May 2, 2019 at 8:00 AM - Operations Committee Meeting

Rationale:  There is nothing to consider.

Rationale:  There are no contracts to consider this month.

Rationale:  The O & M crew have packaged trees and started tree planting. Assisted on the repair of the well at Homestead Lake, the tank developed a leak. Pulled the rip-rap up on a jetty at Czechland and cleaned out beaver dams on Rawhide Ditch 8. Filled holes and ruts and cleaned up tires and debris that floated in on the Wanahoo property. Prepared for Conservation Sensation Day at Czechland.

Rationale:  Hay advertisements and packets were sent out to the public. Bids were due Wednesday, May 1 at 4:00 pm. There's approximately 150 acres on Wanahoo, 42 acres on Czechland and 25 acres on Homestead. Bids were opened during Committee. The District received six interested hay bidders, the list is attached.

Rationale:  The District sold the JD 4430 to "The Ranch Ministries" for $13,500. Ranch Ministries is an organization in South Dakota that provides hunting opportunities for "Wounded Warriors" or disabled veterans. The tractor will be used on their property for planting food plots and mowing.

Rationale:  The District has ordered 12,625 trees. The District has planted one of eight sites.

Rationale:  At Homestead Lake, the underground tank for the well developed a leak. The O & M crew dug up the system, but does not have the capabilities to repair it. AWS was hired to repair/replace the system, the cost is $5,817.33.
At Czechland Lake, the camping group that burned items other than wood and left a lot of personal trash last season are back. The written warning system we developed in our District Park Regulations is in use. Heimann issued a warning to the couple immediately.

Rationale:  The face of Swedeburg Dam B-2 needs refurbished. The District had Ken Kotera start preliminary planning on this project. Ken has since fully retired. Heimann had Jerry Kabourek with M.E. Collins look at the site and give a quote.
Option 1: To use fabric and Type "B" rip-rap, the estimate is $22,710.
Option 2: Reshape dam face and haul in dirt, reseed is estimated at $23,737.50.  Both options require dewatering to some point.
The Committee directed staff to attempt to get two other quotes for this project.

Rationale:  We had an estimate to repair the spillway conduit joints from Peerless Heartland last June of $14,400 to $19,200. That company will be contacted again for reconsideration.
We also received estimates from McGill Restoration of Omaha to reapair the joints in the conduits, those estimates range from $59,808 to $90,236.(see attachment)
DNR Dam Safety is also recommending that all significant cracks in the emergency spillway steps be filled.
Staff would like to proceed again with Peerless Heartland for a re-evaluation.

Rationale:  LPNNRD staff has been working with NRCS requesting federal assistance from the Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWPP) on several District sponsored and owned projects that sustained flood damage.  NRCS has responded with a letter and is scheduling site visits at a few sites that appear potentially eligible,  We plan to pursue FEMA assistance on those projects deemed ineligible for EWPP.

Rationale:  On April 25th, LPNNRD  Directors Saeger and Olson along with staff members Mountford and Elliott, met with Fremont Rod & Gun Club, City of Fremont and  Dodge County representatives to discuss and tour flood damages to the Rod and Gun Club area that also includes damage to the City of Fremont. Attached is a graphic that shows the flow patterns documented during the March 2019 flood event. The graphic shows several breach locations that led to flood flows impacting Fremont and Inglewood. The second attachment is a map showing the damage locations (boxed numbers with leaders) on the Rod and Gun Club property, listing the lake numbers within that property. The Rod and Gun Club property experienced a significant breach into their Lake #8. Flows continued east and breached into Lake #5, Lake #7, and then County Road 19 into NGPC’s Fremont State Recreation Area Lake #20. Flows then continued east into Lake Liba and toward Fremont. The breach at County Road 19 and the breach between Rod and Gun Club’s Lake #5 and Lake #7 have been temporarily fixed. The large breach into Rod and Gun Club’s Lake #8 has not been repaired. The breach at Lake #8 presents a significant risk to the temporary repairs at County Road 19 and other infrastructure further east, as that location is currently connected to the Platte River and will experience increased flows during even small runoff/precipitation events.  The Rod and Gun Club is seeking a required public sponsor to apply for federal assistance through FEMA/NEMA.  While it was discussed that Fremont, Dodge County and LPNNRD sponsor this repair, Fremont offered to be the lead entity moving forward.  Because of application assistance deadlines, this topic will be discussed at every committee meeting of needing to proceed.  JEO addressed this topic with the Projects Committee. It is uncertain exactly what long term commitment we will be asked to consider, however in the short term, support of public  sponsorship of the the Fremont Rod and Gun Clubs federal project application is being sought.

Rationale:  Annual permit sales for April totaled $10,347.50 (see attached spreadsheet). Net sales for 2019 totals $38,831.50. 

Rationale:  As of 5/1/2019, online reservations have totaled $16,625.29.

Rationale:  Gottschalk met with 7 candidates for the Wanahoo Technician position and hired 5 people to work 80-100 hours per week total. 

Rationale:  Staff met with a representative from Collins Construction regarding the repairs to the breakwater which was damaged during the flood in March. The price Collins gave us was $48/ton for placed rock.  All areas of exposed fabric will have material cut, wash-outs filled and a new rock placed along the entire breakwater.  Initial estimates of rock with a 10% overage, call for approx. 1,200 tons total ($ 57,600)
Staff understands this is an estimate and will keep close communication with the contractor as to actual quantities required.  In addition, any rock hauled into the staging area but not used on the project will be hauled to designated NRD stockpile at the rate of $25/ton.

Rationale:  Staff has begun work on the construction of the dock at Pork Chop Island. After the March Board Meeting staff reevaluated the dock system, and the cost associated with the purchase of materials, and has to decided to build the dock in house. Major cost savings and a speed up on completion were the main factors for the change in plans. Staff hopes to have the island ready by mid May.

Rationale:  The exterior of the building is nearly complete. Inside construction, subcontracted by Hancock Construction, will begin the week of May 5th.
Staff plans to have geo-thermal bids ready for approval at the May 13th board meeting.

Rationale:  We have had a few inquiries regarding our Bank Stabilization Program. Cooperators are told to send in a cost share application. If the work to be done is new work they must first obtain a 404 permit from the Corps of Engineers to be eligible for NRD cost share assistance. They may not need a 404 permit if it's maintenance on an existing project.

Rationale:  The May KTIC Radio Ad and Wahoo Newspaper eAd are promoting the three NRD recreation areas: Homestead Lake, Czechland Lake, and Lake Wanahoo.  The ads are attached.  
 

Rationale:  After May 1^st, LPNNRD education outreach efforts will reach over 2,000 youth.
 

Date	School/Group	Grade/Age	# of students	Topic	Staff
Monday, May 6th & Tuesday, May 7th	St. Wenceslaus	Preschool	17/20	Lake Wanahoo field day	TePoel/Mountford/Elliott/Breunig/Andersen/Benal/Brueggemann/Schomer/Poole
Wednesday, May 8th	Wahoo Public	8th grade	70	Clean-up day @ Wanahoo	TePoel/Schomer/Gottschalk
Friday, May 10th	Wahoo Public Head Start	Preschool	40	Lake Wanahoo field day	TePoel/Mountford/Elliott/Breunig/Andersen/Benal/Brueggemann/Schomer/Poole
Monday, May 13th	North Bend Public	3rd Grade		Wildlife	TePoel
Thursday, May 16th	Schuyler Central Elementary	3rd grade		Geocaching	TePoel/Brueggemann
Wednesday, May 22nd	Wahoo Survival Club	8th Grade		Camping overnight	TePoel/Gottschalk

Rationale:  LPNNRD received 2 applications for the Shell Creek Watershed Monitoring Program Scholarship.  This scholarship is awarded to two high school seniors, participating in the Shell Creek Watershed Monitoring Program, who plan to pursue higher education relating to science or natural resources.  The two applicants meet all of the eligibility requirements.
 

Rationale:  Spring Conservation Sensation was held on Wednesday, May 1^st from 9 am-2 pm at Czechland Lake recreation Area.  309 students attended from St. Wenceslaus (Wahoo), Logan View, North Bend, Bellwood, St. Mary’s (David City). St. John’s (Weston), David City, and Wahoo.
 

Rationale:  LPNNRD is partnering with Saunders County 4-H to once again provide an Outdoor Recreation Workshop at the Lake Wanahoo NRD Recreation Area on Friday, May 31st.  The event is scheduled from 9 am- 3 pm.   The workshop is open to youth ages 8-18 and will provide sessions on knot-tying (LPNNRD), disc golf (LPNNRD), owls (Papio-Missouri NRD), and archery.  Saunders County 4-H is coordinating the registration to 4-H’ers.  Non-4-H members and non-Saunders County residents are eligible to participate.  Registration costs are $5 for 4-H’ers and $8 for non-4-H’ers.  Spots are limited, so youth are encouraged to register as soon as possible before the May 27^th deadline.   The flyer and registration form are attached. 
 

Rationale:  LPNNRD is partnering with Saunders County 4-H and Mead FFA, Ashland-Greenwood FFA, and Bishop Neumann FFA chapters to provide the Saunders County Youth Ag Tour on Friday, June 7^th from 9 am- 4 pm. The tour is open for youth in grades 7^th-12^th. Youth will spend the day exploring career opportunities in agriculture and learning more about Saunders County agriculture businesses.  Stops on the tour include Raikes Feedlot, Wahoo Locker, NRD conservation programs, and local production agriculture with Alex & Kris Kavan.  The deadline to register is Friday, May 31^st.  This program is free for youth to attend.  The flyer is attached.

LPNNRD is sponsoring a scholarship that tour participants are eligible to apply for.  The tour is made possible with generous sponsorship support from Farm Credit Services, Frontier Cooperative, Saunders County Livestock Association, Saunders County 4-H, and the Mead FFA, Ashland-Greenwood, and Bishop Neumann FFA alumni groups.
 

Rationale:  All hardware has been installed for the remote meter reading on both Colon and Bruno RWDs.  Phoenix Web Group/Small Data Inc have provided the NRD RW Dept with a beta version of the billing software that was utilized this month (alongside the existing software) and performed well.  Elliott and Rezac should have the bugs worked out with PWG/SD within the next month or two.

Rationale:  On 4/10 Tim Thares of DHHS conducted the Sanitary Survey for the Colon RWD.  No serious violations were noted, but a couple minor deficiencies were noted and have been addressed.  Noted deficiencies were:

• Missing screen on air-relief vent
• One of our sample sites (meter house) has been deemed "invalid" as ALL sites need to be within distribution system.

Fixes and repairs that will be conducted this spring/summer w/in the Colon RWD:

• Fire hydrant on Pine st.
• Butterfly valves?
• Twelve meter antennas that need to be replaced.
• Two new customer hook-up (Zeleny & VFD)

Meters read and bills went out 4/30.
Testing completed  4/16.
 

Rationale:  While checking the line Elliott noticed that particular customer had a hose hooked up to a yard hydrant and submerged in a cattle tank.  The customer has been notified that this is a "cross connection" with potential for backflow contamination.  A hose bib vacuum breaker was provided to prevent backflow situation.

Meters read and bills sent out 4/30.
Testing completed 4/16