May 3, 2018 at 8:00 AM - Projects Committee Meeting

Rationale:  No unfinished business to address at this time.

Rationale:  Elliott reviewed the current SWCP Projects' spreadsheet with the committee as attached. 

Rationale:  None for consideration.

Rationale:  None for consideration.

Rationale:  None for consideration.

Rationale:  None for consideration.

Rationale:   As authorized by the Board, Assistant Manager Mountford has been working with Mainelli Wagner and Associates on starting the process for completing the next Shell Creek Bank Stabilization Projects (Hamata and Vavrecek) as contract extensions (change orders) to the completed Kramer stabilization project.  The contractor, Kohl Construction, has submitted a contact change order for the Hamata project extension at the units costs used for the Kramer Project, which totals $66,404.   NDEQ grant funds will be used to cover 100% of the construction cost.  Director Bailey has been very involved working with Colfax County to get their participation with the project and the County has approved up to $10,000 for engineering, permitting and construction oversight.  We are ready to authorize Kohl Construction to begin the construction on the Hamata project as soon as possible.  The Board is asked to ratify the Projects Committee recommendations as shown below.  Change Order No.1 signed by Chair  Birkel and Kohl Construction is attached.

The Vavrecek project extension n which is the next project is still awaiting a permit, but we would like to be in the position to authorize that work immediately after the permit is received. 
 

Rationale:  Ken Kotera continues to work with Tom Sprunk in Platte County on possible options for a Grade Stabilization/Wetland Enhancement Project. NRCS conducted a wetland determination at the site and requested that Mr. Sprunk contact the USACE for obtaining a 404 permit. 

Rationale:  Attached is David Geilenkirchen's application for a septic system update in the Shell Creek Watershed.  Upgrading septic systems is an eligible practice for 319 grant assistance within this watershed. Maximum assistance is 60% up to $3,000. 

Rationale:  NDEQ has informed us that EPA has officially delisted atrazine as an impairment in the Shell Creek Watershed. This is a huge accomplishment and a direct result of many years of partners working together to improve water quality in the watershed.  As a result, there will be a watershed celebration on June 15th to recognize this major milestone.  The Shell Creek Watershed Improvement Advisory Group is working out the details for the celebration where over 300 people will be invited.  As LPNNRD contribution to the celebration, we maybe asked to cover some of the expenses. It is not know what those expenses are at this time, but they will be reimbursed from our NDEQ/EPA approved grant funds.  Director Bailey will provide more details. 

Rationale:  There is one more cost share payment to Schuyler for the completion of the Shell Creek 205 Levee Project.  LPNNRD orinally approved up to $600,000 toward the local construction costs for this project. To date, the District has made four $125,000 payments to Schuyler totaling $500,000, leaving one more $100,000 assistance payment which is in our FY18 budget. Schuyler's attached letter is requesting $125,000 which would exceed the Board's original total intended assistance by $25,000. A committee recommendation is requested.

Rationale:  On April 10, Director Sabatka and Assistant Manager Mountford met with Steve Mika, Saunders County Road Superintendent, Larry Mach, County Supervisor and JEO representatives to discuss proceeding with the design and funding of prioritized county road dam sites.  LPNNRD has grant funding from Nebraska Environmental Trust and the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality to assist with completing a few of the first selected dam sites.  Steve Mika said there is state assistance that can also help toward replacing poor bridges with road dams.  It was discussed that the county would be asked be in charge of hiring an engineering firm to design and obtain permits for the dams and contribute that expense toward LPNNRD grant matching requirements. LPNNRD will continue to offer input and at this time we plan to focus our available funding toward construction. 

On April 18, Sean Elliott accompanied Saunders County and JEO representatives to inspect potential road dam sites and gave an update.  JEO has been in discussions with the county and we may know more details by the committee meeting.  

Rationale:  Director Thompson asked some very good questions about the Wahoo Creek Planning effort that is underway.  Below is Mike Sotak's (FYRA) answers as shown in red.   
Sites 26 & 27 
1. Planning is 83+ % complete according to invoicing.  That is about right, except that part of the way through the 26&27 planning effort, we learned it would not be a Plan supplement for 26&27, but rather a Plan re-write to include all sites, so effort switched to that.  26&27 are further along than other sites, though, and we’re happy to share that info at any time.  Now as good of a time as any to let the cat out of the bag on Site 26...we found that by moving the dam off of the road, even with two small dams on each trib, total costs are less than the road dam.  More on that soon....
 
2. What kind of a "plan in hand" do we have for these sites now?    Plan for 26&27 include developed plan views, sections, etc that we would expect to see in the plan.  As for the others, we are still working off of a watershed map...no detailed layouts.
 
3. Does FYRA provide preliminary design plans that the committee can look at when the planning is complete?  Yes...we need to chat soon about 26&27 and then next topic is site selection.  Once that is finalized, we’ll have individual sites to look at.
 
4. Is the cost to benefit analysis part of the planning process?  Yes.  I can have an update on that probably next week...initial look is later this week.

5. Minutes from the meeting with Saunders County regarding bridge replacement with potential road structures from last month.  Attached.

 Remaining 6 or 8 Sites  
1. Overall timeline for completing planning & design by Aug. 2022  Schedule on top of Page 8 of attached meeting minutes.

Mike Sotak also reported:

"We had a productive consultant team meeting two weeks ago and have been working on site selection ever since.  The bridge cost savings info from Saunders County took a while longer than we had hoped to get, but we’re off and running now.  We’ll need Board input pretty quickly once this is set, so one topic of conversation might be to discuss how they want to handle an approval to move forward...a subcommittee, the entire Board or what?  We don’t have time for lengthy decision-making periods within the current schedule."

"Also...on Site 26, let’s say that building two dams upstream of the road IS less expensive than a road dam.  The County will still benefit from having whatever larger culvert/bridge they would have had to construct to a smaller diameter culvert (about size of principal spillways of dams...).  If the County WAS going to cost share on a road dam, would they still contribute those bridge/culvert cost savings to the project if the dams are upstream?"

Mike suggested scheduling an update meeting next week with staff and a few other Board members which was scheduled for 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 10th at LPNNRD.  An update at Board Meeting will be given.

FYRA Planning invoices:
Following the Committee meeting, we received the attached Wahoo Creek Planning Invoices. These invoices were e-mailed to Board members last week for review. While no committee recommendation or Board motion is required since the invoices are under a Board approved contract,  Mountford has talked with FYRA about changing their billing dates so that the Projects Committee can review invoices prior to the Board meeting.

1. Wahoo Creek Watershed Plan Invoice 022-014 (Sites 26 & 27): We will be making a $462.50 payment (60% will be reimbursed from the Water Sustainability Fund) to FYRA on this $135,790 contact.After this payment, there will be $23,091.57 remaining for future work. 

2. Wahoo Creek Watershed Plan/EA Invoice (Remaining Watershed Site Planning)  022-015: We will be making a $20,937.33 payment (100% will be reimbursed from NRCS) to FYRA on this $574,990 contact. After this payment, there will be $526,923.92 remaining for future work. 
 
Attached find notes from the May 10th Wahoo Creek Planning Meeting. Mike Stoak will be at Board Meeting to give an update.  A motion will be needed to schedule a Wahoo Creek Scoping Meeting the week of June 11th. 
 

Rationale:  In April, USACE contacted LPSNRD and indicated that in preparing their budget submittals for consideration in  FY2020, as well as their FY18 workplan,  they are planning to include a request for the Lower Platte Watershed Restoration GI Study (new start) and are requesting a new Letter of Intent (LOI) from the three NRD's for moving forward with the restoration study.  Last year, In an effort to encourage Congressional funding, the Lower Platte South NRD (on behalf of the LPRCA) submitted a Letter of Intent to USACE last year to sponsor a "new start" comprehensive watershed study. Sending the intent letter was supported LPNNRD on August 14, 2017, with the following Board approved motion:  " To approve LPNNRD signing the letter of intent to be a partner with LPSNRD and PMRNRD for completion of the Lower Platte River Restoration Study as attached to the Projects committee minutes" (attached).  Based on the three NRD's previous support, LPSNRD submitted another letter of support on the NRD's behalf on April 16, 2018 (see letter attached).   Besides updating the committee and Board of this effort moving forward, we felt it important to re-educate everyone of LPNNRD's 2017 action and the renewed effort to move this forward in 2018.  The previous and new Letter of Intent to USACE from the three Lower Platte NRD's requested the comprehensive study be done at a maximum total $3 million estimated cost. The USACE would commit 75% of this study cost or $2.25 million. As local sponsors, the NRDs would equally share fund 25% of the study  ($750.000). over a three year period.  LPNNRD has $83,333 in our FY 2018 budget for the first 1/3 of our $250,000 share in anticipation that the USACE may get federal funding to begin this study.
    
In 2017, USACE asked for our local partnership interest in being part of the Lower Platte River Restoration, which was one of the LPRCA priorities.   The initial goal of the restoration study is to develop an integrated water resource development plan to restore riverine and floodplain habitats by improving natural channel for forming processes, restoring connectivity between the river and its floodplain along the corridor, and restoring side channel and wetland/riparian habitats to support native species. However, this study caught our attention because this authority could potentially lead to future assistance for "project feasibility planning, design, and construction assistance for water resource and watershed management in the natural resources districts, including projects for environmental restoration and flood damage reduction". 

  The Watershed Study on the Lower Platte and its tributaries stated the following tasks to be completed:

1. Characterize needs of the basin for flood risk, ecosystem restoration, recreation, resiliency, etc;
2. Develop a shared vision to potentially serve as a framework for future land use decision making;
3. Identify projects that contribute towards realizing that vision; and
4. Prepare an implementation strategy, which would prioritize how to achieve that vision.

The USACE has indicated that the study is to develop a comprehensive plan that could also be used by state, regional and local governments to guide ongoing and future development that supports critical social and economic values in a sustainable manner.  Of particular interest to the LPNNRD in 2017 for being a partner was the potential for future federal funding assistance for projects in Shell Creek, Wahoo Creek, Skull Creek, Bone Creek, and Otoe Creek.   

The committee suggested continuing our support to move forward with the study process but send a message to the USACE that before LPNNRD considers any future financial obligation toward the Restoration Study, that our present federal projects (Sand Creek Environmental Restoration Project and the Western Sarpy/Clear Creek project) need to be closed out.   

Rationale:  Update on Executive Committee minutes.

Rationale:  Attached is a $75,000 project payment request No. 1 for Woodcliff's (Saunders County SID # 8) completed Bank Stabilization Project.  LPNNRD has approved a total of $300,000 toward the project to be paid over a four year period. John Peterson, JEO, was present to give an overview of the completed project as attached.   There was 6,000 tons of rock rip-rap placed on the 2-mile road/levee stabilization project.

Rationale:  PMRNRD has requested our annul $150,000 payment to them on our balance for the completed Western Sarpy Clear Creek Project. Before this payment, PMRNRD indicates that we have an outstanding balence of $283,680.94. 

Rationale:  With no further business, the Projects Committee adjourned at 9:48 a.m.