South Platte NRD Aug. 17 Board of Directors Meeting

On Tuesday, August 17, 2021 the South Platte Natural Resources District (SPNRD) Board of Directors (Board) held its monthly meeting at 5:00 p.m. in the South Platte NRD Conference Room (551 Parkland Drive, Sidney NE).

Sydney Norris, Public Relations and Education Manager shared photos taken of the Adventure Camp about the Environment (ACE Camp) that was held at the 4H camp in the Nebraska National Forest. Four students were offered a scholarship by SPNRD that covered the ACE Camp costs. The four students who attended ACE Camp in the District were Riley Benish, Ian Davis, Kaitlyn Nicklas and Austin Craig. Davis and Benish presented a thank you to the Board of Directors and gave them a summary of their favorite activities from ACE Camp.

Galen Wittrock, Assistant Manager with SPNRD reviewed the Community Forestry Program and Conservation Tree Program for the last year. For the Community Forestry Program, there were 9 projects completed during the 2021 fiscal year. The District paid $18,900 to eligible projects including municipalities, businesses and individuals. The total number of Community Forestry Program trees planted were 178 while 29 were removed. The Conservation Tree Program sales were higher than expected for the 2021 fiscal year, at 52,708 trees. Wittrock does not anticipate any change in tree prices for the next year.

Norris provided information about the “Know Your Well Program.” The “Know Your Well” Program is a program funded by the Nebraska Environmental Trust Fund (NETF). The grant was denied last year and there has been reevaluation to how the “Know Your Well” Program will work for the upcoming year. The purpose of this program is to provide education to schools around Nebraska using Natural Resources Districts. Students are trained to use portable meters and commercial test kits to measure nitrates and other forms of bacteria. They upload data about well location construction, land use and other features. The testing equipment/materials are provided by the Nebraska Water Sciences Lab. It was approved by the SPNRD board to utilize this education program if the grant application is approved and to send a letter of support for the 2022 NETF application.

Rod Horn, General Manager of SPNRD reviewed the 2022 fiscal year preliminary SPNRD, Oliver Reservoir Recreation Area and Clean Harbors Citizens’ Monitoring Committee budgets. The 2021 fiscal year tax asking was $1,209,730. The proposed 2022 fiscal year tax asking is $1,261,689; an increase of $51,959. For a $100,000 valued home, this would be a tax rate of $50.36, where previously in fiscal year 2021, it was $48.88 in property taxes for a $100,000 valued home. The proposed tax rate for fiscal year 2022 is an increase of 3.02%. The final Budget Hearing will be held before the board meeting on September 14, 2021 where the final budget and tax rate for fiscal year 2022 will be set.