Posted on November 22, 2013 at 1:44 PM by Mitch Beaumont
- It has been a while since this blog has been updated. However, that does not mean that the project has slowed down. A representative from the City and from the design team met with approximately 10 property owners on their properties in evening meetings after the September 17 Open House through the first week of October. Based on comments from these meetings and City review of the 50% construction plans the consultant team has prepared plans that are now about 90% complete. Meetings have also been held with OPPD to determine the options for relocating the existing overhead power lines that will have to be moved to allow the channel grading work to be performed. Those discussions are ongoing and no final decisions on power line relocation have been made as of this date.
- In the past month several meetings have been held to prepare information and a schedule for public outreach and education activities. These have included meetings with the Papillion-La Vista School District and UNO. At this time there are four informational brochures nearing completion that will be available right after January 1, 2014. Also, a rain barrel program will commence right after January 1 as well. More information will be posted on the City web site for Thompson Creek and will be found in the next City Quarterly newsletter. An event that we think will be very interesting and informative has been scheduled for May 16 and May 17, 2014. This will be the first La Vista BioBlitz. This will be held along Thompson Creek from Central Park to 72nd Street and will include walks along the creek with experts in insects, animals and plants to provide instruction to all interested citizens and in particular younger citizens on the types of living things that have a home in the creek. There will be information booths and hands-on activities. We are planning for this to be an annual event and have a great deal of enthusiasm from students at UNO working through the Nebraska Watershed Network. Please check back to the city web site for more information in the next couple of months.
- The Thompson Creek Watershed Management project also includes a street filter and four rain garden demonstration projects. The consultant team and City staff are continuing to work on locations for demonstration projects and have been in contact with the Papillion-La Vista Schools to identify a couple of locations on school properties for some rain garden projects. The details are still being worked out. These are expected to be constructed next spring.
- An Open House was held on September 17 from 5pm to 7 pm at City Hall. This was attended by approximately 40 persons representing 15 to 20 properties adjacent to the channel rehabilitation area. Watershed management activity interest forms were available and completed by 5 persons. On-line survey forms were also available until October 1, 2013.
- Securing funding continues to be a challenge. The Nebraska Environmental Trust and the NDEQ are considering the grant applications submitted by the City for the second year of the project which will be critical to proceeding with the channel restoration construction project. The Papio NRD will also be a partner in funding the project. A joint meeting with these agencies has been scheduled for November 25, 2013 to get an indication of the availability and likelihood of obtaining funds.
- An agreement with the U.S. Geological Survey, Nebraska Office, has been completed to provide pre-construction water quantity measurements and establish a stage-discharge curve. This will allow measuring peak flow rates for various storms that can then be compared to post-construction rates in the years ahead. This will help identify the success of the public education and outreach program in implementing efforts to reduce storm water runoff.