December 3, 2015 at 9:30 AM - Projects Committee Meeting

Rationale:  Gottschalk presented the attached SWCP summary.

Rationale:  None

Rationale: 

14-B-57 Celestine Chapek Basins w/Tile $ 5,471.74

14-S-62 Glenn & Eileen Chvatal Terraces/Tile $ 1,352.80

14-S-63 Merlin Fick Terraces/Tile $ 1,891.48

Cottonwood John Sousek Terraces/Tile $ 4,712.00

  $ 13,428.02

After Committee Meeting a request for payment for James Fehringer 14-P-40 was received in the amount of $12,500.  Matching funds of $12,500 will also be requested from Shell Creek Grant. A motion will be needed at Board Meeting to authorize $12,500 payment to James Fehringer for water sediment basins with tile.(Total project cost $54,435.30) 

Rationale:  NONE

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Rationale:  NONE

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Rationale: 

PAYMENTS:

James Smaus 3 Contracts:

  1) 20-15-5 $ 3,161.24 (contract work) $ 3,630.00 (Lands for Cons. 16.5 ac.)

  2 21-15-5 $ 3,025.77 (contract work) $ 4,290.00 (Lands for Cons. 19.5 ac.)

  3) 8-15-5 $ 2 ,417.26 (contract work) $ 1,870.00 (Lands for Cons. 8.5 ac)

  $ 8,604.27 $ 9,790.00

Rationale:  For the past three years, we have been using the 2012 conservation practice unit price docket when NRCS no longer used or updated the docket for their use.  The NRD's have since searched for a replacement method that NDNR would except for using state conservation funds with little progress.  Earlier this year,  NRCS has established unit prices for various conservation practice extents for NRD use which is based on federal EQIP practice payments to landowners.  These unit prices seem reasonable and allows us to use updated information. The NDNR endorses use of NRCS's EQIP price list for their conservation program funds allocated for NRD use. The committee is asked to review and approve the attached NRCS conservation practice price list for the 2016 program year.  

Rationale: 

We have received a bill from Mainelli Wagner & Associates for work on the Shell Creek Channel Stabilization Road 10 - Road H

Total Contract Price $25,000

County Responsibility $10,000 Billed to Date $6,756.93

NRD Responsibility $15,000 Billed to Date $6,456.08 Amount Due $3,375.00

 

Mainelli Wagher & Associates Submitted a bill for Shell Creek Channel Stabilization Three Sites

Site 1 - East of Road 10- H Total Contract $21,600 Amount Due $11,376.65

Site 2 - Road 6 - I Total Contract $12,940 Amount Due $7,562.00

Site 3 - Raod 12 - Hwy 30 Total Contract $14,500 Amount Due $8,003.76

  Total Due $26,942.38

Rationale: 

Attached are two cover crop payments that are ready for committee approval.  These will be 100% reimbursed from NET grant funds.  

Also attached is a newspaper article about pictures of new Watershed signs (designed by school kids) that were installed.  The payment for the signs was approved last month. 

After Committee Meeting a request for payment for James Fehringer was received in the amount of $12,500.  A motion will be needed at Board Meeting to authorize $12,500 payment to James Fehringer. 

Rationale:  Eric Smith, Platte County NRCS Resource Conservationist is organizing a Soil Health, Conservation Clinic to be held January 29, 2016, at Ag Park, Columbus.  He has asked if LPNNRD will consider being one of the event sponsors.  Other potential sponsors are being contacted and details worked in,  but as a sponsor, he would like up to a $500 contribution to help offset expenses.  UNL Extension has committed $500 which will be toward the building rent and other expenses.  A lunch will be provided as part of the participants registration fee.  The primary speaker will be Gabe Brown from Bismark North Dakota, who is a well known advocate of the benefits of Soil Health.  Other speaker topics may include cover crops and no-till.   If the committee/board commits us as a sponsor, we could off set much of our contribution from our approved NET grant funds that are earmarked for education activities.   

Rationale:  Jeff Henson, JEO,  was present to give an update of their progress with the Wahoo Creek Water Quality Plan Phase I as attached.  The Land Use and Condition Assessment and Stream Stability and Ecological Assessment have been completed.   Remaining tasks includes identifying and establishing Stream Monitoring Reference Sites  based on work to be completed in Phase II. 

Rationale:  We have been notified by NDEQ that our EPA 319 grant application for the Wahoo Creek Watershed Plan - Phase II has been accepted and recommended to be funded in the amount of $168,215 (see attached letter).  The next step will be to complete a Project Implementation Plan (PIP) with NDEQ.   We will learn in February, 2016,  if our accompanying Nebraska Environmental Trust Grant in the amount of $106,000 will be recommended for funding.  Also attached is our September NET Grant application which details our objectives for the Phase II effort. 

Rationale:  Attached is the November LPRCA Update.

Rationale:  No new information to report.

Rationale: 

 The Army COE's contractor continues to work on landowner concerns (drainage, wet areas).  

Attached is a summary of our total contributions (both cash and in-kind) to the Schuyler 205 Shell Creek Levee study and construction as October 16, 2015.  Since 2005, LPNNRD contributed $319,698.08 cash and $36,322.48 in-kind ($356,020.56 total) during the study and design phase and $250,000 cash and $111,086.24 in-kind during the construction phase ($361,086.24 total).

For all project phases, LPNNRD has contributed $569,698.08 cash and $147,408.72 in in-kind services for a grand total of $717,106.80.  In addition, we have $125,000 in the FY 2016 budget for a cost-share payment to Schuyler toward the completed Shell Creek levee construction.  

Rationale:  No new information to report.

Rationale:  Jeff Henson, JEO, was present and gave an update on progress made on the remaining HMP project tasks under contract which are scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.  Our Hazard Mitigation Plan update has been completed and accepted by FEMA.  JEO's A written report is also attached. 

Rationale: 

Segment 4B

We are still waiting on the Contractor to fix the gates and finish the fencing, before we can deem the project complete. 

Segment 5

The Contractor has the following items to complete:

  1. Install Gates

  2. Big Sandy Modification

Camp Ashland

The fuse plug has been reinstalled with no notch.  COE will need to order a modification next Spring to install the notch for the Salt Creek flows.

Rationale:  With no further business, the Projects Committee adjourned at 10:32 a.m.  A tour of the Shell Creek Army Corp's Levee project, future Shell Creek projects and other points of interest followed after the committee meeting.