Residents press council over stormwater flooding; city approves engineering and lift‑station repairs

A Hibbing resident’s appeal about repeated stormwater flooding and denied insurance claims drew council attention Wednesday; the council authorized an engineering proposal to study and design conveyance repairs and approved immediate repairs at a nearby lift station. Resident Jeremy Tyson told the council he had received two denials from the insurance carrier (the League of Minnesota Cities was referenced) after stormwater damage to his property; he contended that roughly 800 acres of stormwater are directed to a creek that flows through his property and that a lift-station outage in 2022 contributed to backups. Tyson said he had paid to replace a furnace and was seeking the city’s support in addressing the drainage and insurance problems. City staff response and engineering work: Public-works staff (Jesse) confirmed the power to the 40 First Street lift station had gone out during the incident and that a portable backup generator was used; staff said they would confirm how long the station was without power. City Engineer Mr. Stork presented a proposal from Barr Engineering to clean about 3,500 feet of ditching south of 40 First Street (just past Jack and Don’s), with wetland delineation, permitting assistance, updated stormwater modeling, plans, specs and bidding assistance. The Barr Engineering proposal total is $36,000; staff said the work would be scheduled for this winter and that the firm already has survey data and original plans. Lift-station parts and immediate repairs: Staff also reported failed check valves at the South Hughes Road lift station by the airport that caused continuous pump operation and led to a pump failure. Electric Pump provided a quote of $25,216 to change both check valves, the k‑valves attached, and to reinstall needed parts; the council approved that expenditure and staff said a total rebuild of the lift station will be included in the 2026 budget. Why it matters: The engineering work and mechanical repairs address short-term infrastructure needs and inform longer-term design or capital work to reduce flooding in at-risk neighborhoods. Residents are seeking resolution of insurance denials tied to stormwater and city maintenance. Council action: Council approved the Barr Engineering proposal and the Electric Pump quote in separate motions; both motions passed by voice vote with no recorded opposition. What’s next: Staff said Barr Engineering’s design and bidding documents will proceed in early fall with construction planned for winter; the city will include the lift‑station rebuild in the 2026 budget and will follow up with the resident on the historical outage data and insurance documentation.