Vince Kramper, Chair	Rod Horn
Beverly Donaldson, Member	Dennis Schueth
Glen Kroese, Member	Harold Klaege
Richard Jiskra, Member	Ron Fleecs
Joseph Hergott, Member	Paul Zillig
Donald Roberts, Member	Eugene Glock
Richard Mercer, Member	Milton Moravek
Clifford Welsh, Member	Ed Haffke
LeRoy Pieper, Member	Dean Edson
Frank Bartak, Member	Dayle Williamson, Director
Ron Nelson, Member	Steve Gaul, Staff
Mike Shaughnessy, Member	Jim Cook, Staff
Roy Stewart, Member	Tom Pesek, Staff
Wayne Davis, Member	Gayle Starr, Staff
Dale Watermeier, Member

CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at approximately 10:15 a.m. by Commission Chair, Vince Kramper, in the
meeting room of the Lower Platte South NRD at Lincoln, Nebraska.

PUBLIC NOTICE
Notice of the meeting was placed in the LINCOLN JOURNAL STAR on October 21, 1998, notifying the
public of the meeting.

INFORMATIONAL MATERIAL
The following items of informational material were distributed during the course of the meeting and a copy
of each is attached to the file copy of the minutes.

MINUTES
Motion was made by Stewart and seconded by Pieper to approve the minutes of the September 29, 1998,
Commission meeting as distributed. Motion carried.
Aye: Hergott, Jiskra, Watermeier, Mercer, Welsh, Davis, Donaldson, Pieper, Bartak, Shaughnessy, Stewart,
Kroese, Roberts, Nelson, Kramper
Nay: None
Not Present: Larson

EXPENDITURES
Motion was made by Roberts and seconded by Jiskra to approve the expenditure report for September, 1998,
as distributed Motion carried.
Aye: Jiskra, Watermeier, Mercer, Welsh, Davis, Donaldson, Pieper, Bartak, Shaughnessy, Stewart, Kroese,
Roberts, Nelson, Hergott, Kramper
Nay: None
Not Present: Larson

ADVISOR'S COMMENTS
Harold Klaege, representing NRCS, distributed a report and made some brief comments concerning the
Conservation Reserve Program, the Environmental Quality Incentive Program, animal feeding operations, and
comments made at a recent Roundtable session held in Kearney.

ENVIRONMENTAL TRUST
Richard Mercer reported that the Environmental Trust had received about 150 applications totaling about
$50,000,000 in the last round of applications. He added that the Trust has about $13,000,000 to allocate at this time.
He indicated that he and Dayle Williamson were both serving on a committee to review the applications and make
recommendations to the full Board.

PLATTE & REPUBLICAN RIVER ACTIVITIES
Jim Cook made some brief comments regarding activities on the Platte and Republican Rivers issues
indicating the work of the various committees involved in the Platte River Cooperative Agreement was proceeding
and that a decision as to whether the U.S. Supreme Court would accept the lawsuit filed by Kansas against Nebraska
regarding the Republican River would probably not be made until sometime next year.

LEGISLATIVE ISSUES
Jim Cook distributed a schedule of legislative committee hearings on interim studies and indicated that the
Commission needs to be represented at the Natural Resources Committee hearing in York regarding the LB 1085
report. Cook added that Dale Watermeier had requested an agenda item regarding amendment 413 on the November
3 election ballot. He added that the Commission members had been provided a UNL Extension Service summary of
all of the amendments on the ballot, including 413. He also distributed a full text of Amendment 413 to Commission
members. Dale Watermeier indicated that he had asked for this item on the agenda so that Commission members
could be fully informed and that he felt it was an important issue but that he didn't feel it was necessary for the
Commission to take any action in that regard.

PROGRAM COMMITTEE
Commission Chair, Richard Jiskra, indicated that Tom Pesek had reviewed the Resources Development Fund
Financial Status Report and quarterly report with the committee. He added that in the semi-annual review of projects,
Pesek had explained that the Lower Wood River/Upper Warm Slough Flood Control Project had not been
reauthorized by Congress and in accordance with previous Commission action, the funds obligated for that project are
automatically rescinded.

Milton Moravek of the Central Platte NRD indicated that funds had been appropriated for the project but that
the reauthorization had not taken place because of questions regarding another part of the Water Resources
Development Act. Moravek indicated that it was likely that the Senate would pass the authorization bill early in the
next session.

Gene Glock, representing Senator Kerrey, indicated that it appeared as though the Senate would approve the
Water Resources Development Act early in the next session but that he could not speak for the House of
Representatives. Moravek asked that the Commission hold the funds obligated for the Wood River/Warm Slough
Project until April of 1999.

No Commission action was taken but it was the consensus of the Commission that the funds previously
obligated to the Wood River/Warm Slough Project should be held until April of 1999 to allow time for Congressional
reauthorization.

Jiskra explained that Pesek had reviewed the Small Watersheds Flood Control Fund status report and the bids
received for auctioneering services for the two properties to be sold in January of 1999.

Motion was made by Jiskra and seconded by Davis to accept the bid of Don Vrana (2.0 percent of the sale
price if the high bid is accepted and 0 dollars if the high bid is rejected) for the auction of the Scheerer tract (5.52
acres) at Upper Little Nemaha Site 26 and the Lamb tract (80 acres) at Upper Little Nemaha Site 34. Motion carried.
Aye: Watermeier, Mercer, Welsh, Davis, Donaldson, Pieper, Bartak, Shaughnessy, Stewart, Kroese, Roberts,
Nelson, Hergott, Jiskra, Kramper
Nay: None
Not Present: Larson

Jiskra indicated that status reports of the Nebraska Natural Resources Enhancement Fund and the Soil and
Water Conservation Fund had been distributed at the committee meeting and briefly reviewed.

He indicated that requests had been received from the Tri-Basin and Nemaha NRDs for survey and mapping
assistance on projects in their respective NRDs.

Motion was made by Jiskra and seconded by Bartak to approve the request of the Tri-Basin NRD for survey
assistance in the Sacramento Watershed and to establish the cost estimate of $22,830 as a basis for reimbursement by
the NRD of 50 percent of the estimated cost or 50 percent of the actual cost, whichever is less. Motion carried.
Aye: Mercer, Welsh, Davis, Donaldson, Pieper, Bartak, Shaughnessy, Stewart, Roberts, Nelson, Hergott, Jiskra,
Watermeier, Kramper
Nay: None
Not Present: Larson

Motion was made by Jiskra and seconded by Hergott to approve the request of the Nemaha NRD for survey and
mapping assistance on two structure sites on Buck and Duck Creeks and to establish the cost-estimate of $7,372.35 as
a basis for reimbursement by the NRD of 50 percent of the estimated cost or 50 percent of the actual costs, whichever
is less. Motion carried.
Aye: Welsh, Davis, Donaldson, Pieper, Bartak, Shaughnessy, Stewart, Kroese, Roberts, Nelson, Hergott, Jiskra,
Watermeier, Mercer, Kramper
Nay: None
Not Present: Larson

Jiskra explained that Commission members had been provided hearing testimony concerning the merger of
Drainage District No. 5 in Dakota County with the Papio-Missouri River NRD. Motion was made by Jiskra and
seconded by Roberts to adopt the order approving the proposed merger of Drainage District No. 5 in Dakota County
with the Papio-Missouri River NRD. Motion carried.
Aye: Davis, Donaldson, Pieper, Bartak, Shaughnessy, Stewart, Kroese, Roberts, Nelson, Hergott, Jiskra,
Watermeier, Mercer, Welsh, Kramper
Nay: None
Not Present: Larson

SOIL & WATER CONSERVATION FUND SPECIAL COMMITTEE
Clifford Welsh indicated that the committee had met earlier this morning and had discussed a number of topics and
would be meeting again in December. He added that Ron Fleecs, representing the NRDs, had distributed a
questionnaire to the NRDs regarding the operation of the fund and when that information is available it will be
shared with Commission members.

COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING COMMITTEE
Committee Chair, Cliff Welsh, explained that Rich Kern had provided a report to the committee on the Platte
River Cooperative Hydrology Study which will provide physical information on groundwater and surface water
relationships in the Platte Basin above Columbus. The study is to provide information to help Nebraska meet its
obligations under the Cooperative Agreement.

He added that Steve Gaul had provided the committee with a progress report on the Lower Platte River
Tributaries Study and the operation and activities of the Platte River Alliance.

Welsh stated that Mahendra Bansal had updated the committee on Data Bank activities, including progress of
digitizing soil surveys to SSURGO standards and the status of DOQs.

ANNOUNCEMENTS, FUTURE MEETINGS AND REQUESTS FOR AGENDA ITEMS
It was suggested that after the election in November it would be appropriate for a delegation of Commission
members to visit with the Governor-elect or his representatives to discuss Commission appropriations and other
areas of interest.

NEXT MEETING
The next meeting of the Commission will be December 9 and 10, 1998, in Lincoln.