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FLOOD DIVERSION BOARD OF AUTHORITY <br />SEPTEMBER 2, 2015 – 12:10 PM <br />1. MEETING TO ORDER <br />A special meeting of the Flood Diversion Board of Authority was held Wednesday, September 2, 2015 at 12:10 PM in the Fargo City Commission Room with the following members present: Cass County Commission representative Darrell Vanyo; Cass County <br />Commissioner Ken Pawluk; West Fargo City Commissioner Mike Thorstad; Clay County Commissioner Grant Weyland; Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney; Fargo City Commissioner <br />Mike Williams; Fargo City Commissioner Melissa Sobolik; Cass County Joint Water <br />Resource District Manager Mark Brodshaug; Moorhead City Council Member Nancy Otto. Clay County Commissioner Kevin Campbell was absent. <br /> <br />Staff members and others present: Cass County Administrator Keith Berndt; Fargo Interim City Administrator Bruce Grubb; Moorhead City Manager Mike Redlinger; North <br />Dakota State Engineer Todd Sando; Clay County Administrator Brian Berg; Martin Nicholson and Bruce Spiller, CH2MHill; Lieutenant General Thomas Bostick, Major General Michael Wehr, Colonel Dan Koprowski, Judy DesHarnais, Michael Bart, Terry <br />Williams and Aaron Snyder, US Army Corps of Engineers; North Dakota Senators John Hoeven and Heidi Heitkamp; North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple; Minnesota Representative Collin Peterson; Oxbow Mayor Jim Nyhof; Fargo City Engineer April <br />Walker. <br />2. INTRODUCTIONS AND OPENING STATEMENTS <br />Darrell Vanyo said he believes the Diversion Authority is in the best position in terms of moving forward with the project, particularly with the Public Private Partnership (P3) that was afforded through the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) Bill. He said he <br />would certainly like to continue the partnership that has been created in working towards a successful completion of the project and to show that there are other ways to get <br />infrastructure done throughout the country. He said the commitment is there to complete <br />the project and work with the Corps. He said there hasn’t been anything that they have not been able to resolve in terms of issues along the way and the Corps has been an <br />excellent partner. The tasks at hand now, he said, are the steps forward. <br /> North Dakota State Senator John Hoeven said he would like to thank General Bostick for <br />coming because he believes that there is no better way to get a deeper understanding of <br />the project than to come, meet the people and see what is being done first hand. He said the project has the appropriations and authorization; however, it is very important to <br />address the concerns of the upstream interests as well as the DNR to carry this project forward. <br />North Dakota State Senator Heidi Heitkamp said with a $1.5 billion dollar annual appropriation, just the projects that are on the board today would take 16 years to complete. She said nationally a different model needs to be found and Fargo has basically <br />laid the groundwork by doing everything right to convince the appropriate folks that Fargo has the appropriate project for a public private partnership. She said the federal government is trying to find a different way of doing things so there is not this kind of lag <br />time. She said 16 years creates a lot of economic uncertainty for any region confronted with the challenges that this area is confronted with. When you are in competition for very <br />scarce resources it is critically important to have unanimous or near unanimous consent <br />about how the project goes forward, so making sure that our partners in Minnesota and upstream are all on board and talking with one voice. If this region is going to get things <br />done they need to be done differently, funded differently and be sure that this area is in