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Council tables decision on MI-8/9 flood alignment after property owner objections; staff to meet landowner
Summary
Council deferred approval of the MI-8/9 (Burdick/North Minot) flood protection alignment after a commercial property owner said the revised plan would leave his business unprotected. Council asked staff and the Souris River Joint Board to meet with the landowner and return in two weeks.
The Minot City Council on July 7 tabled action on the MI-8/9 flood-control alignment after concerns from a commercial property owner who said a revised design would expose his yard and business to future floods.
Engineers and Souris River Joint Board staff presented a 60%-design alignment for phases MI‑8 and MI‑9, describing geometry changes, a new Burdick Expressway alignment and bridge profile, levee placement and a proposed “emergency levy” option that would be erected only for floods substantially above the 100-year event. Engineers said a revised alignment — selected for approximately $4.5 million in estimated project savings — would stop permanent protection north of Eighth Avenue and rely on an emergency closure if extraordinarily large floods occur.
The property owner of the Cloverdale site, who said he purchased, improved and operates a large trucking business there, told the council he had relied on earlier project designs that showed permanent protection for his holdings. He said the revised alignment would impose immediate operational and economic impacts, including potential shutdown costs if an emergency levy had to be erected across his yard. He asked council to remove his parcel from the revised plan and to meet with project staff and the joint board to reassess economic impacts.
Council members debated competing priorities: the $4.5 million in savings for the overall alignment versus the economic and legal exposure claimed by the property owner. One councilor urged doing the ‘‘right thing’’ for a business that had invested in the community for years. Another member said staff should seek alternatives and meet with the owner.
After the public exchange the council voted unanimously to table action for two weeks and asked staff to meet with the property owner and the Souris River Joint Board, with a goal to return information to the council at the next meeting. The joint board will consider the alignment at a virtual meeting in early August; staff said the city could bring a refined plan back after the joint board’s review and further outreach.
