Park County shifts two FEMA flood‑recovery projects to alternate funding amid Main Boulder Road dispute

Park County commissioners on April 29 voted to ask FEMA to reclassify two DR‑4655 flood‑recovery projects — Main Boulder Road (Project 689668) and Cooke City roads (Project 679952) — as alternate projects so the county can redirect work or use funds more flexibly.

The shift follows weeks of public input and a lengthy discussion about the road department’s shrinking revenues and how FEMA’s reimbursement rules would affect repairs on the Main Boulder Road above and below Box Canyon. The county’s public works staff told commissioners that meeting FEMA’s floodplain and modeling requirements for sections of the Main Boulder Road could require expensive engineering and that FEMA will only reimburse projects completed to “pre‑disaster condition.” That condition, staff warned, could leave the county responsible for the remainder of the work if the full project can’t be finished to FEMA standards.

Why it matters: Residents and groups who use the Main Boulder Road argued it is a safety and access issue now — not a problem that can be deferred. Multiple speakers said the road’s condition is restricting emergency services, deliveries and school or camp transportation, and they urged the county to use available federal funds now rather than risk having the work postponed indefinitely.

County staff and several commissioners described a constrained road budget. The public works overview said state SRF funding was cut by roughly $150,000 this year and next, and that a prior $200,000 reduction in PILT funding has reduced road department operating revenue by an estimated 15–20 percent. Staff said the department will focus on basic grading and limited maintenance rather than heavier work such as adding gravel or drainage structures unless funds are reallocated.

Public testimony focused heavily on the Main Boulder Road. Carson Coles, a Main Boulder resident, summarized legal precedent he said supports a county duty to repair unsafe or impassable roads and warned that failure to act could invite a writ of mandamus. Pastor Julia Seymour of Big Timber said deferred maintenance poses a medical risk for children with chronic conditions who attend summer camps on the Boulder, saying she cannot be sure emergency medical services could reach patients within the required time. Paul Baldwin, who serves on the board of ChristaCon camp, described past ambulance refusals to travel the road and said deliveries of propane, mail and food are already affected.

Several residents and user groups urged the county to proceed with repairs while the FEMA funding is available. Others suggested alternatives, including temporary bridges, detours, or limited maintenance that would not trigger the full FEMA floodplain modeling and permitting requirements. County staff said the state’s Division of Emergency Services (DES) and BEMA recommended equipment purchases as an alternate project type in some counties because equipment purchases avoid the floodplain permitting process.

Commission action: Commissioners moved and seconded a request that FEMA reclassify the Main Boulder Road DR‑4655 project to an alternate project; the motion passed by voice vote. They subsequently made the same request to reclassify the Cooke City (Lulu and Daisy Pass) DR‑4655 project; that motion also passed by voice vote.

Details and estimates mentioned at the meeting: staff identified the Main Boulder FEMA allocation as roughly $508,000 and the Cooke City allocation as about $613,000. Staff cautioned those sums would not be reimbursable unless the entire FEMA scoping and specification requirements are met for the whole stretch FEMA expects to be restored.

What’s next: Commissioners said reallocating the FEMA awards to alternate projects (for example, equipment purchases) could free up other county funds that could be applied to targeted maintenance or repairs on the Boulder without triggering the full FEMA floodplain permitting and modeling process. Several commissioners proposed continuing dialogue with Sweetgrass County and the Forest Service and holding a focused work session on Main Boulder Road options.

Evidence spans from the meeting transcript supporting this report are linked in provenance.