Thursday, November 20, 2008

By LORI POTTER
Hub Staff Writer

ELWOOD - An increase of more than $1 million in budgeted operating expenses in the fiscal year 2008-2009 budget approved Tuesday by the Tri-Basin Natural Resources District Board of Directors primarily reflects expected projects to reduce water use in the Platte Basin.

Budgeted operating expenses of more than $2.1 million compare with actual expenditures of $902,566 in the past fiscal year.

Tri-Basin General Manager John Thorburn said there are $1 million in possible expenditures to help meet Nebraska's obligations under the three-state Platte River Recovery Implementation Program. Of the total, Tri-Basin would provide $200,000, the state would provide $400,000 and $400,000 would come from a Nebraska Environmental Trust grant.

He said that means every dollar the NRD spends will be matched with $4.

The FY09 budget's property tax asking of $1,090,583, not including county treasurers' commissions and a delinquent tax allowance, compares with $816,120 in FY08.

Thorburn estimated that the new NRD tax levy paid by property owners in Gosper, Phelps and Kearney counties will be 5.8 cents per $100 valuation. The actual levy may vary after new property valuation numbers are finalized by county assessors later this month.

The past year's levy was 4.9 cents.

One large expenditure being considered is a new Tri-Basin office. Space currently is rented at the Phelps County Ag Center in Holdrege.

One property of interest, especially because it's near the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Center in north Holdrege, is the North Park Therapy Clinic. On a 6-5 vote Tuesday, with two directors absent, the board authorized the Tri-Basin staff to spend up to $1,000 to get a market analysis on the value of the property and a contractor's review of possible remodeling costs.

Thorburn said Phelps Memorial Health Center officials soon will advertise the North Park clinic property for sale and allow 90 days for offers to be submitted.

Also Tuesday, Tri-Basin NRD Land Resources Coordinator/Phelps County Weed Superintendent Charles Brooks reported that a bid of $205,000 has been accepted from North Star Aviation of Texas to spray invasive weeds along the Platte River from the Dawson County line east to Elm Creek.

The Central Platte River Project, sponsored by the Platte Valley Weed Management Area, has a $300,000 state LB701 grant to spray invasive weeds in the river. Brooks said spraying of an estimated 1,500 acres by helicopter will begin in September.