BEATRICE – Four companies have submitted proposals to Gage County officials for design, siting and construction administration services on a potential new multi-custody county jail.


Law Enforcement Committee Chair Gary Lytle recommended that all four proposals be referred to the committee for review….and the board of supervisors took that step, Wednesday.


Companies submitting proposals included Shive Hattery Architecture and Engineering, of Lincoln…..Goldberg Group Architects of Kansas City, Missouri…Prochaska and Associates of Omaha….and Davis Design, of Lincoln.


On a contract matter Wednesday, the Gage County Board rejected reconsidering the final contract offer from the Fraternal Order of Police, representing sheriff’s and corrections officers. The county and union are in a dispute that is now before the Commission on Industrial Relations.


Gage County Board Chairman Erich Tiemann said there is still hope to come to an agreement.
"We are instructing our attorney to talk with the FOP's attorney to look at potential mediation in good faith with our employees as well as the taxpayers funds....to try to come to an agreement in an equitable fashion, as economically as possible."


The supervisors spent more than an hour-15 minutes in closed session before making their vote, Wednesday.