Board of City Commissioners - April 3, 2019
Agreeable with a call for a Special Meeting issued by Mayor Mahoney, the Board of City Commissioners of the City of Fargo, North Dakota, convened in a Special Meeting in the City Commission Chambers at City Hall at 2 o'clock p.m., Wednesday, April 3, 2019.
The Commissioners present or absent were as shown following:
Present: Gehrig, Grindberg, Piepkorn (via conference call), Strand, Mahoney.
Absent: None.
Mayor Mahoney presiding.
The Mayor stated that this Special Meeting was called to approve Flood Action Items and is an opportunity for the Commissioners to get updated information about the flood fight. He stated that City of Fargo representatives attended two neighborhood meetings this week where good discussions were held.
Contract Amendment to Include Rapid Deploy Product Installation in Madelyn Meadows Approved (Project No. FE-19-G1):
City Engineer Brenda Derrig said due to the new predicted flood crest forecast, there are some minimal protection issues the Engineering Department would like to start.
Division Engineer Nathan Boerboom said the projected river crest is 35 feet on Monday and with that forecast there are five areas that need emergency levees. The plan for most of these areas is to use Trap Bags instead of clay, he said, due to the fact that Trap Bags cause less damage to infrastructure, are easier to install and easier to remove. The first installation of Trap Bags, he said, will be in the Oak Grove School area, followed by Second Street South where the last component of a levee and floodwall project is under construction. Once that levee and floodwall project is completed later this year, he said, emergency levees would not have to be installed in that area in the future. He said 450 feet of Trap Bags will be installed on Lindenwood Drive. A flood control project is in the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) this year for the Lindenwood area, he stated, therefore next spring, if there is a flood, an emergency levee will not be needed. The next area is 64th Avenue South at Drain 53, he said, which is west of 25th Street about a quarter of a mile and a road in that area goes under when the river hits 35 feet. He said Trap Bags will be used to tie into levees on each side of the road. A flood control project in the Drain 53 area is planned for 2020, he said, which will solve the flooding issue at this location long term. He said the last area is Madelyn Meadows, which is an active construction site where a levee was removed to expand the pond in the development. He said time ran out last fall to reconstruct the levee, therefore, a temporary clay levee will have to be installed.
Ms. Derrig said a Request for Proposal (RFP) was not issued for clay levees when the crest was predicted at 41 feet due to the fact that the City would have used the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for clay placement. However, she said, additional clay needs to be placed in the Madelyn Meadows development. She said as part of the original RFP for Rapid Deploy Product Placement, Northern Improvement Company included pricing for operators and equipment; therefore, she would like to do a contract amendment with this contractor for the clay project in Madelyn Meadows. She said the contractor is already working in that development and the clay is already at the site; therefore, the City would pay the contractor an hourly rate based on their pricing in the RFP.
In response to a question from Commissioner Grindberg, asking what the costs will be for this amendment, Mr. Boerboom said by using an hourly rate, the costs are estimated to be well under $100,000.00 for all five areas.
Mayor Mahoney said according to Finance Director Kent Costin, the overall cost estimate for the flood fight so far this year is about $450,000.00.
Commissioner Grindberg moved the Contract Amendment with Northern Improvement Company for the Rapid Deploy Product Installation for Project No. FE-19-G1 to include the placement of a clay levee within Madelyn Meadows be approved.
Second by Gehrig. On call of the roll Commissioners Grindberg, Gehrig, Piepkorn, Strand and Mahoney voted aye.
No Commissioner being absent and none voting nay, the motion was declared carried.
Contract Amendments to include Removal of Rapid Deploy Products Approved (Project Nos. FE-19-G1 and FE-19-G2):
Ms. Derrig said typically after larger flood events, the City goes out with a separate RFP for removal of Trap Bags, temporary levees, etc.; however, since price quotes have been received for installation, she would also like to use those same quotes for removal. She said with this contract amendment, when the river crest starts to come down, the Trap Bags and other rapid deploy products can be removed in an expedited manner.
Commissioner Strand moved the Contract Amendments with Northern Improvement Company and Excavating, Inc. to include the removal of Rapid Deploy Products Project Nos. FE-19-G1 and FE-19-G2 be approved.
Second by Gehrig. On call of the roll Commissioners Strand, Gehrig, Grindberg, Piepkorn, Strand and Mahoney voted aye.
No Commissioner being absent and none voting nay, the motion was declared carried.
Mr. Boerboom said he wants to inform the Board that Public Works has started installing the mobile floodwall closures, including the area at Fourth Avenue and Second Street North. He said Public Works will install the removable closure at First Avenue and Second Street North on Friday morning after rush hour, which will close First Avenue and the bridge going into Moorhead. He said at about the 32-foot flood elevation, water hits First Avenue North in Moorhead and that road will close; therefore, it will be a good time to get the removable closure installed on First Avenue well ahead of the expected crest on Monday. He said the bottom of the floodwall opening sits right at the 35-foot stage and he wants to be sure there is at least two feet of freeboard.
Commissioner Strand moved that the Board adjourn.
Second by Gehrig. All the Commissioners voted aye and the motion was declared carried.
The time at adjournment was 2:10 o’clock p.m.