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Flood Updates

Flood-related contact information

  • City Info. Site:www.minotrecoveryinfo.com
  • Flood hotline: 858-9366
  • Red Cross (local): 852-2828
  • Minot Central Dispatch: 852-0111
  • First District Health Unit: 852-1376
  • Souris Valley Humane Society: 852-6133
  • Road conditions (from N.D.): 511
  • N.D. State Hotline for Home Damage: 1-877-212-0316
  • FEMA assistance registration: 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 800-462-7585

November 5, 2012

Answering questions
Many questions have been asked regarding the aspects of flood recovery. The Minot Recovery Information website has answers to questions regarding property acquisitions or frequently asked questions at general flood related concerns. To submit a flood-recovery question, go to the Contact Us section and send an email.


October 31, 2012

Hope Village looking for local volunteers
At Hope Village, the number of out-of-state volunteers is dropping along with the temperature. But the organization continues to hear from flood-impacted individuals needing help. Hope Village officials are hoping that local people will donate their time this winter. www.kxnet.com/story/19958905/hope-village-looking-for-local-volunteers


October 8, 2012

Dalrymple announces an additional $4.5 million in State Flood Recovery Grants
The following news release was sent out by the North Dakota Governor's Office on October 5, 2012.

BISMARCK, N.D. - Gov. Jack Dalrymple today announced that the state has awarded more than $4.5 million in flood recovery grants. The North Dakota Department of Emergency Services (NDDES) will provide about $4.4 million to Ward County and the cities of Minot and Burlington. Benson County will receive a flood-recovery grant of nearly $70,000.

"These funds are part of the state's commitment to help Minot, Ward County and other areas of our state recover from major flood events," Dalrymple said. "We will continue to work with local leaders and residents in on-going flood recovery efforts and to provide long-term flood protection."

Grant funds provided to Ward County and the cities of Minot and Burlington will be used to help cover the costs of demolishing unsafe housing lost to 2011 flooding. The residential lots will then be made available for the development of low-income and moderate-income housing projects. Benson County officials will use its grant funds to help families of low income and moderate income relocate homes; for home repairs and to replace damaged septic systems.

Last year, the Legislature authorized the Housing Rehabilitation and Citizen Retention Grant program and appropriated $10 million to help North Dakota homeowners cover the costs of repairing and relocating flood-damaged homes. The funds may also be used for home demolition projects.


September 28, 2012

Elderly and people with disabilities to be first priority in Minot’s CDBG-DR housing programs
The City of Minot's programs to rehab or reconstruct flood-damaged properties will focus first on the elderly and people with disabilities who currently live in a FEMA temporary housing unit.

Residents who are eligible for these Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery programs in Minot are receiving fliers indicating how they can start applying for the program. The Minot Disaster Recovery Services office in Arrowhead Mall will be administering the programs, and interested applicants can call (701)837-5813 or drop by their suite for more information and an application form. www.minotrecoveryinfo.com/news/detail.asp?newsID=237


September 11, 2012

Ward County ready to buy homes
Dozens of Ward County homeowners waiting to complete their home buyouts should soon be done waiting. The Ward County Commission held a special meeting yesterday (Sept. 10) to finalize the request for state funds for the buyouts. That means the first round of buyouts, about 36 homes, could be paid out by the month's end.
www.kxnet.com/story/19507713/ward-county-ready-to-buy-homes


August 9, 2012

Three new Frequently Asked Questions lists online
The FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section of the Minot Recovery Website has been updated and expanded. The new information reflects the fact that the commonly-asked questions regarding recovery/rebuilding have changed since the days immediately following the flood.

The FAQ list now has information specifically for the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funding, the Voluntary Property Acquisition current process and general questions surrounding flood recovery.

For example, the FAQs cover questions such as, "When is the City going to start buying out homes in the valley?", "Does the City have a list of qualified contractors that can work on my property?", and "What is currently being done by the Corps of Engineers to help the City?"

If you have any concerns related to the ongoing process of rebuilding and recovery in the City of Minot, please use these FAQ lists as a resource to get answers to your questions. If you have yet-to-be-answered questions, the website has a "Contact Us" section where anyone can log in and send the City of Minot your question or concern.


July 12, 2012

New resource section for CDBG-DR information
In mid-July 2012, the Minot City Council approved the City's Action Plan for use of more than $67.5 million in Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding. These dollars come from the federal government's Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Action Plan has now been passed on to HUD for their review and approval.

The City of Minot's CDBG-DR Action Plan details projects for rehabilitation, reconstruction or acquisition of homeowner properties, as well as provide assistance for rental units and improve flooded infrastructure.

A new section on the Minot Recovery Information website is now available to view information and details related to the CDBG-DR Action Plan and other associated documents. Go to www.minotrecoveryinfo.com/resources/community-development-block-grant-information for the latest information.


July 12, 2012

Final draft of CDBG-DR Action Plan available online
The Minot City Council this afternoon (July 12 at 4:15 p.m.) will review a final draft of the proposed Action Plan for use of more than $67.5 million in federal funds that lays out project details for rehabilitation, reconstruction or acquisition of homeowner properties, as well as provide assistance for rental units and improve flooded infrastructure. The City of Minot Action Plan for Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds can be viewed online at www.minotrecoveryinfo.com.

The City needs to submit the Action Plan to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by no later than July 23. HUD will have up to 45 days to review the plan.


June 18, 2012

Hoeven pushes Corps to move forward on Flood Protection Details for Minot region

Washington, D.C. - Senator John Hoeven today (June 13, 2012) met with Col. Michael Price, Commander of the Army Corps of Engineers St. Paul District, to push the agency to coordinate with state and local officials as rapidly as possible to finalize a comprehensive flood protection plan for the city of Minot and the surrounding region.

The plan would consist of three elements: enhanced flood protection, including dikes and levees; adjustment of target flows from Canada; and increased storage capacity in Souris River reservoirs during potential flood events.

Col. Price said the Corps' modeling indicated that a combination of the three elements could provide additional flood protection. By increasing capacity in dams and adjusting upstream flows, the Corps can help limit peak water levels through the basin during periods of heavy rainfall or heavy winter runoff. Strategically raising levees could provide further protection in key areas through the city and region.

"We asked Col. Price to report back to us on their progress in improving the way the river could be managed to provide enhanced flood protection for the Minot area," Hoeven said. "They now need to coordinate efforts with the city and the state to make sure the elements are all working together."

Corps officials will present these findings to the International Joint Board on Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. at the Grand International Inn in Minot.

(Press Release provided by North Dakota Senator John Hoeven's Office


June 12, 2012

Minot to remember record-breaking flood by reopening Oak Park on first anniversary
The reopening of the area's largest park will take center stage on June 22, 2012, as part of the community's commemorative event to mark the first anniversary of the 2011 Mouse River flood. The public is invited to the "Weekend of Hope: Return to Oak Park" events designed to recognize efforts made in the past year to help Minot and the region recover from a record-breaking flood.

"It is truly impossible to recognize everyone that has helped us in our efforts to recover. So what we want to do is invite all residents, and everyone who has extended a helping hand to come out to Oak Park that weekend and appropriately remember how far we have come as a community in the past year," said Curt Zimbelman, Mayor of Minot. "And since we still have a long way to go, we will rededicate ourselves to do whatever it takes to continue restoring the hope needed for our city and valley to rebuild from the 2011 flood."

The flood displaced more than 11,000 people, severely damaged more than 4,000 homes and caused more than $1 billion in destruction.

The Commemorative Event is from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on Friday, June 22, in Oak Park. Mayor Curt Zimbelman will be joined by representatives from the Minot Park District, the Minot Area Community Foundation and others representing the state and region. The program is scheduled to include a ribbon cutting, brief remarks from invited guests and a moment of silence.

Oak Park is the largest park in Minot, at 90 acres. It lies in the center of Minot and was purchased by the Park District 100 years ago this summer. Over the years, the Park has hosted numerous community band concerts, art festivals, the Farmer's Market and other family-oriented events. Last year, dedicated individuals voted Oak Park as "America's Favorite Park" through a Coca-Cola online competition and earned a $100,000 recreation grant. Volunteer efforts in recent months from various organizations, including North Dakota Electrical Cooperatives, the Burdick Job Corps, the Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch, local high schools and many others, have assisted greatly in restoring Oak Park to its pre-flood beauty.

The weekend will also include family-oriented fun from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 23rd, with free lunch for the first 2,000 people, games and bouncy houses for the children. For a complete look at the events taking place for the Weekend of Hope, go to www.minotrecoveryinfo.com or www.centerforcommunitygiving.com.

June 4, 2012

Magic Fund helping Minot with flood projects
Minot has brought in some serious cash to clean up the mess left behind from last year's flood. The sales-tax-funded "MAGIC Fund" is contributing nearly $3 million to complete funding for the 55th Street overpass project. Magic Fund members voted unanimously to pitch in the extra $2.7 million. That's in addition to the $20 million dollars of federal, state, and local funding.

"There's a funding gap from the amount we received from federal grant and state funds, to what the project bid cost was. We knew going into this project there was going to be a shortfall," said Lance Meyer, city engineer.


May 16, 2012

NDDOT moving forward on repairs to Minot flooded street lights along federal-aid roads
The repair of 200 street lights in Minot damaged by the 2011 Mouse River flood will start this summer, cost just over $180,000 and is scheduled to be finished by fall 2012.

The North Dakota Department of Transportation in partnership with the City of Minot is responsible for the lighting system restoration project as the damaged lights are along federal-aid roads and could not be repaired using FEMA funds. The City of Minot must follow state and federal highway procedures and standards.

"Having these changes done the way we did was the prudent step to take," said Lance Meyer, city engineer for the City of Minot. "These street lights are all located on major roads in the valley that require the City to follow a different set of rules in making repairs."

The lighting system restoration project will require crews to repair 21 different feed points throughout the City of Minot and will repair lights along portions of the following roads:

- Burdick Expressway
- 6th Street/8th Street West
- University Avenue
- 4th Avenue North/Railway Avenue
- 3rd Street East
- 16th Street West
- 2nd Avenue Southwest
- 27th Street Southeast
- 8th Avenue Southeast

The repairs will be paid for by emergency relief Federal Highway Administration funds, at 66% of the cost, with the City picking up the remaining cost. The City plans to pay for its portion through sales tax major projects. As the intersection signals are on federal-aid routes, none of the repairs are eligible for FEMA reimbursement.

The NDDOT has identified Strata Corporation, with a regional office in Minot, as the apparent low bidder on the project.

For more background information on the repair of street lights and intersection signals related to flood recovery click on the Progress section of the Minot Recovery Information website, www.minotrecoveryinfo.com/progress.


May 16, 2012

Adopt a neighborhood
The Minot Area Community Foundation is kicking off the "Adopt a Neighborhood" program, facilitating a way for volunteer groups, businesses or nonprofit organizations to meet neighborhood leads within the flood zone that could use help. In April, a class of Minot State University Honors Program students organized a cleanup and block party for residents in the hard-hit neighborhood north of Third Ave NW. These students, along with the Minot Area Community Foundation, would like to share their story and "set you up" to "Adopt a Neighborhood" that needs help.

Please join us this Thursday (May 17), in the Conference Center, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. for a brief presentation and a chance to meet neighborhood leaders who can use the help of volunteers. If you can't make the meeting but are still interested, please contact Kristi Berg with the Minot Area Community Foundation at 852-1840 or kristi@minotrecovery.com. We hope to see you there as we rebuild the Magic City, one house at a time, one neighborhood at a time.


May 8, 2012

Flood debris removal options for Minot residents
Minot earned an extension on a FEMA-approved contract to continue flood debris removal for residents. City leaders are planning to have two more rounds of debris pickup, one after Memorial Day (May 28) and then a final pick up the week of July 2.

Residents are reminded that in order for debris to be properly removed they should place it within 10 feet of the street or between the street and the sidewalk. Debris should be separated by metal, wood, etc. if possible. White goods (household appliances such as refrigerators, air conditioners and stoves) and any household hazardous waste should be separated from other flood debris.

Only debris from gutting a residential flood-damaged property may be placed on the curb. Dan Jonasson, Minot public works director, said if there is any new construction waste on the pile FEMA will not allow this debris to be picked up under the contract. This debris removal is not for trees, construction debris or any other non-flood debris. Business or commercial property are not eligible and must make arrangements to have their debris hauled out or obtain roll-off containers. For more information, contact the Public Works Department at 857-4140.


May 8, 2012

Minot: A year after the flood
Residents and businesses are in full recovery mode and the community’s economy continues to rebound. James Ondracek, professor of business administration, collaborated on a professional survey to determine community members’ needs. www.prairiebizmag.com/event/article/id/12655/

Minot agrees on CDBG consultant and hands in hazard mitigation requests
The Minot City Council took important steps last night (May 7) in the continued process of flood recovery.

To assist Minot in appropriately administering the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds, the City Council agreed to hire CDM Smith, a disaster management team with offices in Minneapolis and across the United States. This consultant will work with the city to assess community impacts and unmet needs to guide the development and prioritization of an Action Plan for the $67.5 million in CDBG-DR funds.

The City Council reviewed and approved a Citizen Participation Plan that outlines how residents can participate in the process of developing the Action Plan.

Also on the agenda for City Council approval was a 123-page report titled "City of Minot Long Term Recovery Framework with an Emphasis on Mitigation." This document identifies short-term, mid-term and long-term goal areas and projects that Minot wishes to achieve in order to reduce or limit the effects of future disasters. This framework will assist Minot in efforts to secure important hazard mitigation funding from the federal government.

Additional flood recovery staff positions were approved by the City Council and will be non-civil service positions, not to exceed two years. At this time, the city has identified the need for two project engineers, an assistant city planner, a disaster recovery grant reporting clerk, an assistant finance director, an invoice clerk, an internal auditor as well as additional staffing in the City Attorney's office and inspectors as needed. These positions will help administer the CDBG-DR funds.

The Citizen Participation Plan and "City of Minot Long Term Recovery Framework with an Emphasis on Mitigation" are online at www.minotrecoveryinfo.com/resources.


May 2, 2012

Hope Village holds ribbon cutting this weekend
The greater Minot community is invited to participate in the official ribbon cutting for Hope Village this weekend as well as raise money for flood recovery by enjoying "BBQ and Bluegrass."

The Hope Village board of directors will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday (May 12) from 3 to 4 p.m. The event will be held at Hope Village, located on the grounds of the Our Savior Lutheran Church in southwest Minot. Tours of the Village will be available. www.minotrecoveryinfo.com/news/detail.asp?newsID=211


May 2, 2012

Summer of Hope
The summer of 2012 has been named the Summer of Hope as the Souris Valley rebuilds and recovers from the devastating floods of 2011. As communities come together and welcome volunteers from all over the nation, residents look to the future with a sense of hope, anticipation and a new found strength.

For questions, contact 852-0646 or tawnya@centerforcommunitygiving.com.


April 23, 2012

City working to formulate Action Plan for use of CDBG-DR funds
The U.S. government recently published in the Federal Register the official requirements, guidelines and allocations for the City of Minot's Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds. With this publication the City of Minot has 90 days to formulate and approve an Action Plan for the roughly $67.5 million in 2012 CDBG-DR funds.

"We've been taking all the necessary steps in the three months since CDBG-DR dollars were first announced, but this publication of the Federal Register gives us the official and final ruling on guidelines for use of these funds," said Cindy Hemphill, City of Minot finance director. "We are just a few days away from putting our Citizen Participation Plan before the City Council and we expect to be hiring a consulting firm soon that will handle much of the administrative services associated with these dollars."

According to the Federal Register, before the City of Minot can use these funds they have to submit a plan detailing their proposed use including the criteria for eligibility and how particular activities will address long-term recovery. This constitutes an Action Plan. The Housing and Urban Development Department, the federal government agency overseeing the funds, expects the City of Minot "to conduct an assessment of community impacts and unmet needs to guide the development and prioritization of planned recovery activities."

To assist Minot in an appropriate assessment the City Council approved staff bid out requests for proposals for administrative services and project delivery services associated with the CDBG-DR funds. Staff expects to bring a recommendation to a City committee next week for hiring one of the firms that submitted a proposal for services.

As well, next week a City committee will be able to review a Citizen Participation Plan that outlines how residents can participate in the process of developing the Action Plan. One expected component of the plan includes the City of Minot posting its Action Plan for disaster recovery on the official City website for at least seven days for public comment.

The City has no more than 90 days to respond to all public comments and submit its Action Plan to HUD. At this point HUD has no more than 45 days to expedite its review of the Action Plan and return it to the City before Minot can access any of the $67.5 million CDBG-DR funds.

HUD recognizes that the Action Plan and the needs assessment "may be considered as a living document" and will be periodically updated over time based on the recovery needs that remain as funds are being spent.

"I think it is important to note that HUD has intentionally designed these funds to be flexible and not limited to just returning our City to pre-disaster conditions," said Hemphill. "In the Federal Register is states the 'grantees are encouraged to undertake activities in such a way that not only addresses the disaster-related impacts, but leaves communities better positioned to meet the needs of their post-disaster populations and prospects for growth.' We are hoping to be able to use these funds to have the greatest overall impact for the recovery and development of our City."

A key stipulation in the requirements and use of CDBG-DR funds is that at least 50 percent of the entire award must be used for activities that benefit low- and moderate-income persons.

HUD did agree to grant Minot's waiver request to allow reimbursement for pre-agreement costs. This means that part of the Action Plan could include the City being reimbursed for flood recovery activities that happened after the flood, but prior to HUD's acceptance of the Action Plan.

The federal duplication of benefits rule applies for use of the CDBG-DR funds. Prior to receiving financial assistance for a disaster related loss, other benefits will need to be taken into consideration when determining any unmet needs. To comply with this law, the City of Minot will need to show that those individuals or businesses receiving assistance from CDBG-DR have "a disaster recovery need that has not been fully met."

To view the 17-page Federal Register document that explains the allocations, waivers and alternative requirements for CDBG-DR grantees, go to the Resources section of the Minot Recovery Information website, www.minotrecoveryinfo.com/resources.


April 20, 2012

Cleanup Efforts Underway
A number of groups are doing their part to assist in the many cleanup efforts taking place across the Magic City in 2012. From the annual Chamber Project CLEAN and regular street sweeping to Rebuilding Neighborhoods and tips for post-flood personal lawn care. We have information on all these items and more as we work together to keep our City, both the parts flooded and the parts not flooded as clean as possible.

Go to the Progress tab of the Minot Recovery website for the complete details.

And to the many volunteers who care about this City and are giving their time and energy to cleanup, thanks for all you do!


April 12, 2012

Contractor Lists within the City of Minot
The City of Minot requires certain fields of construction expertise to register for a license with the City prior to being able to do work within City limits. These include contractors that work in cement/excavating, electrical, heating/gas and plumbing. The list of these contractors is constantly fluctuating depending on who is currently carrying a license with the City. You can find separate lists of those companies that have signed up, as of early April 2012, by visiting the Minot Recovery Information website. The lists are in random order and include phone numbers that were provided to the city by the company.

These lists are intended as a resource item for anyone interested in rebuilding their flooded home and are not an endorsement of their potential performance from the City. Residents are encouraged to "do their homework" when it comes to finding a contractor that they feel comfortable allowing to work in their home.

You can see these separate lists by visiting the Progress tab under the Minot Recovery Information website, www.minotrecoveryinfo.com/progress.


April 11, 2012

Minot City Council to discuss adopting an enhanced flood protection plan
The Mayor of Minot is recommending that the City Council adopt an enhanced flood protection plan at a special session of the City Council on Thursday, April 12 at 4:15 p.m. at City Hall. Curt Zimbelman, Mayor of Minot, said he hopes the City Council adopts the enhanced flood protection plan as presented by the engineering team in March, and pushes the plan forward in phases to allow for flexibility.

"In my judgment, after speaking with state leaders as well as our congressional delegation, I think it would be wise to ask the engineers to design the flow protection between 10,000 to 15,000 cubic-feet-per-second levels using the footprint identified in the 27,400 cfs project," said Zimbelman.

Zimbelman says a future enhanced flood protection plan that reaches between 10,000 cfs and 15,000 cfs (flows similar to the second- and third-highest Mouse River water flows on record) should also be engineered to allow the City to protect to levels higher than that should an emergency similar to last year arise. The Mayor is also recommending that the City Council consider having permanent structures, such as flood walls and closures that cannot be easily raised during a higher-flow event, designed to a higher level of protection. Having a phased plan that allows for maximum flexibility also gives the City of Minot more options.

"This would allow everyone involved to move forward in our recovery process, build a flood control project with more protection than the City currently has, allow us time to continue water management discussion with the Canadians, and give us time to evaluate whether changes at Lake Darling would be beneficial," said Zimbelman.

The Mayor's recommendation also asks for the overall plan to be scaled back and reduced in cost. Part of the Mayor's recommendation to the City Council includes a request to the North Dakota State Water Commission to have the engineering firms of Barr and Ackerman-Estvold provide the additional engineering services needed to get the project to the desired water-flow level.

For more information on flood recovery efforts within the City of Minot, log on to the Minot Recovery Information website, www.minotrecoveryinfo.com.

Deadline to submit a RAFT application is Sunday
Sunday (April 15) has been set as the deadline to submit a Resource Agencies Flood Team application. No applications will be accepted after that date.

Each RAFT applicant works with a case manager to learn about pertinent services and resources and to develop a recovery plan. If there are unmet needs, the case manager presents individual cases to an unmet needs committee or may access donations collected by the Souris River Basin Long-term Recovery Committee.

Recovery from disaster is difficult and complicated. A case manager can guide flood survivors on this journey. RAFT is a cooperative effort of faith-based and community-based agencies to assist flood-impacted individuals as they recover.

RAFT welcomes flood survivors to apply for its services up to that April 15 deadline. There is no cost to the applicant. RAFT application may be downloaded as a pdf from the following website, www.svunitedway.com.

Copies of the RAFT Application can be picked up at the following locations:

While enlisting a case manager is not required, having one is a great way to move along the road to recovery. Case managers help disaster survivors help themselves and access resources for which they may be eligible. A case manager will advocate for flood survivors, provide necessary information, and help them avoid pitfalls and complications. A case manager often has the most updated information regarding resources available.

Once a completed application has been received, a case manager will be assigned to a flood survivor, and they will be contacted. RAFT has been a successful ecumenical partnership in long-term disaster case management in North Dakota since 1997 and has assisted in many ND disasters since that time.


April 2, 2012

City of Minot sends out 108 voluntary property acquisition offers
Over the next couple of days 108 homeowners in the flood zone should receive a letter from Swanson & Warcup on behalf of the City of Minot offering to buy their property on a voluntary acquisition basis. The offers for voluntary acquisition are for those properties identified by the City as ones they would like to purchase at this time regardless of permanent flood protection plan decisions. The acquisition of these homes would provide flood mitigation benefit and would provide access and open space for emergency flood protection. Additional properties may be identified for acquisition in the future.

"The offers are intended to be equal to the pre-flood market value of the property and are based upon 115 percent of the pre-flood assessed values," said David Waind, Minot city manager. "If the homeowner chooses to accept this offer, we will move through the proper environmental studies, title issues and fund distribution as quickly as possible. But since each property is a unique situation, it is impossible to accurately project potential closing dates for these voluntary acquisitions."

Any properties acquired will be on a willing-seller/willing-buyer basis and owners are not obligated to sell their property under this program. Of the original list sent a letter to gauge interest in a voluntary property acquisition, a handful had indicated they were not interested; these individuals will not receive an offer from the City of Minot.

These acquisitions will be funded, in part, from funds made available by the North Dakota State Water Commission. It is anticipated that the city will use the majority of the approved level of $23.67 million to purchase these homes.

The City of Minot will follow the Program for Voluntary Acquisition of Real Estate previously adopted by the Minot City Council. Since the program is based on a willing-seller/willing-buyer basis, if either the City of Minot becomes not interested in acquiring the property or the homeowner is not interested in selling, then either side can back out at any time prior to the closing.

For a complete list of those properties that should expect a voluntary property acquisition offer from the City of Minot, visit the resource tab of the Minot Recovery Information website, www.minotrecoveryinfo.com/resources.


April 2, 2012

New Section for Souris Valley Long Term Recovery
A new section has been added to the Minot Recovery Information website, under the Progress tab. The information will relate to the many varied efforts of the Souris Valley Long Term Recovery Committee.

www.minotrecoveryinfo.com/progress/souris-valley-long-term-recovery

The following explanation is included in this section of the website which also includes information related to a $3.5 million grant that will help homeowners rebuild a portion of their flood-impacted property.

"With the goal to "Recover the Magic!" one team of dedicated volunteers is doing all they can to assist in long term recovery efforts as a result of the 2011 Mouse River flood.

The Souris Valley Long Term Recovery Committee was established to address unmet needs that remain after FEMA, insurance, SBA, and non-profit agencies have been utilized. The committee is comprised of community leaders, non-profit agencies, and faith-based organizations.

In conjunction with the City of Minot, Ward County, and National Disaster Relief Agencies, (Faith-based and Government Sponsored), and in cooperation with the Souris Valley United Way, the LTR Committee works with case managers who assess and manage each case individually in order to maximize the efforts of all.

The mission of the Souris Valley Long Term Recovery Committee is to provide physical, emotional, and spiritual resources to provide for the unmet needs of those most vulnerable who were affected by the 2011 Mouse River flood."

2011 Post-Flood Report from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released at the end of March 2012 their "2011 Post-Flood Report for the Souris River Basin." According to the report this "documents the 2011 flood event in the Souris River basin and the flood operation of the Souris Basin Project under the 1989 International 'Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of the United States for Water Supply and Flood Control in the Souris River Basin'." The report also includes background information, flood meteorology and hydrology, impacts of the flood and lessons learned as well as recommendations from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The complete report can be accessed by clicking on the link at the main page of the Minot Recovery Information website, www.minotrecoveryinfo.com.


March 27, 2012

NDDOT moving forward on permanent repairs to 10 Minot flooded intersection signals
The permanent repair of 10 intersection signals in Minot damaged by the 2011 Mouse River flood will start this spring, cost just over $350,000 and is scheduled to be finished by fall 2012.

The North Dakota Department of Transportation in partnership with the City of Minot is responsible for the traffic signal replacement project as the damaged signals are along federal-aid roads and could not be permanently fixed using FEMA funds. The City of Minot must follow state and federal highway procedures and standards.

"Having these changes done the way we did was the prudent step to take," said Lance Meyer, city engineer for the City of Minot. "These are all located on major roads in the valley that require the City to follow a different set of rules in making permanent repairs."

Last summer the City was allowed to make temporary repairs to a number of these intersections; turning some into four-way stops (with stop signs), putting others on temporary four-way red flashing lights and covering others with temporarily-out-of-service signs.

The signal replacement project will take place at the following intersections:

The repairs will be paid for by emergency relief Federal Highway Administration funds, at 66% of the cost, with the City picking up the remaining cost. The City plans to pay for its portion through sales tax capital infrastructure highway reserves. As the intersection signals are on federal-aid routes, none of the repairs are eligible for FEMA reimbursement.

The NDDOT has identified Main Electric of Minot as the apparent low bidder on the project. The rules of the contract state that Main Electric will be allowed to work at all sites simultaneously but will be required to limit partial road closures to a maximum of three sites at a time. Two-way traffic at these intersections will be maintained at all times.

The project will also include repairing five pedestrian crossing signals and one flashing light signal in the flood zone.

Construction bids for permanent repairs to street lights along federal-aid roads are set to take place in mid-May and would cover the repair of close to 200 street lights damaged by the flood.

For more background information on the repair of street lights and intersection signals related to flood recovery click on the Progress section of the Minot Recovery Information website, www.minotrecoveryinfo.com/progress.


March 22, 2012

City Council approves $13.7 million request to ND Lands Board for flood recovery efforts
The Minot City Council agreed to send forward a request of $13.7 million to the North Dakota Department of Trust Lands for grants to assist in funding a variety of flood recovery projects.

The City is asking for $13,700,000 to support projects that total $39,787,237 to address the following infrastructure needs within the City of Minot:

The City is also working with the Minot Public School District and the Minot Park District in their request for funding related to infrastructure needs.

The Disaster Relief Bill passed by the North Dakota legislature last November provided $30 million to flood impacted political subdivisions for infrastructure development grants. The board for the Department of Trust Lands has indicated that roughly two-thirds of the funding was set aside for needs in Ward County.

Eligible grants could receive up to 50 percent of the cost of the project paid for with the funds from the state legislature. The grant is to be considered a grant of "last resort" for items not otherwise reimbursed through federal or other state funds.

As part of the request made today, the application identified where the local funding source could come from. Depending on the project, Minot's portion could come from a variety of sources including sales tax dollars, water and sewer bonds, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Section 594 funding or Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funds.

Applications for the flood infrastructure development grants are being accepted through today, March 20, 2012.

For more information on news and details related to flood recovery click on the Minot Recovery Information website, www.minotrecoveryinfo.com.


March 19, 2012

City Council hears details on Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery Funds
The Minot City Council learned more this week about the general rules and guidelines related to a large federal grant, the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funds.

Stanley Gimont, director of the Office of Block Grant Assistance in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Scott Davis, director of disaster recovery for HUD, spoke at the March 14 City Council meeting to discuss the rules and requirements of the grant.

The presentation emphasized the $67,575,964 federal grant as more flexible than funds received from FEMA or through SBA loans and that these funds could be used as a local match, or cost share, with other federal funding. As stated by the two presenters, use of the funds should meet three fundamental questions; Is it an eligible project, does it meet a national objective, and does it tie into meeting a disaster-related impact?

There are three national objectives with Community Development Block Grants; benefitting low- and moderate-income persons, preventing or eliminating blight, and addressing other immediate or urgent community development needs.

The City has already submitted 18 waivers or alternate requirements at the urging of the federal government and work is underway on a recovery action plan. The City is also working on a Citizen's Participation Plan. A listing of the waivers submitted by the City can be found at www.minotrecoveryinfo.com/resources.

At the end of the presentation, the City Council voted 10 to 2 to authorize the mayor to work with city staff to identify key positions where additional hiring is needed to support flood recovery.

"Even though we won't be getting any of these funds until this summer, I think it is important to push forward on time sensitive projects that we can support with these funds," said Curt Zimbelman, Mayor of Minot. "I'm glad the City Council supported this idea last night. The City manager and I will work to identify those positions, like city inspectors, where additional help is sorely needed."

There is no timeline set for using these funds, planning and management of the CDBG-DR is at the discretion of the City of Minot, after approval from HUD.

For more information on news and details related to flood recovery click on the Minot Recovery Information website, www.minotrecoveryinfo.com.


March 16, 2012

Tips on Rebuilding your Flooded Home
As spring approaches many homeowners with flooded homes are planning for repairing and rebuilding.

NDSU Extension will host a Rebuilding Your Flooded Home with energy efficiency in mind on Wednesday, March 21 at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will be held at the North Central Research Extension Center south of Minot on Highway 83.

Carl Pedersen, NDSU Extension Specialist, will provide tips and recommendations on insulation, proper air sealing, appliances and generally how to rebuild homes to be more energy efficient.

"The goal is to give homeowners the tools to rebuild correctly and with energy efficiency in mind," says Pedersen. "We want to ensure that homes are rebuilt following current recommendations and techniques."

There will be no charge for this informative program but please register through the NDSU Extension Office so adequate handouts can be available. Call 701-857-6444 or email NDSU.ward.Extension@ndsu.edu

"We are pleased to bring Carl Pedersen to Minot. As homeowners rebuild their flooded homes they have a great opportunity to make them more energy efficient and lower their utility bills," says local NDSU Extension Agent Lori Scharmer


March 5, 2012

Assessment of hardest hit homes in Minot shows 42 percent will be restored by this spring
An assessment of 2,716 homes with main-floor water damage from last summer's flood in Minot shows that 42 percent are either already living in their rehabbed home or appear close to being done with the rebuilding process.

"I would expect that of the homes that our office did visual inspections of, more than 1,140 should be usable by this spring," said Kevin Ternes, Minot City Assessor. "Obviously, this is great to hear that so many of the hardest hit areas are already able to bring their property back to a condition where they can feel comfortable living there. And while many others are still trying to figure out ways to rehab their homes, having more than 40 percent of residential properties back is a good step in the right direction."

The City Assessor's office collected this information over a six-week period starting in early January. Based on this survey and the best information available, Ternes says 89 homes in Minot have been demolished, with just over 100 appearing not to have been cleaned out or "gutted" since the June 2011 flood. Through the assessment it was also determined that roughly 1,350 homes are currently shelled out, cleaned back to the studs with many having some additional improvements made.

"I'm convinced that more than half of these "shelled out" homes have had some work done to them; be it new windows, some siding improvements or new wiring," said Ternes.

The City Assessor's survey of flooded homes with main floor damage did not include assessments of apartment buildings of four or more units or commercial buildings.

For more information click on the Minot Recovery Information website,www.minotrecoveryinfo.com.


March 3, 2012

Minot landlord survey shows 50% of flooded apartments coming back online soon
A local survey of landlords whose apartments or houses were impacted by the 2011 Mouse River flood shows "about 50 percent of the rental units in Minot have been or will be back in service very soon."

The city manager of Minot says the 44 percent return rate (357 of the 808 surveys) was encouraging to see, as was the overall intent of the landlords to rebuild their properties and bring them back online.

"Not only am I pleased to see so many landlords volunteer data about their situation, but most important it is encouraging to see so many have made the decision to repair and rebuild their structures," said Dave Waind, Minot city manager.

Based on the surveys returned, 56 percent (815 units) sustained damage to the main floor, while 21 percent (305 units) had their damage contained to the basement only. The data received from landlords also showed that when asked about the stage of rehabilitation of their rental unit, 28 percent said "cleaned out," 24 percent indicated "partial rehab," another 24 percent said "rehabbed and rented" and 23 percent said they had "no rehab work" done.

"What this provides us with is a key tool in the recovery process," said Jason Zimmerman, local flood recovery coordinator. "Having this positive, hard data allows us to continue pushing for federal, state and local assistance to get as many of these properties back online. The more options flooded residents have with housing, the easier it will be to restore the Magic City."

Surveys were sent out to landlords representing approximately 1,456 individual rental units; these units were apartments and houses. The 261 mobile homes that were rental properties before the flood were not included in this survey because of difficulty in identifying ownership and current addresses.

The survey was conducted in December 2011 by the Great Plains Center for Community Research & Service at Minot State University.

The survey idea came from the Mayor's Flood Recovery Housing Subcommittee and was organized through the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency and the Souris Basin Planning Council with funding from the North Dakota Adjutant General, state disaster relief fund.

To view the complete Minot Landlord Survey, log on to the Minot Recovery Information website, www.minotrecoveryinfo.com/resources.


March 2, 2012

Preliminary Engineering Report now available
Today's release of the Preliminary Engineering Report took place at the Mouse River Advisory Committee meeting, a subcommittee of the Souris River Water Resource Board. This report can be accessed through the www.mouseriverplan.com website. A link for this website is found on the main page of the www.minotrecoveryinfo.com website.

As well, new information was added today to the resource section regarding landowner rights under eminent domain laws in North Dakota. Go to the link under Resources to find out more.


February 28, 2012

City of Minot lays out expectations for upcoming Preliminary Engineering Report
Tomorrow's public release of the Preliminary Engineering Report by the team responsible for the proposed Mouse River Enhanced Flood Protection Project will give City and regional leaders more information as they continue to discuss what flood protection is needed in response to the 2011 Mouse River flood.

"This is an important piece of information to have as our City continues to explore all options in providing the ideal flood protection for residents," said Curt Zimbelman, mayor of Minot. "With tomorrow's complete report in hand we will take the appropriate time necessary to review the material, meet as a committee of the whole, discuss with engineers and City staff as well as hear from the general public."

It is expected that the Preliminary Engineering Report will include an estimated cost for a project consisting of levees, flood walls and property acquisitions necessary to protect up to the flood of record, roughly 27,400 cubic feet per second. The Mouse River Enhanced Flood Protection Project is a basin-wide effort by those counties represented on the Souris River Joint Water Resource Board: Bottineau, McHenry, Renville and Ward counties.

"It is well understood by the City that there are other groups exploring potential changes in things such as the 1989 treaty agreement governing water flows, dam operations and reservoir levels, new or additional storage space, even having more accurate rainfall reports," said Zimbelman. "We'll take tomorrow's engineering report and work with all the other boards, agencies and entities that want to assist us. Having this in our hands tomorrow does not mean that a yes or no decision for permanent flood protection will take place in the next couple of weeks. We have to get this right for the thousands of residents of Minot whose lives are still turned upside down."

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers gave a 300-page report reviewing the 2011 flood to the International Souris River Board (ISRB) on Wednesday, February 22. The Board has yet to decide on whether or not to make the report public. This decision lies with the International Joint Commission (IJC) - the group formed in 1909 by the Boundary Waters Treaty. The IJC formed the ISRB to govern aspects of the Mouse River management. The City hopes to have this report as soon as possible in order to assist in the decision making process.

The Mouse River Advisory Committee is planning a meeting on Wednesday, February 29 at 2 p.m. at City Hall to accept the Preliminary Engineering Report. For more information on the Preliminary Engineering report, go to www.mouseriverplan.

For more information on flood recovery efforts within the City of Minot, log on to the Minot Recovery Information website, www.minotrecoveryinfo.com.


February 21, 2012

Answering questions about the Voluntary Property Acquisition Process
On January 18, the Minot City Council approved a set of guidelines for a Voluntary Property Acquisition Process for the City. These set of guidelines are a roadmap to explain how the City of Minot will administer the voluntary purchasing of homes/properties. The intent of the program is to assist the Magic City in recovery efforts as a result of the flood of 2011.

As a precursor to initiating the voluntary property acquisition process, the City sent out letters to a first group of properties. These are all properties that we would like to consider acquiring regardless of permanent flood protection plan decisions. The acquisition of these homes would provide flood mitigation benefit and would provide access and open space for emergency flood protection measures. Being as prepared as possible this spring and summer for any potential flooding is a high priority for the City.

The North Dakota State Water Commission, at their February 2 meeting approved the City's request and will fund 75 percent of the cost of the voluntary property acquisition of an initial 117 properties. These properties are spread out throughout northeast, northwest, southeast and southwest Minot. To find a list of properties the City may be interested in acquiring, as released in mid-January, go to www.minotrecoveryinfo.com/resources.

Some have asked the question, how many of these properties have traded hands since the flood? A good question. As of the end of January, only one has a new owner and that home is on property currently assessed at roughly $50,000. The other 116 properties, to the best of the City's knowledge through title tracking, are all still in the ownership of the individual who had them during the flood of 2011.

Looking at the bigger picture, the City is a good steward of the funds as entrusted by taxpayers. Acquiring these properties as soon as possible will go a long way to benefiting the entire region should we have to fight a flood prior to permanent joint flood protection implementation. No speculator or investor in the first phase of voluntary property acquisitions will be making a huge windfall in profits based on the use of taxpayer's dollars.

Others have asked what the timeline is for starting this first phase of voluntary property acquisitions. With the approval from the ND State Water Commission for $17.75 million in support, the City is now identifying where the 25 percent match ($5.92 million) will come from. With various options available, the City is hoping to receive spending approval and get started on voluntary property acquisitions this spring.

The question of how much the City will offer to property owners interested in the voluntary phase has also been asked many times. We recognize that no amount of money can truly make a family or individual ravaged by the Mouse River in 2011 whole again. The voluntary property acquisition uses a straightforward formula; the City's offer to property owners will be based on the pre-flood assessed value of the property, plus 15 percent to reflect current market value. We hope that the community views this offer is a fair one for those impacted by the flood.

This piece of assistance from the City and taxpayers will be a big step in restoring the magic to damaged parts of our community.

-Curt Zimbelman, Mayor of Minot


February 6, 2012

City of Minot urges those with HMGP inquiry letters to return information if interested
In the continued effort to secure as many potential funding sources for voluntary property acquisitions, the City of Minot is urging those residents who have received a letter related to FEMA funding in the past several weeks to return the information if they are interested in participating in the program. Returning the letter does not commit a home or property owner to selling their home during this phase, it merely allows the City to put in an application with the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP).

"We hope that those 74 property owners who have received this letter would assist the City in filling out the paperwork to allow us to go forward with putting in the application," said Cindy Hemphill, the finance director for the City of Minot. "There are tighter rules and regulations related to the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which is why those property owners received a bigger packet of paperwork that we are asking them to please fill out."

Completing the paperwork does not guarantee the property will be included in an application, nor does it commit the property owner to accepting a voluntary acquisition offer from the City of Minot should the grant be awarded.

As is stated in the paperwork sent out to specific homeowners, the "purpose of the HMGP is to provide grant funding for projects that serve to reduce the likelihood of damages resulting from future disaster events."

The City sent out packets to 74 addresses in mid to late January. If you received one of these letters and have additional questions, please contact Amber Schaan or Irv Rustad at 701-235-1197. Schaan and Rustad work for the Lake Agassiz Development Group hired by the City to assist in applying for the HMGP funding.

To view a list of those properties that were sent a packet of information, go to the resources section of the Minot Recovery Information website, www.minotrecoveryinfo.com/resources.


February 6, 2012

City of Minot receives approval on 75% of cost needed for early voluntary property acquisitions
The City of Minot continues to work on identifying their portion of the cost needed for the first phase of voluntary property acquisitions, as the ND State Water Commission approved on Thursday, February 2 to fund 75 percent of the City's $23.67 million request.

Under the guidelines of the Water Commission's cost share policy, the governmental entities requesting support from the state are required to share 25 percent of the overall cost. For the City of Minot, this amounts to roughly $5.92 million, for the 117 properties in the recently approved request.

"We're pleased the North Dakota State Water Commission agreed to fund this first phase of voluntary property acquisitions," said David Waind, Minot city manager. "Now that these state funds have been secured, we will work to identify and approve a funding source for the city's portion and then we can start to push forward with the first phase of property acquisitions."

In the middle of January, the City (through the Swanson & Warcup law firm) sent out letters to gauge the level of interest for roughly 120 homes in the valley. The City identified these homes as ones they would like to consider acquiring regardless of permanent flood protection plan decisions. The acquisition of these homes would provide flood mitigation benefit and would provide access and open space for emergency flood protection. 117 of these homes were included in the request from the City to the ND State Water Commission as phase one of a voluntary property acquisition plan.

Of the letters sent out, roughly 80% have been returned with the homeowner indicating they would be interested in a voluntary property acquisition.

The City of Minot will follow the already adopted voluntary property acquisition guidelines. The program is based on a willing-seller/willing-buyer basis, meaning if either the City of Minot is not interested in acquiring the property or the homeowner is not interested in selling, then either side can back out at any time prior to the closing.


February 1, 2012

Minot City Council endorses the Maple diversion as a preferred option for flood protection in west Minot
Minot City Council members decided on preliminary preferred flood protection options for west and southeast Minot during last night's (January 31) special City Council meeting. By a vote of 8 to 5 the City Council supported the Maple diversion for potential flood protection in west Minot. The Council also voted 13 to 0 to support the 27th Street SE diversion.

At the meeting, representatives from the engineering team hired to propose a permanent flood protection plan laid out the details of three options in the Lincoln School neighborhood in west Minot and explained the diversion option impacting neighborhoods near 27th Street SE. The public hearing portion of the meeting lasted almost an hour and a half, as 31 residents voiced their opinions on the different options.

"Deciding on options for flood protection in west and southeast Minot was important because it allows the engineers to stay on schedule," said David Waind, Minot city manager. "But even more important, the decision gives hundreds of homeowners a good indication of whose homes will likely be impacted if this flood protection plan is funded and constructed."

The selection of preferred preliminary flood protection in west Minot and southeast Minot allows the engineers, hired by the ND State Water Commission, to stay on target for completion of the Preliminary Engineering Report, due at the end of February.

All of the options presented at the meeting would protect the City up to the flood of record, which is last year's roughly 27,400 cubic feet per second or 1561.72 feet above sea level as measured at the Broadway Bridge in Minot.

For more information on the Maple Street diversion and the 27th Street SE diversion, log on to the resources page of the Minot Recovery Information website, www.minotrecoveryinfo.com.


January 31, 2012

Minot City Council to consider public input on Lincoln flood protection options
A public meeting will be held Tuesday, January 31 at 6:30 p.m. at the Minot Municipal Auditorium to hear public input related to the three flood protection options in west Minot, impacting the Lincoln neighborhood and surrounding homes as well as to hear input related to the proposed 27th Street diversion in southeast Minot.

This past Tuesday, Engineers from the team hired to propose a potential flood protection plan for the City explained to City Council the details of three options in the Lincoln School neighborhood in west Minot. The first option would follow the current loop of the Mouse River that goes near Erik Ramstad Middle School.

For the second option, often called the Lincoln diversion, a high water flow diversion would be constructed starting where the river meets Second Avenue Southwest. The diversion would follow the road east for 6 blocks, until reaching the BNSF/CP rail line at Sixth Street and then follow the rail line until rejoining the Mouse River at Broadway.

Under the third option, referred to as the Maple diversion alignment, the route would be similar to Lincoln, but would divert the river prior to where it crosses under the CP rail line bridge, a few blocks south of Second Avenue Southwest.

Engineers described these two diversion options as similar in nature, with all three options have essentially the same upstream water surface impact. "All three options are viable and, by design, all three would behave essentially the same from a hydraulic perspective," says Scott Sobiech, senior water resources engineer with Barr Engineering. "So, we would recommend the Maple Street diversion, from an engineering standpoint, since it will have less of a residential property impact and involve fewer levees being built."

In preliminary estimates made available to the City, the Maple diversion comes in as the least expensive option at $110 million, the Lincoln diversion would cost roughly $125 million and following the current loop of the Mouse River is estimated to cost $130 million. These costs do include an estimate for potential property acquisitions, based on pre-flood values.

For more information, log on to the Minot Recovery Information website, www.minotrecoveryinfo.com.


January 30, 2012

ND Tax Department and IRS Offer Help to Minot Area Taxpayers Affected by Flooding in 2011
The following information was released on Thursday, January 26 from the North Dakota Tax Commissioner's Office.

Bismarck, N.D. - North Dakota Tax Commissioner Cory Fong announced today that the Tax Department and the IRS will co-host two taxpayer assistance sessions in Minot on February 9, 2012.

"The devastating flooding in 2011 affected many Minot area residents," said Fong. "Taxpayers impacted by flooding may have challenges filing their 2011 individual income tax returns due to the complications and complexities associated with accounting for and reporting property and casualty losses. The Tax Department and IRS want to do what we can to help taxpayers work through these issues."

The sessions will be held on Thursday, February 9 at 1:00 PM and 6:00 PM in the Theater Room of the North Dakota State Fair Center.

Staff from the IRS will lead the informational sessions. Trained tax counseling volunteers from AARP will also be on hand. The sessions will focus on the various issues facing individual income taxpayers as they file property and casualty loss returns. The sessions will end with a time for taxpayers to visit one-on-one with the IRS staff and AARP volunteers present.

"The informational sessions will offer an overview of the different issues individual income taxpayers may be facing," said Fong. "Even though we will not be providing tax preparation services at these sessions, taxpayers will have an opportunity to visit one-on-one with IRS staff and AARP volunteers."

Tax preparers and practitioners from the Minot area have been invited to attend these sessions along with area professionals with expertise in estimating property and casualty losses.

Individuals and businesses with questions or concerns about state filing deadlines, or need assistance with filing state tax returns, or have other tax-related questions are encouraged to visit the Office of State Tax Commissioner's web site at www.nd.gov/tax or call the Tax Department at 877.328.7088 or 701.328.7088.

Fong also mentioned that the IRS has available two helpful publications, Publication 547 - Casualty, Disaster, and Theft and Publication 584 - Casualty, Disaster, and Theft Loss Workbook which can be accessed on the IRS web site at www.irs.gov. The publications are designed to help homeowners and businesses affected by disasters such as flooding.

For more information about any federal relief or extensions, taxpayers should visit the IRS web site at www.irs.gov or call the IRS at 800.829.1040 for individuals. For businesses with federal tax-related questions, they should call the IRS at 800.829.4933.


January 26, 2012

Voluntary Property Acquisition FAQ updated
With the recently approved guidelines for Voluntary Property Acquistions in place, the FAQ section of the Minot Recovery Information website has been updated.

www.minotrecoveryinfo.com/faq


January 20, 2012

New Information added to Resources: City of Minot Voluntary Property Acquisition Guidelines
The Minot City Council passed a resolution during the January 18, 2012 special meeting establishing a Voluntary Real Estate Acquisition Plan. Depending on appropriate state funding and approval, the plan will allow the City of Minot to begin offering acquisitions to more than 120 homeowners impacted by the Mouse River flood of 2011.

The voluntary real estate acquisition plan is designed to work on a "willing buyer-willing seller basis." The City's offer to property owners will be based on the pre-flood assessed value of the property, plus 15 percent to reflect current market value.

Additional information or details related to this plan could be added as necessary.

More about the details of the Voluntary Property Acquisition plan.


January 20, 2012

List of Letters sent out to Gauge Interest in a Voluntary Property Acquisition
The City of Minot, through the Swanson and Warcup law firm, sent out 120+ letters in the middle of January 2012 to Minot residents gauging their interest in a voluntary acquisition.

The City identified these homes as ones they would like to consider acquiring regardless of permanent flood protection plan decisions. The acquisition of these homes would provide flood mitigation benefit and would provide acess and open space for emergency flood protection.

The City is still working to receive official funding to pay for these voluntary property acquisitions. The City of Minot plans to ask for a portion of the funding through the North Dakota State Water Commission.

The list of homes sent a letter gauging interest level for a voluntary property acquisition.


January 18, 2012

Minot City Council approves voluntary property acquisition plan and mitigation program to aid flood impacted residents
By a unanimous vote, the Minot City Council passed a resolution during tonight's (January 18) special meeting establishing a Voluntary Home Acquisition Plan and a Flood Hazard Mitigation Risk Reduction Program. Depending on appropriate state funding and approval, the two plans will allow the City of Minot to begin offering buyouts to more than 120 homeowners impacted by the Mouse River flood of 2011.

The City of Minot's share of the cost for the first phase of voluntary home acquisitions is 25 percent of the total cost, or $6,138,738 of the $24,554,950 plan.

"The City does plan on discussing, prior to starting home acquisitions, exactly how the Council would like us to fund the City's share of this project," said David Waind, Minot city manager.

The voluntary real estate acquisition plan is designed to work on a "willing buyer-willing seller basis." The City's offer to property owners will be based on the pre-flood assessed value of the property, plus 15 percent to reflect current market value.

The Flood Hazard Mitigation Risk Reduction program is not a permanent flood protection plan. The North Dakota State Water Commission has indicated that having the Risk Reduction program would assist them in making a decision regarding the funding.

More than 120 residences have been identified by the City of Minot as ones they would like to acquire regardless of permanent flood protection plan decisions. None of the homes in the first phase are found in the area commonly referred to as the Lincoln School neighborhood in Northwest Minot.

Those who have questions regarding the voluntary property acquisition plan can contact the Swanson and Warcup law firm at 701-858-8040.


January 17, 2012

Letter to gauge interest in Voluntary Property Acquisition
The City of Minot is asking owners of 122 properties in Minot if they are interested in selling their flooded property in a voluntary acquisition. A three-page letter from the Swanson & Warcup Law Firm went out last Friday asking owners of the identified properties to complete and return a questionnaire related to the potential interest in a voluntary buyout of their property.

"This letter is simply one of the earliest steps toward a potential property acquisition process in Minot," said Howard Swanson, partner in the Swanson & Warcup firm. "We hope that those who receive a letter can let us know whether or not they are interested in the program."

On January 9, the City Council approved a contract with Swanson and Warcup, who will handle the voluntary home acquisitions for the City of Minot.

The 122 residences are properties identified by the City as ones they would like to acquire regardless of permanent flood protection plan decisions. None of these homes are found in the area commonly referred to as the Lincoln School neighborhood in Northwest Minot.

In the letter that was sent out on January 13, 2012 homeowners are being asked to indicate if they are interested in selling their flood-damaged property. By returning the questionnaire, the homeowners are not obligated to selling their property. The letter states, "Rather, subject to final approval by the City Council, we will provide additional information and a purchase offer to those property owners who indicate they are interested in a voluntary purchase."

Those who receive the letter are also asked to release information related to their mortgage (if they indicate they are interested in a voluntary purchase) and the current status of the property.

Those who have questions regarding the letter can contact the Swanson and Warcup law firm at 701-858-8040.

More info at Minot's new site: www.minotrecoveryinfo.com


November 3, 2011

NDSU students and staff members deliver flood-relief items to Minot
On Nov. 3, six students and two staff members from North Dakota State University traveled to Minot in a large van full of bedding and household and personal items for flood-impacted Minot State University faculty and staff. NDSU students, faculty and staff had donated the items since June.



The NDSU Staff Senate coordinated the effort with students involved in "Beyond History Books." "Beyond History Books" is a leadership program which promotes civic involvement and public service. Rob Anderson, MSU ombudsman, facilitated distribution of the items.


October 25, 2011

MSU v UND Men's Basketball Exhibition Charity Game
Minot State University and the University of North Dakota will play an exhibition men’s basketball game Sunday, Oct. 30, with proceeds going to benefit flood victims. The contest is set to begin at 3 p.m. at the MSU Dome and is scheduled to be televised in Midco Sports Network. The schools plan to donate all ticket, program, concessions sales to the Minot Area Community Foundation.

Prices for the game are $5 for adults and $2 for students with free admission to all MSU and UND students with valid student ID.

» More Information


October 20, 2011

UND employees bring glad tidings for flood victims
Reprinted from the Minot Daily News by Andrea Johnson

University of North Dakota employees arrived Wednesday with a busload of donations to brighten the lives of flood victims at Minot State University.

Janice Hoffarth, staff representative to the State Board of Higher Education and administrative assistant to the UND music department, said staff members remembered what it was like when Grand Forks flooded in 1997 and everyone wanted to help.

Tools, painting supplies, kitchen utensils, bedding and cookware were among the items delivered to Minot by UND employees. A Grand Forks church donated Christmas decorations.



Hoffarth said people tried to donate things that wouldn't necessarily be immediate necessities or the first thing flood refugees would have thought about saving.

"Everybody stores their Christmas decorations in the basement," said Hoffarth, so she thought many families might have lost their Christmas decorations.

Other items such as toasters, coffee pots and rugs were donated.

Rob Anderson, the ombudsmen for Minot State who has been helping MSU's flood survivors, said there are about 120 families of faculty and staff that were flooded out.

The donations were set up in a room in MSU's Administration Building and people were able to take what they needed.

Hoffarth said she hopes that someday people from Minot State will return the favor to another community in need. Hoffarth said things do get better after a flood and Grand Forks is a great community to live in today, 14 years after the flood.


October 14, 2011

UND Staff Senate to deliver flood relief supplies to Minot State on Oct. 19
Remembering the aid they received following the devastating flood that hit Grand Forks and the University of North Dakota in 1997, a group of UND employees will deliver flood relief supplies to Minot State University on Wednesday.

"We understand what they need because we’ve been through it," said Janice Hoffarth, staff representative to the State Board of Higher education and administrative assistant in the UND music department.

She recalled how she felt when flood relief supplies from all over the country arrived after the spring Red River flood that devastated UND and the cities of Grand Forks and East Grand Forks.

"I remember what it was like when those trucks pulled into Grand Forks in 1997," she said. "You just stood there in awe looking at those items."

Tools, painting supplies, kitchen utensils, bedding and cookware are among the items being delivered to Minot by UND employees. A local church has also donated Christmas decorations.

A University bus transporting the supplies and employees will be loaded at the Hughes Fine Arts Center at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday. Hoffarth said anyone wishing to donate additional items can contact her or bring them to room 114 in the Hughes Fine Arts Center.

The flood relief supplies will be distributed to MSU employees and three people affiliated with the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences who lost their homes when the Souris River flooded Minot earlier this year. The items will be given out over the noon hour Wednesday (Oct. 19) in Administration 160 on the MSU campus.

All employees going to Minot are members of the UND Staff Senate, said Hoffarth, who is past-president of the State and UND Staff Senates. She noted that UND has challenged others in the state university system to duplicate its flood relief effort. While in Minot, UND’s representatives will meet with members of Minot State University Faculty and Staff Senates.


» Archived Flood Updates