Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure Rapidan Dam topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Blue Earth County reviews Rapidan Dam options after FEMA denial and rising bridge estimates
Summary
County staff reported a FEMA denial for sediment reimbursement, rising cost estimates for the Rapidan bridge project, and a DNR $10 million bonding request; staff recommended against appealing FEMA’s denial.
Blue Earth County officials on Oct. 7 discussed next steps for the Rapidan Dam removal and bridge project after federal and state reviews raised funding and permitting questions.
County public works staff told the Board the county received a letter from the Federal Emergency Management Agency denying reimbursement for sediment lost behind the dam and that the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) determined the dam is not eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. County staff said the county can appeal FEMA’s determination but recommended against an appeal, citing low probability of success and substantial staff time required.
The recommendation matters because FEMA’s denial affects the county’s ability to recover some costs from storm-related damage. Public works staff summarized FEMA’s rationale as saying the sediment accumulation was not established as a pre-disaster “improvement” and that the county lacked records showing routine maintenance to qualify the loss as eligible. Staff said the county has 60 days from issuance of FEMA’s memo to file an appeal.
On project cost, staff reported that bridge-only estimates rose from an initial $15,000,000 to about $22,300,000 earlier, and that the current project estimate is near $25,000,000. Engineers and the county are working to reduce contingency in the estimate as design advances. County staff noted that cost increases exceeding 20% of the original estimate require approval at the U.S. Department of Transportation regional or national level; smaller increases can be handled at the regional office.
Federal and permitting status remains unresolved. Staff said the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has requested preliminary design materials and precise project limits before proceeding; the county’s consultant (Barr) is preparing a 30% design package they expect will satisfy that request. Staff also said they have met with the county’s bridge consultant TKDA to refine design details, including possible aesthetic elements for the bridge piers and a small retaining wall.
County staff reported one potential state funding development: the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources plans to submit a $10,000,000 bonding request toward dam removal. Staff said DNR and MnDOT have expressed support but bonding requests are separate from other approvals and do not guarantee full funding.
County staff recommended not appealing FEMA’s denial, describing prior similar appeals that were not pursued because the likely outcome did not justify the expense in staff time and legal coordination. One commissioner expressed concurrence with the staff recommendation.
