December 30, 2020 at 7:30 AM - Projects Committee Meeting

Rationale:  There is no unfinished business to address.

Rationale:  None.

Rationale:  We received two SWCP projects completed, and certified,  in Butler county.

20-B-1		Joseph Hanis	$                  12,131.94	WASCOB w/ TO
20-B-2		Dwayne Lanc	$                  12,500.00	TOT/WASCOB w/TO

Diers Family Farm in Dodge county submitted paperwork for their new well, pump, and tank.  As a reminder, this project was approved through our SWCP program and is in conjunction with our Rawhide ditch agreement: In the easement that the NRD and adjoining landowners entered into there is a clause that requires the NRD to supply livestock water is we disallow livestock entering the ditch.  Due to the maintenance issues on the banks over the years caused by cattle entering/leaving the ditch our Operations Department decided to fence off the ditch and would like to provide a well for Diers.  Through the DNR SWCP program we can submit up to 75% cost-share with the remaining 25% covered by NRD local funds.
The total cost of the project was $17,725.40.  Therefore, their 75% DNR SWCP reimbursement would come to $13,294.05 and the NRD's local match would equal $4,431.35

20-D-1

Diers Family Farm

$                  13,294.05

Livestock well (solar)

Rationale:  None.

Rationale:  None.

Rationale:  The Shell Creek Watershed Improvement Group (SCWIG) met on December 22, 2020, to mainly discuss the need for conducting a survey to get a better understanding of conservation issues, practices used and desired. Other current and future projects where also discussed. Minutes of the December 8, 2020 meeting were reviewed and are attached.  The next scheduled meeting is scheduled for 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, January 12, 2021. 

Rationale:  Attached is Colfax County payment request in the amount of $171,863.82 toward the channel improvement/benching project north of the Union Pacific Railroad bridge. Pruss Excavation will now start work on the south side of the tracks. LPNNRD has agreed to pay the project construction costs and Colfax County has agreed to provide all engineering services and land rights which amounts to $72,919.18 at the present time.

LPNNRD will be reimbursed for 100% of our payment from available grant funding awarded for the Shell Creek Watershed.

Rationale:  Bill Bos reported that the Tom Sprunk Project was completed and seeded on Dec. 28, 2020.  Perfect timing before the snow.  Bill has pictures of before, during and after the construction.  A meeting between the Eng. Jim Reedy, NRD, Shell Creek and Tom Sprunk is scheduled for 9:00 a.m., January 12, 2021, at the project site for final project inspection. 

We have received the final project invoices, as attached, totaling $44,813.75 (Wemhoff Construction = $44,470.77 & landowner seeding = $342.98).  Wemhoff's invoice is $1,700 under his approved bid (attached).  The Board has previously approved 75% cost share assistance on this project which totals $33,610.31.  LPNNRD's $33,610.31 cost share payment will be 100% reimbursed from our approved NDEE/EPA 319 Shell Creek grant. The landowner portion is $11,203.44 which will be used for matching funds on the grant. 

At the January 11th Board Meeting, a motion to pay Tom Sprunk $33,610.31 (75% x $44,813.75) toward his completed Shell Creek Bank Stabilization/Wetlands Enhancement Project, as attached to the Projects Committee Minutes, will be requested.
 

Rationale:  Over the past 1 1/2 years, LPNNRD has been in communication with Colfax County, Schuyler and the local landowners about pursuing the replacement of the Wolfe Jetty Project that was destroyed by the 2019 floods. In 1994, LPNNRD originally sponsored completion of the eight jetty project in partnership with Colfax County and the local landowner.  After the 2019 flooding, there was much discussion with Colfax County about taking the lead to replace the project to protect county roads.  The project also to help keep the Platte River from breaching its banks,flowing north into Lost Creek and Schuyler. Initially there was local interest to replace this project, but this dissolved over time.  Director Matt Bailey and County representatives had several contacts and attended meetings with Schuyler to obtain their interest and partnership, but in the end Schuyler decided to not participate. The remaining options were for Colfax County and LPNNRD to partner with the Wolfe family, but in the end, Colfax County and the landowners decided it is not to pursue a replacement project at this time.  We had planned to work with FEMA to hopefully use $800,000 of uncommitted FEMA funding for this project if other local partners participated.   Attached are emails from Colfax County. 

North Bend has indicated an interest in possibility using  the available funding for their levee, or another project. We anticipate more information at the Projects Committee Meeting. 

Rationale:  Attached is FYRA's December 29th invoice totaling $13,008 for work completed from November 21 through December 25, 2020. After this payment, $60,333.75 will remain under their $95,469 contract addendum.  This invoice will be reimbursed 100% by NRCS.

 During this invoicing period, Janel Kaufman, FYRA, reported that they have been running the HEC-RAS models to determine inundation depths and using that information in their ArcMap tool to determine damages/benefits along the streams. They also have been iterating and checking the results. They will be able to present some preliminary results within the next month.

Rationale:  No new information or invoice.

Rationale:  Dodge County Emergency Manager, Tom Smith, joined by Zoom to give an update on all project activities in our portion of Dodge County. Attached is Dodge County's 2021 Mitigation Strategy.

Rationale:  The final task on for our approved Hazard Mitigation Plan is obtaining resolutions from the participating entities.  We have about eight months to complete this task, but most have been received to date.  The current list is attached showing 44 have approved their resolution.

Rationale:  As discussed last Projects Committee and Boad meetings, Sanitary & Improvement District No.8 (Woodcliff) has submitted assistance requests for project repair of their existing bank stabilization project and roadway, and also for a new road raise project at the same location (letter attached).  LPNNRD first learned of these projects last month and that construction was nearing completion on portions of the projects.  LPNNRD policy requires that assistance requests need approval prior to work being completed.

SID. No. 8's  first request is for assistance on the local share for repairing 2019 flood damages to their bank stabilization project.  Their letter stated that they are working with FEMA/NEMA to receive up to 87.5% federal/state cost share assistance for damage repairs on the bank stabilization and roadway. Also included in this portion of this effort is additional road protection along an area by their lagoons and emergency protective measures. FEMA/NEMA's estimated contribution is $822,194 toward the repair,with the SID's estimated local 12.5% stated as $137,032.  Of these project efforts, it appears $692,657 (84%) of project components have not been started. The SID is asking 50% assistance on the estimated $137,032 local cost.

The S.I.D.'s second request is for 50% ($370,144) of a road raise flood risk reduction project (engineering and construction) which has an adjusted total cost of $740,288. This project is not receiving FEMA/NEMA funding. It has been noted that about 75% of this project is complete and scheduled to be finished in the Spring 2021. Based on the total $740,288 project cost, 25% ($185,072) has not been completed. Project plans, specifications and bid tabulation can be observed at https://we.tl/t-cwSnCoLVuk. 

Jake Miriovsky, JEO project engineer, and  Lonnie Mart, S.I.D. representative, joined the Projects Committee meeting (Zoom) to answer questions and provide any additional project details. JEO's pdf presentation is attached for review.  

The committee reviewed the $740,288 Road Raise Flood Risk Reduction Project that is  75% complete. Keeping in mind LPNNRD policy of not cost sharing on completed project work prior to District approval, the committee focused on potential assistance on the 25% of the uncompleted portion of project work remaining, which totals $185,072.  

The committee also reviewed the FEMA PA/406 Mitigation Project which is partially completed. FEMA/NEMA has approved 87.5% assistance on this project.  The total estimated repair and protective measures completed totals $306,511. The Bank Stabilization project portion near the Lagoon with an estimated $692,657 cost is not yet started.  

 

Rationale:  As discussed last meeting, Steven Case, attorney who represents Keystone XL pipeline, was exploring water sources for the pipeline establishment though Butler County in 2021. One water source they were looking was from one of our Bellwood Watershed Flood Reduction dams and another from an irrigation well in the area.  

After further discussions (e-mails attached), Mr. Case has indicated that Keystone is likely no longer interested in pursuing a request to pump from one of our reservoirs but will continue to pursue working with a landowner to use water from an irrigation well. 

 

Rationale:   As mentioned under Shell Creek discussion, with the Wolfe Jetty Project not moving forward at this time, North Bend has indicated an interest to possibly request all or at least a portion of the $792,000 of available FEMA funding for Platte River Projects. JEO representatives Kevin Kruse, Lalt Jha and Dodge County Emergency Manager Tom Smith joined (Zoom) the Projects Committee to discuss their future project request. 

Below is information that  Kevin Kruse, JEO, provided in an email with an attachment:
"I did have an opportunity to visit the North Bend Levee yesterday in preparation for the NRD committee meeting tomorrow.  I had a chance to walk quite a bit of the levee that I had not previously.  I did identify a handful of locations that could use some additional reinforcement to make the system more resilient and to protect North Bend and the area of Dodge County north of the river from future flood events."

"These proposed projects are still quite conceptual but they do give us a decent idea of what the system’s needs are and how we might be able to utilize the available FEMA funding.  I tried to keep them separate for the time being as we put together a final application packet.  Overall there are 4 sites that I feel could use some attention.  I have presented them below in a prioritized order of importance.  They start at the upstream end of the system where it ties into the east bank of the North Bend Cuttoff Ditch.  As we discussed, there are also some necessary fixes for the Cuttoff Ditch but there are some other funding items in the works on that so I have utilized that tie-in as our furthest upstream point.  I have attached a brief map and cost opinions for consideration and discussion."

"I will have these documents ready for tomorrow’s meeting and able to share if that is possible, but I wanted to provide in advance of the discussion for those that may not have the ability to view a shared screen etc."
 

Project Name	Description
GROUP A - EMBANKMENT PROTECTION AT NB DRAINAGE DISTRICT TIE-IN (SITE 1)	Bank shaping and rock-rip rap armoring at tie-in with NB Cuttoff Ditch.  (Approximately 750 LF)
GROUP B - CULVERT PIPE REPLACEMENT	Removal and Replacement of an existing CMP drainage pipe with an RCP and flapgate
GROUP C - EMBANKMENT PROTECTION AT RIVERVIEW (SITE 2)	Bank shaping and rock-rip rap armoring at east end of Riverview (Approximately 700 LF)
GROUP D - EMBANKMENT PROTECTION AT HIGHWAY 15 BRIDGE (SITE 3)	Bank shaping and rock-rip rap armoring at termination of levee at Highway 79

 

Rationale:  The LPNNRD Local Working Group Meeting is scheduled 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. on February 18, 2021.  The location will be at the Lake Wanahoo Education Building.  The agenda is attached.

Rationale:  The Projects Committee adjourned at 9:50 a.m.