August 28, 2025 at 8:30 AM - Operations Committee Meeting

Rationale:  We do not have unfinished business to consider.

Rationale:  Nothing to report

Rationale:  The O & M crew did maintenance & inspections on five watershed dams. We also assisted DNR Dam Safety with the Wanahoo Dam inspection. We continue to spray areas with tree problems and have also had a drone spray some larger areas. We have started our mowing circuit of some of our dams, levee systems and Rawhide Ditch 8.
We have beaver plugging the riser on Cottonwood 6-E again. A trapper will attempt to catch them.

Rationale:  The Watershed Work Plan-Environmental Assessment Study is still in Little Rock, AR reviewing the comments made by the NRCS and HDR. When that is approved, HDR can start the Planning and Design Phase of the dam.

Rationale:  Mike Sotak, Houston Engineering, presented the Technical Memorandum to the Committee. A draft Technical Memorandum (attached) will be sent to all board members for review before the Board meeting. He reviewed the repair and mitigation options for the Wanahoo basin. The Breakwater and Wetland Weir will have to go through the 408 process with the COE. This will happen later this Fall.

Houston Engineering and Staff will make recommendations on repairs and mitigation to the basin and spillway conduits with Board approval. FEMA would like us to keep this process moving. Our promptness is important at this time. 

Rationale:  A Generac representative was here on August 19th to show staff inspection items if we choose a maintenance package that requires staff to review maintenance items during the year.
1) We have a two-year warranty on the office Generac generator. Year one is comprehensive (bumper to bumper), and the second year is parts only. Do we want an extended warranty of 5, 7, or 10 years? These plans have comprehensive coverage. The 5-year plan is $1150, the 7-year is $2132 and the 10-year is $3446. After 2000 hours on the generator there is no warranty coverage. The Committee wants to go through the first year to see how it goes, then consider an extended warranty if we wish.

2) There are a couple of preventative maintenance plans, Silver and Bronze. Attached are two quotes, one for the Silver Plan in which they come out twice a year for a major inspection and a minor. The Bronze Plan is a major inspection once a year and staff would be required to do quarterly inspections for warranty purposes. Also attached is a list of service items for the plans. Staff is confident they can do the minor inspection/maintenance and recommend the Bronze Plan.

Rationale:  Earlier this year we asked for a quote from Limbach Electric of North Bend to run electricity and install a light at the Czechland boat ramp. His quote of $5,927 is attached. We have had fishermen request a low-level light over the years, so when taking their boats out at night they can see.

Rationale:  The district needs to replace a power saw for the Bobcat. Find updated quotes attached and a picture of a disc mulcher. There is a quote for a drum mulcher also for comparison. Staff would prefer the disc mulched because it would work faster than a drum and to eliminate having to use two Bobcats, one cutting the other piling and hauling.
The non-Bobcat quotes do not include the Forestry Application Kit and Engine Compartment Seal Kit as listed on the Bobcat quote. Those kits would have to be ordered through Bobcat. The Forestry Kit is a safer glass door.

Rationale:  We have not received any request.

Rationale:  For the month of July, the District received $6,502.50 in annual park permit revenue.

Rationale:  For the month of July, the District received $17,720.24 in camping revenue.

Rationale:  The fire pit area behind the education building at Lake Wanahoo needs to be renovated.  The fire pit itself is falling apart, the pea gravel surface material is constantly moving around, exposing the fabric underneath and ending up in the turf.  This material is also hard for some guests to walk on.  We would like to remove the pea gravel and existing fire pit, and replace them with concrete and a more durable fire pit.  I reached out to 5 different contractors for bids and got the following results: one wasn’t interested, one submitted a bid of $10,925.00, and the other three never responded.  It is our recommendation to award the project to Metro Grading for their bid of $10,925.00.

Rationale:  The Clint Johannes Education Building at Lake Wanahoo was rented 23 times in August, with 3 NRD events. Revenue for the month was $1,825. 

Rationale:  The KTIC radio ads for July featured a reminder for variances. September’s ad will feature environmental education opportunities with the NRD. The produced ad for September was not available yet.

The new digital display ads will begin on September 8. This has replaced the Wahoo newspaper e-ads and was added to this year’s budget. Attached is a breakdown of the demographics and zip codes we are targeting for these ads. The ads can be changed as often as once a month or every couple of months. The topic for September will be environmental education opportunities. The digital display ads will be billed monthly. 

Rationale:  Top Posts for Facebook and X during August 1 - 26 included:
• September Coffee, Lakeside flyer
• Newman Grove public hearing information
• Rawhide Creek open house information
• August Coffee, Lakeside flyer
• NRD Recreation Exploration

On the LPNNRD website, we received traffic from NARD (22), Facebook (18), Nebraska Game and Parks (4), Nebraska tourism (2), and Saunders County Fair website (2).

The full reports are attached. 
 

Rationale:  RedThread has been working on updating the LPNNRD website. Recently they updated it to be compliant with regulations regarding ADA accessibility for web and mobile sites. Other minor changes have been spacing and making sure text does not run off the page when viewed on mobile devices and tablets. They will continue working on this in September. If you notice any issues when you are looking at the website please let Lacey know so we can have this addressed.

Rationale:  The second digital newsletter for the Water Resources Department went out on August 12th and received a great response. This newsletter covered updates to the draft copy of the Groundwater Management Plan, Wellhead Protection Program public meetings, and announcing producer text message alerts. Daryl reported he had a few calls that week regarding the Groundwater Management Plan. We have had 2 people opt in to the text message alerts.

Contacts	Emails Delivered	Open Rate	Clicks to links in Email	Unsubscribes
1,303	1,209	52.36%	298	9

 

Rationale:  In an effort to create more consistent messaging, we are working on creating or updating videos that feature each department of the Lower Platte North NRD. The groundwater video is the next one on the list as the current one is 6 years old and not the best quality. We were very pleased with the work RedThread has done with previous videos and we are hoping to replicate these. RedThread created a quote at $14,000 (almost double as much as the previous video). I have since reached out to Three Pillars Media in Lincoln, Unanimous in Lincoln, and Creative Olsen in Omaha. After a meeting with Unanimous, they could not complete our request within our budget. 

Three Pillars Media: would provide pre-production planning, 1-person crew for up to 8 hours production, royalty free music, travel (estimated at $105 built in to proposal), photography on location. 
Final product includes: 30-second commercial, 15-second cut down, and minimum of 100 edited photographs.
Total proposal: $4,500

Creative Olsen: pre-production planning, 1-person crew for up to 8 hours production (any additional hours billed at $275 per hour), travel costs additional ($0.70/mile from office to filming location and back). 
Final product includes: 30-second edited video with 3 rounds of revision, 15-second video with 3 rounds of revision.
Total proposal: $4,300 + travel costs

Rationale: 

• August 4th: Wildlfowers and Wine (9)
• August 7th: Coffee Lakeside: Specialty Crops (10)
• August 7th: Last nocturnal night of the summer! (10)
•  

Rationale: 

• September 9th-10th: Bishop Nuemann M.S.
• September 11th: Coffee Lakeside Mammals of NE
• September 17th: David City High Ability Learners & Wachiska Prairie Day
• September 19th: Wahoo high school Careers
• September 22nd: Starry Night event
• September 24th: Fremont M.S. outdoor day
• September 30th: Wachiska Prairie Day 
• September 30th-October 3rd: Ag Week at the fairgrounds

St. Wenceslaus TBD & other Classroom Visits

Rationale:  Staff repaired a residential service line leak in Colon.  Staff is also working with the Village for a new hydrant hook-up for their new park.
Routine sampling completed, meters read and bills to be mailed 8/29.

Rationale:  The Village of Abie has formally requested the NRD about developing/expanding the Bruno RWD to include Abie.  This will have to include an updated feasibility study (original completed 2006) as well as funding.
Staff completed the tri-annual disinfectant residual testing for the Bruno RWD.  This is required due to David City treating the water they supply the district.
Routine sampling completed, meters read and bills to be mailed 8/29.