Upper Republican Natural Resources District

Board of Directors Regular Meeting

January 8, 2008 at 7:30 p.m.  

135 West 5th Street, Imperial, NE 

 

 

Agendas were mailed to all Board Members and all others requesting agendas.  Agendas were posted in the NRD Office in Imperial, the NRCS Offices in Grant and Imperial, and the FSA Office in Benkelman.  The meeting was announced over KADL-Imperial, KRVN-Lexington and KOGA-Ogallala and published in area newspapers.

 

Board Members Present: Kerry Bernhardt, Tom Gaschler, Donn Gengenbach, Dean Large, Terry Martin, Mike Mosel, Greg Pelster, Tim Schilke, Mick Strand, Tom Terryberry and Jeff Wallin.

NRD Staff: Jasper Fanning, Dirk Dinnel and Deb Hayes.

NRD Legal Counsel: Joel Burke.

Others present: Traci Witthuhn (Republican River Coordinator, Nadine Bishop (NRCS), Gerald Coates, Matt Skomp, and Steven Grams.

 

Information mailed to Directors:

Report of District applications, contracts, agreements           Pooling contract information

 

Information distributed at Board meeting:

Agenda                                                                                   NRCS report

Minutes of December 4, 2008 Regular Board meeting          Report of District applications,

Minutes of December 20, 2007 Special Board meeting                     contracts and agreements

Financial reports                                                                      Republican River Basin Coalition

 

Chairman Pelster announced that the Open Meetings Act is posted by the door if anyone would like to review it.

 

Chairman Pelster called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.

 

OPEN FORUMS:

Guests, NRCS staff, Board members and NRD staff were introduced.

 

MINUTES:

§  Martin moved to approve the minutes of the December 4, 2007 Regular Board meeting as mailed. Seconded by Schilke.

Roll call vote: 8-yes, 1-abstain, 2-absent. Motion carried.

Voting yes: Bernhardt, Gaschler, Gengenbach, Large, Martin, Pelster, Schilke, Terryberry.

Abstain: Strand. Absent: Mosel and Wallin.

 

§  Terryberry moved to approve the minutes of the December 20, 2007 Special Board meeting as mailed. Seconded by Bernhardt.

Roll call vote: 8-yes, 1-abstain, 2-absent. Motion carried.

Voting yes: Bernhardt, Gaschler, Gengenbach, Large, Martin, Pelster, Schilke, and Terryberry.

Abstain: Strand. Absent: Mosel and Wallin.

 

FINANCIAL REPORT:

The Manager presented the Financial Reports to the Board.

 

Mosel arrived at 7:38 p.m.

 

§  Terryberry moved to pay the Accounts Payable and to accept the Treasurer’s report. Seconded by Gengenbach.

Roll call vote: 9-yes, 1-abstain, 1-absent. Motion carried.

Voting yes: Bernhardt, Gaschler, Gengenbach, Large, Martin, Pelster, Schilke, Strand and Terryberry. Abstain: Mosel. Absent: Wallin.

 

NRCS REPORT:

Nadine Bishop gave the NRCs report. Nadine reported that the Farm bill has not been approved yet. Nadine discussed the different cost share programs and funding with the farm bill. The Rocky Mountain Bird observatory and Game and Parks have put in a grant for a technician and they will be working with wetlands in SW Nebraska. The grant has been funded and this person will be located in the Grant office.

 

Wallin arrived at 7:40 p.m.

 

§  Terryberry moved to approve the NRCS report of planning activity and the Conservation Plans as signed for Chase, Dundy and Perkins County.  Seconded by Martin.

Roll call vote:  11-yes. Motion carried.

 

REPORT OF DISTRICT APPLICATIONS, CONTRACTS, AGREEMENTS:

The Board reviewed the report of district applications, contracts and agreements.

  • Martin moved to approve the report of District applications, contracts and agreements.  Seconded by Strand.

Roll call vote: 10-yes, 1-no. Motion carried.

Voting yes: Bernhardt, Gengenbach, large, Martin, Mosel, Pelster, Schilke, Strand, Terryberry, Wallin. Voting no: Gaschler.

 

REPUBLICAN RIVER MEETING REPORT:

Jasper and the Executive Committee attended a meeting in McCook today.  This meeting was requested by Lower Republican NRD with the Attorney General’s office for an update regarding the Kansas letter. Nebraska is working on their response and would send their response for our review.  The 45 days was a request by Kansas and there is no legal requirement for a response within 45 days.  If an agreement cannot be reached on some of the accounting differences then Kansas can start the non binding arbitration according to the settlement and then a timeline is laid out.

The NRD’s have also asked that they be kept informed. The Basin NRD’s have requested any documents DNR has previously and that will be given to Kansas.

Lower Republican NRD will be holding their IMP hearing on January 17th and thought they may wait one week before adoption. Middle Republican held the IMP hearing today and adopted their IMP at their Board meeting that was held later in the day.

 

GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT/RULES AND REGULATIONS.

Jasper discussed with the Board irrigation wells used for gas well drilling.  The Board felt they did not need to take an action on this item as long as the water goes through a meter. If it begins to become an issue then it will be brought back to the Board.

 

 MANAGER’S REPORT:

Traci Witthun gave the report for the Republican River Coalition. Traci had put together a list of the Nebraska Legislature, Legislature Committees, Governor and Cabinet member and U. S. Congressmen for Board members.  Traci also handed out a Coalition report which included information on the lawsuit date, financial report, upcoming events and projects. The Nebraska Republican River Management District Association meeting will be February 21, 2008 in Imperial at the Library. 

 

The briefs for the lawsuit have been filed and Jasper will make them available.

 

Kerry Bernhardt asked about the 50% credit on the water buyouts because of the state diverting it for irrigation.  Jasper explained how the water was protected by the NRD’s and he will also be putting a letter in with the usage reports to explain this to irrigators.

 

We have received the first bill on the building project for dirt work and concrete and general components for the amount of $40,761.00. The Board would like these bills put on the payable list and the have a spread sheet showing the billing and what it was for.  The architect reviews all of the documentation that is received and the gets the information to Jasper.

 

SOUTHWEST R C & D REPORT:

Roger Stockton, Southwest RC & D, joined the meeting and gave a short RC & D report.  Roger reported on the No-till conference that is coming up on January 21 & 22nd.  The RC & D is having their annual retreat at Cambridge on January 24th if any Board members are interested in attending. The Bio-Diesel plant in Arapahoe received their air quality permit from DEQ and plan to start construction in March with production starting in July or August.

 

LEGISLATION/STATE ASSOCIATION:

The Legislative Conference is February 5th & 6th in Lincoln.  Mike Mosel will be the voting delegate with Terry Martin being the alternate.  If anyone needs to cancel a reservation please let Deb know as soon as possible.

 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

The Board discussed the NACD Conference that will be February 10-13, 2008 in Reno.  Mike Mosel is interested in attending this conference.

  • Terryberry moved to send Mike Mosel to the NACD conference in Nevada on

February 10-13, 2008.  Seconded by Martin.

Roll call vote 11-yes. Motion carried.

 

 

 

The Board discussed the Washington DC trip that will be in March.  If anyone is interested they need to let Jasper or Deb know so arrangements can be made.

 

Chairman Pelster adjourned the meeting at 8:30 p.m.    The next Regular Board meeting will be Tuesday, February 12, 2008 at the NRD Office in Imperial starting at 7:30 p.m.

 

                                                                        Respectfully submitted

 

 

                                                                        Tom Terryberry

                                                                        Secretary/Treasurer

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