January 4, 2023 at 8:30 AM - Operations Committee Meeting

Rationale:  We have nothing to consider for unfinished business.

Rationale:  Nothing new to report.

Rationale:  The O & M staff has been cutting & treating trees on recreation areas and Clear Creek Levee. We hauled rip-rap and dirt to a Swedeburg dam to protect some erosion on the toe of the dam. Equipment and truck maintenance.

Rationale:  All directors are receiving updates via email from Eric Suing of FYRA/Houston Engineering. M.E. Collins has installed all the re-bar in the apron floor of the basin. They have also removed the old baffle plate at the toe of the baffle wall. When the new floor is poured, a new plate will need to be added. This plate will have to be fabricated and may take 6 weeks. There's a Change Order No.1 (attached) for the removal and replacement of the baffle plate at a cost of $45,758.48 and a diagram (attached).
Also, in the change order, the substantial completion date of 12/31/22 has been changed or extended to 2/28/23.
Committee members and staff questioned why the baffle plate re-design wasn't in the original design, knowing the old plate was damaged and the floor would be taken down 9-12". Also, what equipment is being re-mobilized that wouldn't be used in other future construction on site?
Ethan Miller of FYRA/Houston will be available at Board Meeting.

Rationale:  Attached is a location map of the six lots the NRD owns at Thomas Lakes. The two south lots are located on the Clear Creek Levee and the four northerly lots are on the high ground tied to the levee.
The Thomas Lakes HOA Bylaws define the lots as unusable and they can not be built on. Since 2010, the lots have been considered Community Green Space. Included in their rules, regulations, and covenants, these lots are to be maintained as to trash debris and overgrowth, Not be used for any overnight camping with a tent, No temporary storage buildings or sheds, No vehicle storage including campers or trailers, No fencing or other restrictive barriers, and No livestock boarding.
HOA has an interest in purchasing the lots but would be conservative in their bid. They would prefer that the NRD continue ownership w/ the HOA continuing the upkeep of lots 41-44.
By selling the lots, they would be put back on the County tax roll.
Options: 1) sell all six lots, 2) sell only the 2 south lots since they are directly on the levee and the 4 would remain as they are under the care of the HOA & District, 3) don't sell any lots and remain as is.
The committee and staff would like our legal counsel to write a letter to the Thomas Lakes HOA before their January meeting stating the District's disapprove of their regulations specified for the NRD owned lots.

Rationale:  Find attached a draft letter to Mr. Ron Morrissey in regard to surface water irrigating from Sand Creek. The letter states that Mr. Morrissey will contact  the Dept. of Natural Resources if and when he feels he is short of water. The District will then follow the NDNR directive in regard to releasing water from Lake Wanahoo. 

Rationale:  Rezac Seed sent payment of $217.20 for drill rental from July to December. They had a $81.20 credit from the first half of the year for drill repairs.

Rationale:  We received an invoice from Doug Ritthaler for $5,300 for jetty repair work on the Platte River in Saunders County. The district assist at 50% or $2,650.00.

Rationale:  For the month of November, the District received $15.00 in annual park permit revenue. The year by year break down of annual permit sales is listed below. 

Permit sales for 2023 have started and the initial returns are very positive. 
 

Month	Monthly Total	YTD
November 2022	$15.00	$75,262.50
November 2021	$30.00	$85,656.85
November 2020	$360.00	$96,317.50
November 2019	$52.50	$82,252.50

Rationale:  For the month of November, the District received $1,641.37 in camping revenue. The year by year comparison is listed below.
 

Month	Month Total	YTD
November 2022	$1,641.37	$128,968.11
November 2021	$1,074.00	$115,714.11
November 2020	$1,404.78	$132,541.81
October 2019	$1,234.20	$92,173.80

Rationale:  During December, the building was rented 12 times with 2 NRD events. Revenue for the month was $700.

The new rates will begin on January 1, 2023. Online materials have been updated, and print materials are in the process of being updated.

Rationale:  December's KTIC Radio ad and Wahoo Newspaper e-ad continued with the water reports deadline.

January's KTIC Radio spot is attached - featuring the upcoming Nitrogen Certification classes for producers.

January's Wahoo Newspaper E-ad is attached - features the 2023 Wanahoo permits available.

Rationale:  The LPNNRD Facebook/Twitter pages, and the website are the fastest and low-cost ways to get information out to the public. Tracking analytics are a way to see if people are seeing the information and what ways seem to be most effective. If you are on Facebook or Twitter, please like, follow, share, or retweet the Lower Platte North NRD posts!

Total reach/impressions show how many people saw the post/tweet. Engagements include likes, comments, shares/retweets and link clicks.
 

FACEBOOK	Total Reach	Engagements	Followers
December	5,758	163	1,421
November	10,355	198	1,413
October	5,042	5,343	1,409

 

TWITTER	Total impressions	Engagements	Followers
December	2,570	102	388
November	2,862	126	383
October	2,324	174	385

Top Posts on Facebook and Twitter:
• Trivia event flyer
• Accepting tree orders
• Drought monitor map
• 2023 Wanahoo permits available
• December Coffee Lakeside flyer



 

WEBSITE	Users	Traffic Channel	Top Pages	Devices
December	1,156	Organic 62.7% Direct 22.9% Referral 8.7% Social 5.7%	Home Lake Wanahoo Forestry Downloads Contact	Mobile 49.39% Desktop 48.62% Tablet 1.99%
November	988	Organic 62.3% Direct 27.6% Referral 6.9% Social 3.2%	Home Lake Wanahoo Czechland Lake Staff Downloads	Mobile 50.40% Desktop 47.27% Tablet 2.33%
October	1,526	Organic 67.6% Direct 24.1% Referral 4.5% Social 3.7%	Lake Wanahoo Home Czechland Lake Board of Directors Outdoor Recreation	Mobile 58.46% Desktop 39.60% Tablet 1.94%

Traffic channels: organic traffic means they use a search engine then choose an option that includes lpnnrd.org, direct traffic means they type in lpnnrd.org directly (or have it bookmarked), and referral traffic is any other traffic not from a search engine or social (such as a link from another site).

Social clicks: 64 from Facebook, 5 from Twitter.
Referral clicks: 31 from NARD, 10 from NGPC, 7 from ad on Wahoo Newspaper’s site.

Rationale:  In January we will feature the I&E video on News Channel Nebraska.

Rationale: 

• December 2nd: R3 Conference at Mahoney State Park. NGPC and various other outdoor organizations met for a one-day conference to discuss recruitment, reactivation, and retention for those involved in hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation. 
• December 3rd: Trivia and Game Day - 11 people attended a natural resources-based trivia and game day.
• December 6th: Mead H.S. Classroom Visit to prep students for a test your well night.
• December 8th: Coffee Lakeside, Nebraska Phenology - 11 adults and 3 kids attended to learn more about nature's calendar, specifically the winter months. 
• December 13th: St. Wenceslaus Pre-K classroom visit. We talked about wintertime habitats and where animals go during the winter months. The visit ended with an ice fishing activity. 
• December 16th: Survival Club - The topic was everyday carry kits and the 7 students who attended all took one home. 

Rationale: 

• January 12th: Coffee Lakeside - Animals That Hoard
• January 19th: Survival Club

Working on expanding our outreach through different avenues, such as recording previous presentations to get onto our YouTube channel, scheduling more classroom visits, and starting to prep for the annual Spring Conservation Sensation. 

Rationale:  Routine monthly sampling completed, meters read, bills mailed 12/29.

Rationale:  On 12/23 the RWD was contacted by David City utilities in regards to the Bruno watertower being frozen and apparently leaking (pic attached).  DC was contacted by Bruno board member about water supply to the tower, which we operate.  Elliott met with Bruno water operator and village board members to safely shut off supply to tower and develop a plan of operation until tower thaws.
Updates 12/29 (second pic)
               1/3 (third pic)
Routine monthly sampling completed, meters read, bills mailed 12/29.