10-08-2015 - Laserfiche WebLink

the strongest competitive position for those appropriations, she said. That is a challenge and has been from the beginning, she said; however, she feels that it is something that North Dakota, Minnesota and the region can overcome because they always have. The economic viability of the region depends on this project, she said. Minnesota State Congressman Collin Peterson said Minnesota understands Fargo’s need for flood protection and he would like to work together to accomplish that; however, there is a need to find a way to work with the DNR and the Upstream Coalition. North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple said he would want to say thank you to the top ranking people from the Corps. He said he believes that the Fargo Moorhead area is still vulnerable to a major flood event and need to stay focused on that fact. He said he would like to give as much credit as possible to the Diversion Authority and to the cities for their perseverance and determination to continue to solve this problem on behalf of its citizens. In any project this size, he said, there are huge obstacles but the way this group has continued to persevere on this, use creativity, and now with the P3 approach, have proven they are not going to be deterred from getting this project underway. Lieutenant General Thomas Bostick said it is not understood how difficult it was to get the water bill passed. He said the American leadership and government have said they are committed to helping our Nation work on the infrastructure which includes projects like the Diversion. He said he feels that there is a commitment from the federal government that this needs to be done. He said he has studied this project and is aware the project; however, there is nothing like coming to see the people that are involved with the project. He said in his view there is not a question of whether we do a public/private partnership or not, and he feels that it has to be done, but rather a question of when and which one. Finding a way to think creatively about how to fund these projects is very important, he said, and the Corps has hired people that wake up every day and their number one mission is to think about public/private partnerships and move them forward. He said the Corps has some of the best in the business working on this project and are passionate in making this happen. Having the team work together as much as possible at the local, regional and state levels really helps at the national level to work on moving forward, he said, and he is committed to working on this. He said this project is an investment in our people and public safety and is an investment for the future. He said the flood fighting that is a part of the nature of the people here is nothing he has ever seen before and could be a model for the nation. 3. PRESENTATION – APRIL WALKER, FARGO CITY ENGINEER Fargo City Engineer April Walker presented a short video from the flood of 2009. She said in 2009 leading up to the flood peak, the City of Fargo built 69 miles of emergency measures in a period of about eight days. The City, she said, held back the river using earth, sandbags and rapid deploy products not because the City had previous experience using them but because the City was desperate and needing to get something between the City and the river as it was rising. When in the midst of a flood fight, the biggest unknowns are how many volunteers are going to turn out to assist the City, she said, due to the fact that the City is completely dependent upon that resource. She said from past experience, for every 100 sandbags there is a need for one volunteer. She said the City may be able to get by if these were rare events, unfortunately they are reoccurring and thus the need for a permanent solution.