With an issue as important as drought mitigation on the docket, the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District wanted to conduct a public hearing in the best way possible.
That’s why the NRD introduced its new open-house style of public hearing Tuesday at the Lifelong Learning Center on the campus of Northeast Community College in Norfolk.
“They had opportunities to give oral comment or written comment and testimony on what they thought about the plan.
“Overall, I consider it a success.
It was kind of a free-for-all, but everybody stayed calm.
You could go do what you wanted when you wanted and spend as much time at each subject as you wanted.” Danny Kluthe, the former chairman of the Lower Elkhorn NRD’s board of directors, was one of those in attendance.
He was pleased with the new format.
This way, they can sit down one-on-one and actually hear what the district is thinking — and probably get the right idea of what’s going on.
Communication’s big, and I think this is an excellent way to communicate.” “You got to have (a) one-on-one for a little bit.
It likely will include ranking drought severity by five levels — abnormally dry (D0), moderate drought (D1), severe drought (D2), extreme drought (D3) and exceptional drought (D4), which is the level that the 2012 drought in Northeast and North Central Nebraska reached.