August 29, 2024 at 8:30 AM - Operations Committee Meeting

Rationale:  We have nothing to consider for unfinished business.

Rationale:  M.E. Collins has finished cleaning out the northern Catpaws on Wanahoo. The quantity of soil was just under 8,000 cu yds. We may move on to the southern Catpaws at a later date, as our contract is for 10,000 cu yds.

Rationale:  The O & M crew has started our mowing circuit. We continue to cut, treat and shred problem areas with trees. We have some areas of Phragmites to spray also. 

Rationale:  As presented last month, we are 60% complete on the rehabilitation study on Cottonwood 21-A. Two alternatives were presented at the previous board meeting. Alternative 3 - new spillway to the east, with 500 year flood protection, and a safer county road design. Alternative 4 - Modify existing A. Spillway (larger), continued 100 year flood protection, county road is modified and is still manipulated by road maintenance. Both alternatives are very similar in estimated cost and B/C ratio.
Staff and Travis Hazard visited with both landowners in person.
 

Rationale:  A declaration of disaster was declared by FEMA for Saunders County. We can now proceed with an application to repair our Lake Wanahoo damage. The District hired Houston Engineering to inspect the Wanahoo stilling basin pre-declaration. The District will request FEMA to include this cost, $6,988, as part of the repair/rehabilitation. Our explanation to FEMA will be A) The item is available only from one source, meaning, Houston Engineering was the original designer and oversaw the construction of the previous repair. B) The public exigency or emergency for the requirement will not permit a delay resulting from publicizing a competitive solicitation. Meaning the District didn't know if or when a declaration would happen, and we needed immediate consultation from the designer rather than prolonging it by competitive solicitation.
 

Rationale:  Mike Sotak, Houston Engineering, inspected the stilling basin on Monday, August 26th by walking and swimming. They will use a submersible sonar device on Monday, September 9. Mike didn't find anything alarming, such as scour holes or large pockets of missing rock. He found that some of the Gabian baskets attached to the sheet pile wall had some tears and a small portion of chain link fence covering the baskets came loose. He will present their findings at our October Committee meeting. Attached are a couple of blueprints of the basin design.

Rationale:  As mentioned previously, Kirk Brand would like a 24" CMP replaced that drains the county road ditch and his field into Rawhide Ditch 8. Heimann asked three contractors for labor quotes and received two; Grefe Excavating, $2,950 and Thompson Construction, $3,000.
A 30" x 60' CMP with a 1' band costs $3,887.00. A 36" x 60' CMP with a 1' band is $4,664.50. This doesn't include a flap gate for each and a 2' band would increase the price.
Mr. Brand would pay 50% of the cost.
The committee would like Mr. Brand to present his case at the next Operations Committee meeting.

Rationale:  Schuyler Co-op sent a check for $1,147.45 for the period of January – July. They have also requested to get out of our drill rental agreement because the drill is worn out and has continual maintenance & repairs. This drill is 16 years old. The Co-op will continue renting the drill through the Fall.
Since the Committee meeting, we have been informed that Schuyler Co-op has ordered a new drill for themselves. We will have to discuss our options as to what to do with our worn-out grass drill next month.

Rationale:  We had Sanderson On-Online Auction sell some equipment. The Bobcat trencher attachment sold for $4,025, Bobcat backhoe $6,050, Kawaski ATV $1,750, 40 gallon fuel tank with a bad pump $130 for a total of $11,955.00.
The District netted $10,998.60.

Rationale:  The Dept. of Natural Resources Dam Safety and Nebraska Dept. of Transportation did an inspection of the Wanahoo Dam on August 22nd. NDOT primarily inspects the principal spillway. They didn't find any deficiencies in the concrete structures, weir, floors, conduits, etc.
Dam safety will send the District a written report at a later date. From the inspection, we have some conduit joints that need sealing just as we did back in 2019. For the most part, the work from 2019 is holding up very well. Heimann contacted the company who performed the work. 

Rationale:  Carl Sousek of Prague has failing wells on his farmstead. He lives 1 1/2 miles west of Czechland Lake. A well driller punched 11 holes in the ground trying to locate water. They found water just under a half mile SE of his farmstead below the Cottonwood 6--B dam, on the other side of the creek channel. He has a choice to bore a water line under a deep creek bed or run the water line at the toe of the dam over the dam's outlet pipe. NDNR Dam Safety does not want the water line over or under the outlet pipe even though the line would be encased and valves on each end.
Since the District deals with water, dams and wells, would we consider assisting Mr. Sousek in some way to get his water line under the creek bed? See attached aerial photo.
The Committee would like Mr. Sousek to look into an NRCS EQIP program called Small Scale and Urban Ag for running his water line.

Rationale:  We have not received any applications or payment requests. 

Rationale:  For the month of July, the District received $8,190.50 in annual park permit revenue. The year by year break down is listed below. 
 

Month	Monthly Total	YTD
July 2024	$8,190.50	$63,501.50
July 2023	$6,055.00	$66,550.00
July 2022	$6,292.50	$68,545.00
July 2021	$6,430.00	$79,337.50
July 2020	$7,332.50	$87,587.50
July 2019	$7,925.00	$70,725.00

Rationale:   For the month of July, the District received $17,268.00 in camping revenue. The year by year comparison is below. 
 

July 2024	$17,268.00	$76,056.95
July 2023	$21,176.94	$83,169.40
July 2022	$18,175.50	$78,417.83
July 2021	$15,326.94	$82,512.73
July 2020	$12,615.36	$87,645.40
July 2019	$18,046.00	$60,916.46

Rationale:  We are continuing to look into 50 AMP upgrades to campsites as the demand for them has increased. We could potentially upgrade up to 20 sites to have 50,30,20 AMP pedestals.

Rationale:  The Clint Johannes Education Building at Lake Wanahoo was rented 22 times in August with 1 NRD event. Revenue for the month was $1,760.
 

Rationale:  The KTIC radio ads and Wahoo newspaper e-ads during August featured all three recreation areas and will continue through September. The ads are attached. 

Rationale:  The LPNNRD Facebook and X pages, along with the website are some of the fastest ways to get information out to the public. Facebook and X posts range from 12 -18 posts per month. If you are on Facebook or X, 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.

August had a total of 18 posts.

Followers for August	Total	Increase/Decrease
Facebook	1,635	Up .43%
X	451	-

Posts included:
• Upcoming variance request deadlines
• NRD Recreation Exploration
• Groundwater Management Plan meetings
• Sentinel’s Sunset Seminar
• Upcoming Envirothon Field Day
• Board Meeting/budget hearing reminders
• Phragmites control reminder

 

WEBSITE	Users	Traffic Channel Changes	Top Pages	Devices
August	1,686	Organic -25.31% Direct -40.23% Referral -35.48% Social -55.17%	Lake Wanahoo Home Czechland Outdoor Recreation Downloads	Mobile 63% Desktop 35.6% Tablet 1.4%
July	2,396	Organic -13.66% Direct 17.39% Referral -4.71% Social -50.85%	Lake Wanahoo Home Czechland Outdoor Recreation Downloads	Mobile 57% Desktop 41.5% Tablet 1.5%
June	2,895	Organic 19.25% Direct 15.94% Referral 98.82% Social -54.24%	Lake Wanahoo Home Czechland Flood Damage Reduction Staff	Mobile 57% Desktop 41.5% Tablet 1.5%

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). As of mid-September changes for traffic channels and devices will show increase or decrease for the month.

Referral clicks from: NARD’s website 21, visitnebraska.com 10, Wahoo newspaper website (LPNNRD digital ad) 0.
Clicks from Facebook: 9.
Clicks from Twitter: 0.
 

Rationale:  The RWD continues to work on the lead service line inventory (LSLI) which is due 10/18 to EPA.
The new meter reading hardware and software have all be ordered and should be here soon.
NDEE notified all PWS within Area 1 (Colon RWD) that they have not been able to fill the Drinking Water Field Representative position vacated by the retirement of Tim Thares.  This will put a backlog on sanitary surveys (amongst other duties of position) within the area.  The Colon RWD was due for a review this year.

Rationale:  Routine monthly sampling completed, meters read and bills to be mailed 8/31.

Rationale:  Elliott submitted an application to NeDOT for ROW occupation for the proposed new service hookup along Highway 12B and is still waiting for review.
Routine monthly sampling completed, meters read and bills to be mailed 8/31.

Rationale:  Attached is a copy of the first draft of the long range plan. Please read this document and discuss any changes requested.

A motion will be needed at Board Meeting to approve the attached Long Range Plan.