Dickinson and Osceola supervisors set April bid dates for FEMA-funded drainage repairs
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Summary
At a joint public hearing, county officials reviewed damage from June 2024 storms and approved plans and bid lettings for multiple drainage districts. FEMA will cover 75% and the Iowa Department of Homeland Security 10%; landowners are responsible for a 15% share.
John Hite, an engineer with Beck Engineering, told the Dickinson County Board of Supervisors at a joint hearing with Osceola County that June 2024 rainfall damaged multiple open-ditch drainage facilities and that nine repair locations were identified in Joint Drainage District 1.
Hite said the estimated cost to repair Joint Drainage District 1 is $140,332, with FEMA covering 75% of costs, the Iowa Department of Homeland Security providing 10% and landowners responsible for the remaining 15% (about $26,000). Hite said the counties have secured FEMA and state funding and that FEMA extended the construction deadline to December 2028.
The board approved plans and specifications and set a bid letting for April 3 at 10 a.m., with award to be considered at a special meeting on April 7. Hite described the county’s procurement approach: packaging several drainage districts into one contract but pricing each district as its own division to gain economies of scale while keeping district-specific bids.
Hite outlined similar estimates for other districts: Joint DD2 at $42,819 with an estimated landowner share of $7,676, Joint DD3 at $90,468 with landowners’ share about $16,722, and Drainage District 19 at $313,395 with an estimated $58,655 due from landowners. He said contractors would be expected to complete work in the spring, with many contracts targeted to finish before June, and that bid details would be in individual divisions of the single contract.
Landowners asked how levies and owner shares are assessed. A county staff member explained the 15% landowner portion is usually added to the property tax statement, and parcels with bills above $500 may sign a repayment waiver for terms the supervisors set (no fewer than 10 years and up to 20 years at an approved interest rate).
A landowner raised concern that a nearby bridge closure—left unrepaired for years—complicates access and may increase local repair costs; Hite said the county’s bridge office would review the site. The board also confirmed that crop-damage claims are handled on a parcel-by-parcel basis and that FEMA allows reimbursement for crop loss when documented.
The action taken: the board voted to proceed with plans and specifications for the identified drainage projects and set the April 3, 10 a.m. bid letting date for the combined contract divisions. The motions passed by voice vote.
What happens next: Engineering will finalize specifications, publish the April 3 bid letting and collect bids; supervisors will consider contract awards at the April 7 meeting.
