[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6376143,"mediaKeyId","2140539-499675633a19cb19853f44a3a475e120","parentId",2140539,"title","Bismarck seeks state funds to complete South Bismarck flood project after FEMA award","audioSeconds",2323,"startMs",600000,"endMs",2923000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2140539-499675633a19cb19853f44a3a475e120&start=600&end=2923","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2140539-499675633a19cb19853f44a3a475e120/thumbnail_600000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6376143/North-Dakota/Bismarck-seeks-state-funds-to-complete-South-Bismarck-flood-project-after-FEMA-award","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6376143-33610bdc055f9d34a5968cfe4a8f32e8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771155087&Signature=KttDjdO8rGa4GKLi29s1NCDamOfHQhOOmspX4BDH8nKTi1gSzgWHhk9zsq~S4~ZZzGreQ5BBjV9n7PVMj3s2R15RGF9YlWlgn4Ku~~AwjfWWZ2WHFhi5oGIq67A-58VJpQsHgZ6FrzwywMeJC5~IXa1yzc3EBvgAnxUHsiD~rqoXwQmRBfByYdBEtPBXffoujgxnjyo~lo67GfQmV~ngYbwQrGRNKucCZiBdNcFgkaM49s2WqcM6J7z~-f16NK14sozFIrFJu6QLRTbaQtD21Rftn9doBwnqavZHTJVGpWefaFIVlWOpJ6pezIr6hd1vFYE1XlOiFhUmW6WAo5jqEg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","House Appropriations - Education and Environment Division, ND","date","2025-01-22T00:00:00Z","article","Bismarck city officials told the Appropriations - Education and Environment Division on Oct. 20 that they have secured a $50 million FEMA Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) grant for a South Bismarck flood‑mitigation project but still need state and local money to finish construction. Greg Zinker, a Bismarck City commissioner, said the award clears a major hurdle and that city engineers have identified roughly 950 structures newly mapped into the floodplain.

The project aims to bring the city’s South Washington closure structure and associated conveyance up to FEMA standards so the agency will remove those properties from the 1%‑annual‑chance floodplain and eliminate the federal flood‑insurance requirement for qualifying homeowners. “We cleared the FEMA hurdle… and were awarded a grant,” Zinker told the committee, noting the map change has large effects on underserved neighborhoods in South Bismarck.

City engineer Gabe Schell described the technical approach: improve conveyance in the existing South Bismarck drainage ditch, upgrade crossings and the South Washington closure structure, add on‑site pumping capacity, and add a second component that intercepts drainage near Bismarck Expressway and conveys it to a new outfall to the Missouri River. Schell said the combination would lower the mapped 100‑year flood elevations so FEMA would accredit the protection.

Schell provided the committee the project cost estimate used in the FEMA application: $172 million total (construction, engineering, right‑of‑way and mitigation). The current funding package shown to the committee includes $50 million from FEMA, roughly $49 million local cost committed by the city, and a $73 million request to the state’s updated water development plan for the 2025–27 biennium. FEMA’s award is reimbursement‑based and is capped; the city has three years from the award date to spend awarded funds and expects to request extensions if needed.

Schell told lawmakers the city is working with the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services (DES) (the state pass‑through for FEMA) and federal delegations’ offices on discretionary grant letters of support. He described a schedule that keeps final design in 2025–26, a fall 2026 bid target, and multi‑year construction beginning in 2027 and extending into 2028–29 depending on phasing and contractor availability.

Committee members pressed the city on local share and timing. Schell said no final local funding decisions have been made; options discussed include a combination of state grants, local sales tax, special assessments, storm‑water utility contributions or other local revenues. He emphasized the city’s commitment to match FEMA funding and said the certainty of state funding will influence contract‑award timing and public outreach.

City officials also noted non‑insurance benefits in benefit‑cost calculations: in their FEMA application they estimated about $278 million in benefits (including physical and social benefits) and said FEMA requires a benefit‑cost ratio above 1. The city stressed the FEMA certification steps are staged — initial modeling, design approval, construction and post‑construction certification — and that the city coordinated each step with FEMA to avoid construction that FEMA might later reject.

The city asked the committee to consider the state share request in the Office of Management’s water development plan so the project can go out to bid with assurance of funding.

Ending: Bismarck provided a project website and a story map for committee members and the public; officials emphasized urgency because the FEMA grant award carries a three‑year expenditure timeline and because construction inflation and limited contractor capacity could raise costs if the project is delayed.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Appropriations - Education and Environment Division Jan 22, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Bismarck city officials told the Appropriations - Education and Environment Division on Oct. 20 that a $50 million FEMA grant and city contributions leave a funding gap for a South Bismarck flood project that the city says would remove about 950 structures from mandatory federal flood insurance maps.","taxTitle","Appropriations - Education and Environment Division, House of Representatives, Legislative, North Dakota","taxId",28886,"location","North Dakota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6376123,"League of Cities highlights municipal water needs: aging pipes, lead lines and operator shortages",824,8220000,9044000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2140539-499675633a19cb19853f44a3a475e120&start=8220&end=9044","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2140539-499675633a19cb19853f44a3a475e120/thumbnail_8220000.jpg","/articles/6376123/North-Dakota/League-of-Cities-highlights-municipal-water-needs-aging-pipes-lead-lines-and-operator-shortages","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6376123-dfad617056f9ab47e9518282f1c3d84f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771155087&Signature=oiYt~4LW7zXbKT8BIXu9ZYA8thSn-doIEyWOaxsUJWUsg-73XP2io3GV7MabVrRZyV3zbG~C7Z3sr42nKuYKew6mJFyQ94BbCxg3o4GEomUzRGggxjJyc5-MGH0kFWTLZ9E8GLpOwhYn83lDkULomRg9jk6sDI5qcMi6TWOp3HTzKvG57pbMPShQoM7A8vFQlVkA34MKIzcVxxFzpC38Fkm~WNQfD8~Ne39eGTaXtY6QKJyDTMRD9-uBTkiYIk7dRB1VW9SgpwKvuFaxvCnGOzbRJQsjvnIcsl2YW6CJxAlhLw0da-x7QzAFd53h0YC0MNBWYH~PRPtap5pjbsowAw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The North Dakota League of Cities told the Appropriations - Education and Environment Division that municipal water infrastructure across the state faces significant needs, operator shortages and some new federal requirements.

Matt Gardner, executive director of the League of Cities, said municipalities submitted about $368 million in municipal water supply requests to the state water plan. He cited a Department of Water Resources 10‑year needs study that estimates $1.6 billion in water infrastructure needs over 10 years (and $2.6 billion over 20 years) statewide; Gardner noted that many municipal water projects also include street and sewer work because pipes run under roads.

Gardner said an estimated 22,000 lead service lines remain in North Dakota and that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has moved toward a timeline that would require replacement of lead service lines. He said a DEQ priority list includes about 135 projects and that 39 municipal lead‑line replacement requests appear in the Department of Water Resources plan. Gardner cautioned that replacing private‑side service lines raises complexity for communities; he also noted federal tax and benefit implications have been discussed nationally for programs that replace private lines to avoid creating an unexpected taxable benefit for homeowners.

The League highlighted other municipal risks: the state’s water systems use beverage‑grade CO2 for pH control and a single in‑state supplier can require local contingency planning; construction cost escalation and limited contractor pools complicate bids; and certified water‑system operators remain in short supply. Gardner urged support for a municipal water appropriation that helps towns replace aging piping and meet compliance obligations.

Ending: The League offered to work with committee staff to provide additional technical detail, including pipe‑size trends, unit‑cost changes and other data useful for legislative budgeting and program design.","The North Dakota League of Cities told the committee municipal water projects in the state total hundreds of millions of dollars in need; officials cited 39 municipal lead‑line projects on the Department of Water Resources list and said the EPA’s lead‑service replacement timeline and CO2 supply and operator shortages pose near‑term challenges.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6376128,"Rural water leaders ask for $172 million in grants; say carryover and contractor capacity shape timing",1171,6785000,7956000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2140539-499675633a19cb19853f44a3a475e120&start=6785&end=7956","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2140539-499675633a19cb19853f44a3a475e120/thumbnail_6785000.jpg","/articles/6376128/North-Dakota/Rural-water-leaders-ask-for-172-million-in-grants-say-carryover-and-contractor-capacity-shape-timing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6376128-843ef1bd43f61b5b8e35c83498f42ff5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771155087&Signature=g-gSdeFDHPWJYWAuRRcxY9lAxfZo5pf8WDah~QHV1P9Q4o1qbgcjp0qCR-abqedrHgxRoUCKC-BGs7SGvWzvXbRfc8kG1g2LZDMlfSsYD-VbbK5Zvo3QpJqcI9wEImNx0OBH5oc4CFH6KzZJAYFRaVY14E8TepbZzAp8wTAKR2quGRvE8RxT5hjWBRiYHIdVlLaslNVXR~cDfSCueS4QyMZID9XXlznPVHQ4nQ5DooC0ZvO4xsLZ1VngL42YjeFTb8c0GMsXvsg5McQy5W7agwBdi8K5lx6h2RPcUdsBZT96hJITe~~X2gwR~XSAr45Aeos22V0zwcNfPZ~VGsaS0w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","North Dakota Rural Water Executive Director Eric Volk told the Appropriations - Education and Environment Division that the rural and regional systems submitted a prioritized list of water projects totaling about $172 million in potential state grant requests for the next biennium.

Volk summarized the sector: roughly 20 rural water districts, four tribal systems, two state‑owned regional systems and other operators collectively serve about 167,000 rural residents through 71,000 connections and roughly 42,000 miles of pipe, he said. The systems deliver wholesale water in many places and do not have taxing authority; operating and maintenance costs fall on customers and on system revenues.

Volk said the industry originally assembled a longer list (about $269 million) and then worked with systems to prioritize projects that could reasonably move in the next biennium; the resulting prioritized construction and grant need is about $172 million. He told the committee that roughly $52 million of rural water project requests were funded in the current cycle (including allocations and some carryover) and that about $10 million of carryover came from the federal fiscal‑recovery allocation that lawmakers previously set aside for water projects.

Volk said systems face the same contractor‑market and bidding constraints discussed elsewhere in the hearing — some projects must be given extra time for bidding and contractor availability — and that the commission will make allocation decisions in February on pending requests. He pointed to a set of ongoing projects and said he tracks obligations and estimated completion dates with Department of Water Resources staff; many projects anticipate construction seasons in 2025 and 2026.

Ending: Volk offered to provide the committee additional trend data, including typical pipe sizes, cost changes and other items that would help lawmakers understand rural delivery costs and contracting challenges.","North Dakota rural water representatives told the committee a prioritized list seeks about $172 million in state grants to leverage federal money and loans; they reported $52 million already funded, roughly $10 million carried over from ARPA/Fiscal Recovery sources, and a remaining near‑term shortfall of roughly $28 million on pending projects.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6376133,"Valley City asks state for $16 million for Phase 7 of local flood protections",459,6311000,6770000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2140539-499675633a19cb19853f44a3a475e120&start=6311&end=6770","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2140539-499675633a19cb19853f44a3a475e120/thumbnail_6311000.jpg","/articles/6376133/North-Dakota/Valley-City-asks-state-for-16-million-for-Phase-7-of-local-flood-protections","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6376133-792f6db9b5f73295d7d0126aac7db931/orig.mp4?Expires=1771155087&Signature=mBhVUuixEgDACkt~936VpwbDC5hixBIsESkQAsN5tk6Wct7mhiFN6cc-v2C7PZWhIknPiWkwKQdFbcy2XcLmLcAU0Vr-DpsMLhubCxCPNhLiVpNjbmOQXl56lh4ZQMYpVfiqajIrOJ-ujBvRVPQ78~8kyzj~m9ruNLx7mG2x48wm17JW9NWigQVMVmypLWf0tL4yESHM801zCvoeSfwNPZ75~lhBft1yECoOlMIlsUxZZq01S2MfkLzDq5NyGf-4UgI0yAsPLHuSjB7jarqiCVjIA2nyyTEuelvMYyMsMueL61Xd7X-84oSEvdAvSeHzceDW6nZrLiECGIE~twJTZg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Valley City Mayor and city staff told the Appropriations - Education and Environment Division that Phase 7 of the city’s multi‑phase flood protection program is ready for design and construction planning and the city is requesting $16 million in state support.

Gwen Crawford, Valley City administrator, and commission president Dave Karlsruhe told the committee the city’s work to date reduced the need for more than 380,000 sandbags and saved the city more than $5 million in local resources across earlier flood events. Crawford summarized Phase 7 as a combination of concrete and removable flood walls, clay levees and storm‑water pump stations that will protect additional residential neighborhoods and tie into high ground near the railroad.

Valley City said phases 4–6 are in planning or near‑term bidding (phase 4 planned for 2025 bidding; phases 5 and 6 planned for 2026) and that Phase 7 will continue protection north past the hospital and will cover schools, the master lift station and other city assets. The city asked the committee to support the requested $16 million so the work can move forward in the next biennium and tied the request to demonstrated savings from earlier work.

Ending: City officials invited legislators and staff to visit the project site, noting that an on‑site tour helps convey the scope and benefits of completed and planned phases.","Valley City officials told the committee Phase 7 would extend protection north of the hospital, protect critical infrastructure and residential areas, and requested $16 million to carry that phase forward after earlier phases saved the city substantial sandbagging costs.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6376138,"Service River Joint Board outlines scope and inflation pressures for Minot flood project",2152,3006000,5158000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2140539-499675633a19cb19853f44a3a475e120&start=3006&end=5158","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2140539-499675633a19cb19853f44a3a475e120/thumbnail_3006000.jpg","/articles/6376138/North-Dakota/Service-River-Joint-Board-outlines-scope-and-inflation-pressures-for-Minot-flood-project","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6376138-dca19f6e894ffbbf2a67b1b49d6f781c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771155087&Signature=UuheO95VeOOPO026GepeRgP7IF080odhWfqwMokPe9SIz74h9OW3Cw0MA9bUQMLOn3ZVr6rZQZiI1RwpJanYdDMTZ59nHu7D2tELYvH3B9li-VdzScqMDajjQbsqs9jTRnLGFq~~Wwp8oMZBgINXpEz8ZuC-N3zF1cdZkYhPi4f~A6vUWQo1fy1xSJ23~8ZV4apwLJxR~3Cn9Ehh1yLoFV~eJQbgczzeT8sagSUt59Xs-PsEL-z1zIssNgGHpjasA1CGg3FhTErlv9Y-DlwTnU3nC2RfQ6Xl6STpfsvHxyl1fjdli9AtcWyBDksKsMLuOk34jsvty86ltQRYvptt1w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Officials with the Service River Joint Board (the Minot basin flood authority) updated the Appropriations - Education and Environment Division on the Maas/Moos River (Minot basin) flood control program and warned of sharp construction‑cost escalation and thin bidder pools that threaten project timelines.

David Ashley, chairman of the Service River Joint Board, reminded the committee of the scale and history of the program: “This summer will mark 14 years since the 2011 flood devastated our region,” he said, and added the joint board coordinates work among four counties, the City of Minot, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and federal partners. Ashley told the committee the joint board has received significant earlier legislative support and the group has advanced multiple construction milestones.

Ashley and other presenters told lawmakers the joint board had $76.1 million allocated in the current biennium: about $63.35 million for joint‑board construction, engineering and acquisitions outside Minot and $9.7 million for acquisitions inside the City of Minot. Construction of some phases (MI6, MI7) is partly under way and another component (MI4) is funded with Corps of Engineers money but awaits project actions; when the full set of milestones is complete the board projects removing roughly 60% of valley residents from the FEMA regulatory floodplain.

The board presented recent bid results showing much higher prices than earlier estimates — the lowest recent bids for several phases were 40–50% higher than comparable 2022 bids. The presentation flagged large increases in concrete and pump‑station pricing, and noted multiple bid rounds for some items produced no bidders for required bridges. Ashley said the joint board has re‑packaged contracts and rebid packages to attract bidders, with limited success, and is re‑evaluating program scope and phasing to reduce cost exposure.

Committee members asked about funding scenarios to avoid a protracted schedule. Ashley said one scenario assumed continued biennial funding at $76.1 million, which would stretch the program out into the 2040s and add substantial inflationary cost. A more aggressive scenario would provide larger state appropriations up front (examples discussed to illustrate tradeoffs) so the project could be bonded and accelerated; board staff offered to run bond‑and‑cash scenarios for the legislature to show costs and schedule tradeoffs. Ryan Ackerman, joint‑board financial administrator, confirmed staff could model 2‑, 3‑ and 5‑year bond scenarios and provide rough savings estimates.

Ashley said some phases could begin construction in 2026 and that partial completion of milestones could be possible in the late 2020s, but that full program completion depends on funding and contractor availability. He defended the program’s design standard (flood of record, a 20,774 cubic feet per second design noted in testimony), saying the U.S. Army Corps and joint board judged the flood‑of‑record design the best way to protect urban areas and to enable basin‑level operational management.

Ending: The joint board asked the committee to weigh more aggressive up‑front funding to limit the multi‑decade effects of inflation and contractor scarcity; staff committed to return with financial models showing the savings and schedule speed‑ups from possible bonding or larger appropriations.","Service River Joint Board leaders told the committee significant construction‑cost increases and limited contractor interest have pushed bid prices 40–50% above 2022 estimates; the board said $76.1 million was previously allocated but that rising costs could extend completion by more than a decade without additional funding.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Bismarck seeks state funds to complete South Bismarck flood project after FEMA award

League of Cities highlights municipal water needs: aging pipes, lead lines and operator shortages

Rural water leaders ask for $172 million in grants; say carryover and contractor capacity shape timing

Valley City asks state for $16 million for Phase 7 of local flood protections

Service River Joint Board outlines scope and inflation pressures for Minot flood project