 5 p.m., Wednesday, June 5, 2019. Please RSVP to Lynn at 308-236-1224 or email her at lmartin@buffalocounty.ne.gov if you are interested in attending the tour.
Budget Workshops Offered in June
Two Budget Workshops will be offered by NACO in June. This workshop will be offered at two locations to better serve counties.

The first workshop will be offered on June 26 in North Platte at the Sandhills Conference Center. The second workshop will be offered on the following day, June 27 at the Holthus Center in York. The agenda for both workshops will be the same. All county officials are invited to attend. Registration cost for each workshop is $50, that will include a budget workshop handbook, a noon luncheon and break items during the day.

Registration will begin at 8 a.m. both days with an introduction and Pledge of Allegiance at 8:45. The morning will consist of two sessions that will include a discussion of the roles that county officials play in the budget process, how government is funded and the role that the State Auditor's Office plays. The other morning session will include the identification of functions and legal framework of a capital and annual operating budget, techniques for estimating county reserves and reviewing the adequacy of cash reserves and cash balances.

The afternoon will consist of three sessions dealing with leadership strategies, best practices for budget management and ways of effectively communicating budgetary actions with the public to increase confidence and trust with transparency.

To view the agenda and the registration , click on each highlighted word.
The Nebraska Center For Preparedness is hosting its 17 th annual Symposia Series in June. That’s 17 th years of education, presentations and hands-on learning opportunities held across the state and this year’s event will be no different.
 
  • For those Emergency Managers on the list, we have Jon Rosenlund from Hall County talking about Large Event Planning
  • Anyone interested in the Legal Issues in Disasters, Shirley Peng an attorney from Legal Aid of Nebraska will be discussing legal issues relating to emergencies.
  • Have you noticed that the weather changes have been more extreme than in years past, Dr. Jesse E. Bell will be discussing Climate Change and the impact on public health.
  • Still trying to figure out how Public Health fits into Emergency Preparedness, Igor Hadzisulejmanovic and Dari Olson will be sharing their ideas on how to connect the dots between EM/LE/Fire/Health Care and Public Health.
 
No matter your background, interest or profession - there’s a topic for everyone. Click here for registration information.
Save The Date
Thursday, July 18
10:00 AM CDT

The above date and time will be when room reservations will open for the annual conference in Kearney. The conference will be held at the Younes Conference Center on December 11 - 13, 2019. More details will follow in future E-line publications.
Grant Writing Workshop
Omaha Police Department and Grant Writing USA will present a two-day grants workshop in Omaha, July 15-16, 2019. This training is for grant seekers across all disciplines. Attend this class and you'll learn how to find grants and write winning grant proposals.


Beginning and experienced grant writers from city, county and state agencies as well as nonprofits, K-12, colleges and universities are encouraged to attend.

We are excited to offer your members and their staff a special tuition rate of $425 which includes everything: two days of terrific instruction, workbook, and access to our Alumni Forum that's packed full of tools, helpful discussions and more than 200 sample grant proposals. Please use discount code " NEASSN " to receive this $30 discount off full price at registration. 

Multi-enrollment discounts and discounts for Grant Writing USA returning alumni are also available. Tuition payment is not required at the time of enrollment.

Contacts:
Tammy Pitts
at Grant Writing USA
888.435.7281 toll free

Miranda Vaughan
Omaha Police Department
402.444.4116

More than 10,000 agencies across North America have turned to Grant Writing USA for grant writing and grant management training.
Governors Appointments
Each year NACO is asked to pass information to all county officials that may be interested in boards and commissions appointed by the Governor.


The wide array of types of boards/commission and positions provides an opportunity for people of many backgrounds, geographic locations, expertise, and a willingness to give back. 
 
There are three options available for completing an application: online, printable .pdf and a pdf version of the application that can be filled in electronically and submitted. All options can be found here .

They are always looking for new people to serve and greatly appreciate the generosity of so many Nebraskans giving their time, talent and expertise to serve.
 
If you have any questions or need additional information about a particular board/commission and/or position, please feel free to contact Kathleen Dolezal , Administrative Assistant to Governor Ricketts and Lt. Gov. Foley at 402-471-2256.
Legal Line
County ordered to pay for counsel in paternity case
 
The Nebraska Supreme Court affirmed that Lancaster County’s responsibility to pay for counsel for indigent defendants extended to a paternity case in State on Behalf of Mia G. v. Julio G ., 303 Neb. 207, ___N.W.2d ___ (2019). The court was asked to examine whether a court could appoint counsel at public expense for an individual who signed a notarized acknowledgement of paternity but who, in response to a suit from the state for child support, challenged the acknowledgment on the basis of fraud, duress, or material mistake of fact. The court concluded that such an appointment is required by due process.
 
When Mia, a minor child, was born, Julio and Mia’s mother signed a notarized acknowledgment of paternity and Julio was named as Mia’s father on her birth certificate. At a district court referee’s hearing on a child support action, Julio admitted he signed the acknowledgment of paternity and requested an attorney. He indicated that he does not read or write English and was led to believe the document he was signing was related to medical care. He stated that he and Mia’s mother had agreed that they would complete genetic testing. The referee found that Julio was indigent and, over objections from the State, appointed counsel for Julio in the paternity case to be paid by Lancaster County.
 
Julio’s counsel filed pleadings consistent with Julio’s claims and genetic testing was ordered. Following DNA testing, Julio stipulated to paternity and the referee determined that Julio should pay child support. The district court found Julio to be Mia’s biological father and entered an order for child support. When Julio’s counsel moved for attorney fees and expenses, the court granted them through the point at which appointed counsel sent a closing letter to Julio. The State claimed that the district court erred when it appointed counsel to represent Julio at public expense.
 
The State contended that because paternity was presumed by the parties’ acknowledgment of paternity, it was not at issue in the child support case. Established Nebraska law requires an indigent defendant in paternity proceedings to be furnished with appointed counsel at public expense as a matter of due process. Although the case began as a child support case, paternity became the central issue when Julio challenged the acknowledgment of paternity, claiming a material mistake of fact, and sought DNA testing.
 
The court found that Neb.Rev.Stat. § 43-1409 , a statute addressing a notarized acknowledgment of paternity, creates a rebuttable presumption of paternity but that the presumption can be challenged on the basis of fraud, duress, or material mistake of fact. Here, Julio had told the referee he had reason to believe he was not the biological father of the child and explained that because he did not read or write English, he believed the form was a medical matter related to the birth of the child. The court determined that although the better practice is to file a challenge in writing using the language of the acknowledgment statute, Julio’s challenge was sufficient to allege a material mistake of fact and was recognized as such by the referee. Julio acted promptly and unequivocally to put paternity at issue at the initial referee hearing and the district court correctly determined that the case was related to paternity in its order to appoint counsel. Julio’s subsequent motions and affirmative defenses are consistent with a paternity proceeding and he had a right to court-appointed counsel at public expense.

The full text of the case is available on the Nebraska Supreme Court’s website.

Editor's Note: Legal Line is a feature that will periodically appear in NACO E-Line. This article has been prepared by Beth Ferrell of the NACO legal staff. Legal Line is not intended to serve as legal advice. Rather, it is published to alert readers to court decisions and legal or advisory matters important to county government. For a specific opinion on how the information contained in this article or that which will be discussed in future issues relates to your county, consult your county attorney or personal counsel.
County Government Day PowerPoint
The PowerPoint presentation is available electronically at no charge (sent via e-mail) for use by counties during their annual County Government Day. The PowerPoint provides a comprehensive look at county government functions in the State of Nebraska and can be customized by each county. CD's are also available for $10.00 each to cover processing, shipping and handling. To request the County Government Day PowerPoint electronically, please e-mail your request to larrydix@nacone.org .

The CD order form is available here .
News from NACo
NACo Webinars
Making the Most of the 2019 Rankings: Key Takeaways for Counties
Jun. 4, 2019
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm CDT
Contact Kirsty Fontaine
(202) 942-4236

County Health Rankings and Roadmaps works to improve health outcomes and increase equity across the nation by identifying local health disparities and working to close gaps by moving from data to action. Each year, the Rankings measure important health factors in counties around the country, with a focus this year on key findings concerning housing affordability and its impact on health. Join us online on June 4th at 3pm ET to learn how to use the 2019 Rankings as a live resource and tool for improving health and well-being in your county. Experts from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute—the developers of the Rankings—will discuss new 2019 findings, data measures, and website features – as well as share insight on how to use practical, evidence-based resources and new action learning guides for building a culture of health. NACo staff will also preview other upcoming opportunities on how your county can engage in learnings around the Rankings. Register today!
County Board of Equalization
June 5, 2019
Holiday Inn, Kearney, Nebraska

Clerk of District Court Summer Workshop
June 5 & 6, 2019
Embassy Suites, Lincoln, Nebraska

County Board Workshop
June 6 & 7, 2019
Holiday Inn, Kearney, Nebraska

Clerks, Register of Deeds and Election Commissioners Summer Workshop
June 12 - 14, 2019
Holiday Inn, Kearney

Highway Superintendent, Surveyors & Engineers Workshop
June 12 & 13, 2019
Peppermill, Valentine

Budget Workshops
Sandhills Convention Center, North Platte
June 26, 2019
Hothus Center, York
June 27, 2019

Assessors Workshop
August 26 - 29, 2019
Gering Civic Center, Gering
Thank you for keeping up to date on the latest NACO News,

Sincerely,

Nebraska Association of County Officials
1335 H Street Lincoln, NE 68508
Phone: (402) 434-5660
Fax: (402) 434-5673
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