Fowler on Central's Board replacing Hove

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 18:21 http://www.arapahoemirror.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3588:elwood-board-of-education-approves-raises-at-monthly-meeting&catid=1:local&Itemid=3

The Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District’s board of directors voted at Monday’s monthly meeting to appoint Ron Fowler of Johnson Lake to fill a vacancy on the board.

Fowler was selected by a vote of the directors from a field of three applicants to serve the remainder of Richard Hove’s term which expires in 2015. Hove, also of Johnson Lake, has represented Gosper County on the board since 2010. He resigned because he is moving to Lincoln.

Fowler is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Kearney with B.S. degree in chemistry and biology. He retired in 2009 from the Eaton Corporation in Kearney after more than 30 years with the company, most of which were spent in management positions. He has been associated with Johnson Lake through a cabin/residence that has been in the family since 1971. He has been a representative on the Johnson Lake Development, Inc., board (the cabin-owners’ association) since 2010 and has served the last two years as JLDI’s liaison to Central’s board.

Fowler will be formally seated at the Nov. 22 committee meeting of the board.

Board President Dudley Nelson thanked Hove and presented him with a plaque in recognition of his service to the District.

Also at Monday’s monthly meeting:

• The board approved agreements with Investment Property Exchange, Inc., (IPEX) of Kearney to provide appraisal services associated with property to be acquired for construction of the J-2 Regulating Reservoirs. In addition, the board approved an agreement with Luhrs Real Estate and Appraisals of Imperial to complete a review of the appraisals. A review appraisal is necessary in this instance to comply with federal regulations for appraisals involving projects in which federal funds will be expended.

• The directors approved a contract change order for $113,680 payable to Allen Blasting and Coating, Inc., to cover charges incurred as a result of delays after the company mobilized for a siphon-coating project on the E65 Canal. The project was delayed after floodwaters from the South Platte River were diverted into Central’s system to ease flood damage and to provide groundwater recharge benefits in the area.

• John Thorburn, Tri-Basin Natural Resources District manager, thanked Central’s board and staff for their cooperative efforts during the South Platte River flooding. He said that cooperation between Central and Tri-Basin to divert floodwaters will provide recharge benefits in the Platte River and Republican River watersheds, as well as recreational benefits at Elwood Reservoir.

• Civil engineer Cory Steinke reported that inflows to Lake McConaughy were about 1,010 cubic feet per second on Monday morning, which is about 65 percent of normal for this time of year. The reservoir was at elevation 3229.6 feet above mean sea level with a volume of 868,000 acre-feet (49.8 percent of capacity). The reservoir has risen about five and a half feet in elevation since the end of irrigation season.