Gordon Fair, city engineer, told the City Council that the Big Sioux River levee extension project is planned to begin construction in 2027 and be completed in 2028, but that “there’s a long lead time for the permits through the DNR and the corps” and that permitting—not design or construction—will likely set the schedule. Fair described the design as “relatively easy” and the construction as “relatively cheap,” adding that the permitting process is the primary obstacle.

The project was discussed as part of agenda items relating to grants. A council member noted that the state share will be “up to $865,000 or 50% of the LA eligible costs,” and thanked staff for securing that commitment.

The discussion emphasized that the project involves multiple layers of review and funding. Fair said the city must obtain permits from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; the project is also tied to a funding agreement with the Iowa Flood Mitigation Board and a related Iowa levy improvement fund award agreement. No council vote or ordinance change on the project was recorded in the meeting transcript; the remarks occurred while the agenda item was being presented and discussed.

Why it matters: the levee extension was discussed in the council’s grant and flood-mitigation packet and involves state and federal permitting and matching funds. Council members framed the timeline and the state funding share as key factors for planning and budgeting.

What happened next: Fair said he will continue coordination with permitting agencies; the transcript includes no formal vote or final authorization recorded during the meeting. Staff-level grant paperwork and interagency permitting remain outstanding based on the remarks in the meeting.

Additional details from the meeting: a council member asked for confirmation of the 2027–2028 timeline and expressed appreciation that the state share had been secured. The grant- and permit-related language in the agenda referenced the Iowa Department of Homeland Security Emergency Management and the Iowa Flood Mitigation Board in connection with the Big Sioux River levee extension project.