The Board of Commissioners looked at mounting costs to continue the same level of health insurance offered to county employees. A continuation of the $250 deductible plan now in effect would cost the county $70,000 more next fiscal year. This is an approximate 18 percent increase over present cost. The commissioners discussed several options for different deductible levels for the present  plan, which is obtained from the Nebraska Association of County Officials (NACO) and administered by Blue Cross Blue Shield.The option most likely to be chosen is a $1,500 deductible, with the county picking up the difference down to a $500 deductible level. NACO sent notice of the new rates just five days before the last May meeting of the board. NACO asks for an enrollment decision by June 1 and will not grant an extension for enrollment date. Commissioner Bashaw said he thought the county should go the $1,500 route and buy back to the $500 level. This means the county would pay 100 percent of the difference between $500 and $1,500 for employees who went over the $500 deductible. The county is betting not all that many of the 41 county employees will have more than $500 in medical expenses in the coming year.The $1,500 deductible plan will cost the county a base amount of approximately  $325,000 a year plus unknown buyback costs.Commissioner Brower moved that Chairman Soper be authorized to sign such an insurance agreement with NACO. The motion passed 3-0.The commissioners also heard that the county will be paying $100 a month plus $40 per councilee for mandated Conflict Resolution situations ordered by a court. Kimball County is not now in compliance in this matter.Sheriff Harry Gillway reported that his small staff has been spending more time in court, which means less time in law enforcement. Some farmers have complained about copper theft.Soper said the Sheriff’s Department should “Educate people as to what they see.”Gillway said we all need to be better neighbors in hard times.The Sheriff’s Department is working to develop search and rescue as well as volunteer posse capability.Gillway said drug dog funds are being used to provide a dog training suit to the State Patrol. He said Sheriff’s Department personnel had recently covered the back of a State Patrolman working a drug dog to make a three party drug arrest involving more than a pound of marijuana.The commissioners opted to stay with the Kimball County auto license designation system of 71-xxx, rather than go to an ABC-xxx system.The county pays $16,500 annually for membership in an Emergency Management group and seems to get nothing back for it. The county now lacks a Deputy Director and has received no response in requests for a meeting on the subject. The commissioners instructed Gillway to attend a meeting scheduled for next week and press for resolution.The Board of Commissioners portion of the morning meeting ended with a 21 minute Closed Session to consider two personnel matters. No actions were taken.In the Board of Equalization meeting that precedes each Board of Commissioners meeting, Soper said that the Tax Equalization and Review Committee hears 350 cases a year and wants to cut down on that number. TERC would like to see some of the strictly clerical cases screened out before reaching their hearings.Examples of cases reaching TERC which could be settled at lower levels included: “I paid too much for it when I bought it, “ and “ It isn’t my house.”TERC instructed Assessor Alice Ryschon to raise the ag land valuation for Market Area III by 5.3 percent. AREA III is roughly the northwestern quadrant of the county.Just before the start of the 8:30 a.m., May 19 meeting, new District Judge Derek C. Weimer came into the room and met some of the county employees. He was presented with a gavel and name placard for use in his new duties in court.Soper  said, “Court room security is an issue we need to discuss.”Weimer agreed the item merits discussion at a near future date.