NE: Dawson County Commissioners vote 3-2 to approve RYDE funds

The Dawson County Board of Commissioners approved the county's federal funding for RYDE Transit after a lengthy discussion and a 3-2 vote.

At Wednesday's meeting, Charles McGraw of RYDE Transit Public Transportation requested that the commissioners consider approving a local funding match of $25,255 for the program.

Chairman PJ Jacobson and board member Kevin Swanson expressed concern about the county budget and uneven distribution of rides across the county.

Jacobson said the commissioners have had to say no to several people asking for funds lately because the budget is tight. He said, "We're one of the few counties that have been hit this hard."

Swanson asked McGraw how many total rides were being given in Dawson County and how they were divided among towns. McGraw said 16,591 rides occur annually, and approximately 16,000 of those originate in Lexington. The other 591 are mainly from Gothenburg, Cozad and Sumner.

Since the majority of RYDE users are from Lexington, Swanson asked if funds could be shifted so the City of Lexington contributed more and the county contributed less.

Lexington Mayor John Fagot said the City Council has not yet been presented with its funding match for the RYDE program, but he was confident it will be approved.

However, he said that, as far as he was aware, the city's proposed contribution would be less than the amount it contributed to the program the previous year.

Board members asked whether the city instead would be willing to contribute what it did last year. Fagot said he could not answer that because the City Council still has to discuss the proposal.

Speaking as both Lexington's mayor and a Dawson County citizen, Fagot said, "If it wasn't for RYDE, I wouldn't be able to do the things I do for the community."

Fagot said RYDE helps people feel independent, and that if it didn't exist, hundreds of people would be too ashamed to ask friends and family for rides, in fear of being a burden. That could ultimately affect their employment, he said.

"I urge you," Fagot said, "to look at RYDE as a county asset and not an area one. This is something that is valuable to the entire county."

Both Fagot and citizen Jan Benner said they believed that fewer rides originate in communities outside Lexington not just because of population, but also lack of knowledge of the program.

"I've heard from people in Gothenburg that they are being told not to use RYDE," Fagot said. "They're being told that they need to use the van they have there to transport people or that their town is small enough that they can walk places."

"If it wasn't for word of mouth, I never would have known about RYDE," said Benner. Benner, a Lexington resident, used RYDE when she had knee replacement surgery and said it was a "godsend."

Benner's brother also uses RYDE to access the YMCA, and when her mother was alive, she used it to go to medical appointments and Walmart.

Vicky Snider, of Cozad, echoed Benner's sentiments.

"In 2017, I had a stroke and couldn't drive," she said. "I used RYDE for medical appointments and tried to plan my appointments around their schedule. They were always on time, courteous, and I felt safe with them."

Mike Dowling, chief experience officer for Lexington Regional Health Center, told the commissioners, "Patients rely on (RYDE) for lifesaving medical treatments. It's really critical that these services be provided."

The board asked Dowling if the hospital donates to the RYDE program. Dowling said it doesn't donate directly, but helps families who cannot afford RYDE services.

According to McGraw, the average price of a ride is $28, but it fluctuates depending on the destination. For instance, trips to Kearney are more expensive than a trip to the local grocery store.

The RYDE buses run Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and are kept in a building that the program owns on Plum Creek Parkway during off-hours.

Currently, Cozad is serviced regularly on Tuesdays, Gothenburg on Thursdays, and either city on Wednesdays, depending on ride demand. Smaller villages, like Sumner, are grouped into Gothenburg and Cozad routes when possible.

In Lexington, RYDE activity is down 200 rides because of the Tyson closure, but McGraw said that "was to be expected."

Fagot said, "Think of the people who use it for work. If they work at 6 in the morning and can't get a ride, they have to start walking to work at 5. Then they have to walk back home afterwards."

When the commissioners voted on the funding, Jacobson and Swanson were the only two votes against it.

Also during the meeting, the board approved submission of a VOCA grant for CASA, an amended and new conservation easement for Stitch Ranch LLC, and the Cardinal Assessment Group contract for property reviews.

A report on the courthouse remodel was given by Vice Chairman Rod Reynolds and Emergency Manager Brian Woldt.

They stated that the new DMV room is almost ready to open. Glass for the windows is expected to arrive on Monday, and the entire room should be ready to open within a week.

There are some concerns with heating as the fans seem to be running continuously, but Woldt said he believes "this can be fixed with a simple phone call."

At the end of the meeting, the board went into executive session to discuss the public defender contract negotiations. When they came out of the session, they voted to present the contract to the current applicants.

Prior to the commissioners' meeting, the Board of Equalization approved a vehicle tax exemption for Camp Comeca for a 2003 Honda Accord and a 1999 homemade flatbed trailer.

The board also unanimously approved a tax list correction for Emerald Cozad Realty.

The next meeting will be at 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 15.

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