JLDI endorses plan to start Johnson Lake's west hike-bike trail

Post date: May 29, 2009 3:19:57 AM

By HARRY G. PERKINS , Hub Regional Correspondent, 5-28-09, Kearney HUB on line at: http://www.kearneyhub.com

JOHNSON LAKE — The first leg of a hike and bike trail on the west side of Johnson Lake has been endorsed by the directors of Johnson Lake Development.

A one-mile trail already winds through the state park on the east side of the lake. The west-side trail will be more complex, but the first phase has been approved by a study committee and was approved by the JLDI board last week. Phase one would begin at the inlet of the supply canal and go to the southwest corner of the lake. Phase two, as explained by Allen McClure, would cross to Sandy Point. Phase three is proposed to follow the paved highway across the dam and to connect with the south end of the current eastern hike and bike trail.

Planners hoped the west trail wouldn’t have to share the road with vehicles, but learned that hikers and bikers want to be on the dam road, McClure said. “They want to see the lake,” he said. McClure said research with hike and bike trails elsewhere has revealed that trail users generally ignore alternatives and go where they want to go. The trail surface will be concrete. McClure said that Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District has set aside about $200,000 to help fund the project and supply engineering needed on phase three.

In other business, a new management agreement between Johnson Lake Development and the district was approved at last week’s meeting. The agreement, negotiated by a team of JLDI and Central officials, has yet to be approved by Central’s directors. Many specifics remain to be worked out, but the agreement would call on Central to take over mowing and seasonal sanitation now handled by JLDI. JLDI would continue to maintain a sanitary landfill for yard waste and trees and branches. Road maintenance, including snow removal, would become the responsibility of Central because it owns the roads, rather than be left to individual area associations as it is currently.

Also, JLDI would change its bylaws to make its fiscal year begin Jan. 1 to coincide with Central’s fiscal year to solve an accounting problem. JLDI would receive $10,000 from Central to cover JLDI’s services. This is in addition to the annual funding of JLDI’s activities in its management capacity. In 2008, JLDI received $47,850, according to Joann Weiland, president of JLDI.

Chuck Olsen, a member of the negotiating team, suggested that an assessment of $20 may be requested from leaseholders to finance special projects. The annual meeting of all leaseholders who belong to JLDI will be at 7 p.m. June 19 at the Chapel of The Lake.