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Metro Flood Diversion Authority

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Metro Flood Diversion Authority - March 16, 2018 Minutes

1. Meeting Order
A meeting of the Metro Flood Diversion Authority was held Friday, March 16, 2018, at 1:00 PM in the Fargo City Commission Room with the following members present: Moorhead City Mayor Del Rae Williams; Moorhead City Council Member Chuck Hendrickson; Moorhead City Council Member Joel Paulsen; Clay County Commissioner Kevin Campbell; Fargo City Mayor Tim Mahoney; Fargo City Commissioner Tony Grindberg; Cass County Commissioner Mary Scherling; Cass County Commissioner Chad Peterson; Cass County Commissioner Rick Steen; Cass County Joint Water Resource District Manager Roger Olson; and West Fargo City Commissioner Mike Thorstad. Fargo City Commissioner Dave Piepkorn and Clay County Commissioner Grant Weyland were absent.

2. New Project Alignment and MDNR Permit Application for Plan B
Jason Benson, Cass County Engineer, provided background information leading up to the new project alignment being proposed today. The Richland/Wilkin JPA filed a lawsuit in 2013 against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Metro Flood Diversion Authority and State of Minnesota later joined the lawsuit. A majority of the claims were dismissed; however, an injunction was ordered in September, 2017, which stopped project construction. North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum and Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton created a task force to develop principles and engineering solutions to achieve balanced flood risk management. A Technical Advisory Group (TAG) was formed as a result of the task force to look at balanced flood protection and impacts in North Dakota and Minnesota. The consensus of the task force was to utilize the full period of record hydrology (100-year flood = 33,000 CFS); allow control of flood water flows through Fargo and Moorhead to 37 feet during a 100-year flood event; include a new western tie-back levee alignment in North Dakota; and add an eastern tie-back levee in Minnesota.

Nathan Boerboom, Fargo City Division Engineer, discussed the new permit application for Plan B to submit to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Plan B includes the diversion channel, southern embankment and control structures, temporary staging of flood waters upstream of the metropolitan area, and in-town levees through Fargo and Moorhead. The design will allow 37 feet through town, and the project will operate one in every 20 years on average. The eastern tie-back levee limits the extent of impacts in Minnesota while the western tie-back levee shifts to the south and west of Horace, which helps balance impacts between North Dakota and Minnesota, and reduces impacts to Richland and Wilkin Counties. The southern embankment will be moved to the north, which will also help to balance the impacts between both states and reduce impacts to Richland and Wilkin Counties.
Mr. Boerboom said staff will be working on “micro-siting” of the new alignment, determining a new cost estimate, and determining a new funding/financial plan for the project. The next step will be to hold community meetings with local jurisdictions and to submit the application to the MDNR.

Bob Zimmerman, Moorhead City Engineer, said other alignment alternatives were considered by the TAG, including a NW channel alignment, which consisted of a shorter, shallower and wider channel. This option was not chosen because of its minimal flood plain benefit and significant additional impact to properties and structures.

Mr. Grindberg asked about the components from the new plan that will affect project costs. Mr. Boerboom said additional length of the dam, land and home purchases, and increased water flows through Fargo and Moorhead are the main contributors to cost increases. Mr. Benson said road raises and road improvements in Cass and Clay Counties will also contribute to the cost increase.
Mr. Paulsen asked if mandatory home buyouts in Minnesota will be needed under Plan B. Mr. Zimmerman said additional homes will need to be purchased, but that the levees currently built will not need to be changed.

3. Outreach Activities Report
Eric Dodds from AE2S said meetings began this week and will continue for the next few weeks with local boards to present information about the new project alignment.

4. Permit Application, Authorized to submit to MDNR
MOTION, passed
Mr. Mahoney moved and Mr. Campbell seconded to authorize the Diversion Authority Chair and Co-Executive Directors to submit to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) an application for a Dam Safety Permit and Public Waters Permit for the F-M Area Diversion Authority Project and authorize the General Counsel to submit a letter to the United States Army Corps of Engineers to review the revised project alignment contained in the application. On roll call vote, the motion carried unanimously.

5. Next Meeting
The next meeting will be held on Thursday, March 22, 2018.

6. Adjournment
MOTION, passed
On motion by Mrs. Scherling, seconded by Mr. Hendrickson, and all voting in favor, the meeting was adjourned at 1:55 PM.