Metropolitan utilities district changes advanced

Lawmakers gave first-round approval April 19 to a bill that would make several technical changes to state law governing metropolitan utilities districts.

LB208, introduced by Omaha Sen. Burke Harr, would make the following changes:
• allow the board to decrease the president’s salary;
• eliminate a requirement that the district obtain a bond of not less than $10,000 on the president’s performance;
• allow the board to establish its own standards for fire hydrant placement, as long as such standards do not violate any state Department of Health and Human Services regulations; and
• remove a requirement that an employee must first have been made a permanent employee by a unanimous vote of the full board of directors in order to be removed from his or her position.

The board still would be able to remove an employee for cause by a two-thirds vote.

Harr offered an amendment, adopted 38-0, that removed another provision from the bill that would have increased the employee salary cap from $10,000 to $75,000 per year.

The bill advanced to select file on a 38-0 vote.