September 27, 2018 at 9:30 AM - Projects Committee Meeting

Rationale:  No unfinished business to address.

Rationale:  18-S-1     Hartman Family Irr Trust - TOT/WASCB - $8960.74
18-S-4     Eric Nelson - TOT - $9406.72

Rationale:  None this month.

Rationale:  None this month.

Rationale:  Darrell Kubik - 41ac - $8,118.00
Darrell Kubik - 28ac - $5,544.00
Marvin Ptacek - 13.0ac - $2,574.00
 

Rationale:  Attached are two additional invoices totaling $1,922.59 for printing and food for the Shell Creek De-listing celebration held in June. While these expenses need to be reimbursed, they happen to exceed the original Board approved guesstimate of $1,000 for all reimbursable expenses for the event. All expenses are being reimbursed to LPNNRD through the EPA/NDEQ 319 grant. 

Rationale:  Ken Kotera presented designs for the Tom Sprunk Shell Creek Wetland/Grade Stabilization Project in Platte County as attached.  Mr. Sprunk is working with the USACE to obtain a 404 permit.  This project is planned to be completed next summer. 

Rationale:  Platte County has submitted two grade stabilization project requests as attached. These projects$ are to stabilize channel erosion and project county infrastructure. Mark Mainelli will be present to discuss these requests with the committee. 
1. Columbus North Project C-7 (794)
This grade stabilization (drop inlet) project is located approximately 3 mile north and one mile east of Columbus (on 160 Avenue, 4,140' north of County Road 298) to protect twin 72"x61' corrugated metal pipes that were installed last spring. The pipes replaced an old bridge. The County is asking LPNNRD to cover the costs of the inlet materials ($4,943.32) and the county would secure easements and provide costs for installation ($13,137.52).

2. Tarnov Northwest Project C-7 (802))
This grade stabilization (drop inlet) project is located approximately 2 1/2  miles west and and one mile north of Tarnov (on County road 400, 2,000' east from 325 Avenue)  to protect triple 72"x40' corrugated metal pipes that replaced a single span 17' timber girder bridge. .The County is asking LPNNRD to cover the costs of the inlet materials ($4,522.54) and the county would secure easements and provide costs for installation ($10,164.73).

While these are good stabilization projects, NDEQ has informed us that the location of these projects would not contribute to enough water quality benefits (E-coli reduction) to justify use of EPA 319 grant funding.  If approved, our contribution would likely need to come from LPNNRD budgeted or banked local funding. Committee action is requested.
 

Rationale:  FYRA's contract for planning on sites 26a, 26b & 27 is nearly complete, however planning to include the additional eight flood reduction dams continues as all 11 sites need to fall under one plan.  Through the planning process, site 26 has become two sites and site 27 has been moved north to avoid pipeline and mitigation issues.  Because of this, we will need to inform the Natural Resources Commission and request this scope change at their December meeting. We discussed these changes with several commissioners at their NRC planning committee meeting on September 25. 

Attached are FYRA's latest involves for planning completed on Wahoo Creek.

Rationale:  The Wahoo Creek Consulting interviews were  held after Projects Committee meeting starting at 12:30  p.m. (FYRA, JEO, EA team), 1:30 p.m. (HDR, E&A team) and 2:30 p.m. (Olsson Associates).  Members from the Projects Committee that helped select firms for interviews were Don Veskerna, Kelly Thompson, Matt Bailey and Ryan Sabatka who also were present for the interviews.  Along with several staff members, other Board members attending the interviews included Bob Meduna, Alex Kavan and Bob Hilger.  Each firm(s) was given 30 minutes to give their presentation, followed by a fifteen minute question/answer period. 

After the interviews, the selection committee selected both the FYRA, JEO, EA team and Olsson Associates to provide a detailed scope of work and cost estimates by the October 8th Board meeting.  At that time the Board will be asked to review the scopes approve firm(s) for completing design, permitting and construction services needed for completing floodwater reduction dams.   After a firm(s) is approved for completing a contract(s), the Board is asked to authorize the Board Chair to sign contract(s) based on their submitted scope of work and after legal counsel review.

There was discussion on what contract work will not be reimbursable from approved federal and state funding.  NRCS as said that they will not provide federal funding toward permits, which is estimated to be $35,000 - $40,000 per site.  With eleven total sites, that could be over $400,000 total local costs for permitting.  For sites 26a., 26b. and 27, our approved state WFS funds could reimburse us for 60% of estimated permitting costs for at least these three sites (60% of $120,000 = $72,000).  Our hope is that permitting costs could be reduced since the pattern for the each dam permit will be similar, but that will be a USACE decision.  Archeology/ Cultural Resources is another local expense on eight sites with an estimated total cost of $40,000. 
 

Rationale:  Unfortunately, we did not receive any RFP's for conducting cultural resource investigations on eight additional Wahoo Creek dam sites that are being planned. These investigations need to be conducted this fall so that the overall Wahoo Creek Watershed plan can be completed.  NRCS didn't have staff available for investigating all eleven sites, but did complete investigations for sites 26a, 26b & 27 last spring.  The good news is that a couple of firms have expressed interest and may submit proposals by Board meeting.  If received, the Board will be asked to consider approving a contract to complete Archeology/Cultural Resource investigations for the remaining eight Wahoo Creek Dam sites at the October 8th meeting.  Attached is the RFP that was sent out for Archeology/Cultural Resource investigations.

Rationale:  There will be several more Lands for Conservation Payments for landowner ground set-a-side for conservation projects later this fall.  We continue to work with Saunders County for locating and approving water quality/grade stabilization structures in the Wahoo Creek Watershed.

Rationale:  HDR is working NDEQ, PMRNRD LPSNRD and LPNNRD on completing the LPRCA Watershed Water Quality Plan. It is anticipated that the final version will be submitted to EPA for review this fall.

Rationale:  No new information to report.

Rationale:  The Projects Committee adjourned at 11:10 a.m.