LEADERSHIP KEARNEY CLASS #34 NOVEMBER SESSION

Leadership Kearney class #34 had a full day learning and hearing from many of our local leaders. The day kicked off at the Buffalo County courthouse with an overview of county government by Lynn Martin, County Board Administrator. Then we heard from members of the Buffalo County Board of Commissioners (Sherry Morrow and Bill Maendele) and two city council Members (Mayor Jonathan Nikkila and Kurt Schmidt). The group gave insight into what each of their roles look like and what some of the challenges they see for Kearney in the future. All four stressed that what makes Kearney so unique is how well the county and city work together to tackle issues that impact our community members. Ms. Morrow highlighted this partnership and

collaboration by saying that over the years they have realized they are stronger when

they work together.

Next, we toured the Buffalo County Operations Center and received an overview of how emergency preparedness is handled in our area. Chief Deputy Dan Schleusener spoke about the planning and preparation that goes in to ensure Kearney and Buffalo County citizens are safe during these major events, such as the 2019 flooding and Covid pandemic. Then, Lt. Chad Hunt gave us a tour of the Buffalo County detention center. The group learned more about some of the challenges being faced and what they are doing to make sure support and resources are available. After the tour, the group came back for a panel Q&A with Buffalo County court judge, Judge Rademacher, Buffalo County Attorney, Shawn Eatherton, and Chief Deputy Public Defender Brandon Brinegar. Each gave an overview of their roles and involvement within our local court systems. County Attorney Eatherton gave a staggering number that during the last fiscal year, his prosecutors reviewed roughly 20,000 cases. It was pointed out how overall Kearney is lucky that the average citizen is not seeing the crime that occurs, thanks in large part to our local law enforcement.

The next stop was to the Law Enforcement Center where the group first heard from Kearney Police Chief Gabe Kowalek and Buffalo County Sheriff Neil Miller. Each gave a brief overview of their teams and the work they are doing. Both spoke about how Kearney and Buffalo County are unique in sharing a law enforcement space. This allows each group to collaborate on trainings, education, and resources-in the end being more fiscally responsible with our local resources. The group split into two groups to receive tours and demonstrations. We were able to see behind the scenes work including the records department, evidence rooms, dispatch center, the forensic and digital labs and investigations. A favorite of many was being able to see the KPD K-9, Bane, in action.

Next the group went to City Hall to hear from City Council member Alex Straatmann. He included an overview of how our council is structured, what their focus areas are, and how our city compares to others within the state. We appreciated Alex giving us insight into what is important to him and how he tackles issues being brought forward.

Our last stop of the day was to the Kearney Fire Department, where Fire Administrator Jason Whalen gave an overview of how our fire department is set up. Our local fire departments serve not only our Kearney community, but also our rural areas. Jason gave some great insight into the structure and how volunteers play such an important part of our operations. We received a brief tour of the station and got to see some of the

equipment used on calls. It was a great day of learning more about how our local government works and to see

the behind the scenes work that many do not get a chance to witness. The biggest take away from the day, which we heard from each presenter, was how well our city and county officials work together, to continue to move Kearney forward, making it a great place to live and work.