Trustees approve $21,252.50 repair payment, ask for O&M manual and defer levee assessment

Pottawattamie and Harrison county trustees voted unanimously on Feb. 24 to pay Olson Construction $21,252.50 for Otto property damage and to hold $14,265 back for additional work to fill a low spot on the north side of the pond.

The action took place during a joint C & R Drainage District meeting in Council Bluffs. The payment motion was made by Trustee Brian Rief and seconded by Trustee Keith Jones. Don Brothers, a member of the public, raised the low-spot concern and the trustees agreed the holdback would cover that work; payment will come from C & R Drainage District funds.

Trustees also appointed Larry King and John Erixon as commissioners to prepare a classification report (motion by Jones; seconded by Wichman). Jon Rosengren, water-resources practice leader with Bolton & Menk, told the boards he will prepare an Operations & Maintenance manual with input from each county and the local EMA and expects to have a draft in about two weeks. Rosengren said the manual will map maintenance tasks, tree-removal procedures, mowing schedules and costs per hour, an EMA action plan and a FEMA checklist.

The trustees discussed C & R stamped warrants and district activity; the Pottawattamie board requested more detailed activity records. Trustees noted the district still has FEMA construction funds, and the transcript records $1,246,632.85 in unpaid FEMA construction money remaining for the district.

Discussion of a 2026 levee assessment was tabled pending clearer estimates of the cost to maintain the levee and related work at the Desoto Avenue crossing. Members of the public urged shoring up the levee where Desoto Avenue crosses it and flagged concerns that the roadway is holding back water.

The meeting closed by unanimous vote (motion by Rebecca Wilkerson; seconded by Keith Jones).