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Public commenters challenge flood plan costs and allege ADA and safety lapses at project
Summary
Speakers questioned flood-protection spending and claimed construction and ADA failures at a project tied to the Searce/Service River joint board; one commenter cited North Dakota Century Code 44-4-18.7 in alleging the city withheld inspection records.
Three members of the public addressed the council during the personal-appearances period, raising concerns about agenda transparency, flood-protection strategy and alleged safety and Americans with Disabilities Act violations tied to a recent project.
Tom Worsocki asked the council to include purchase costs on agendas, noting the handgun replacement approved earlier did not list the purchase price. "When this agenda is put together... there are times where you're listing the cost of a purchase on the agenda, and there are times that are not," Worsocki said.
Josiah Royce argued that basin modeling and past studies suggested different operating rules could have reduced the impact of the 2011 flood and questioned whether the city needs to spend "hundreds of millions" on new flood-protection structures if management of existing infrastructure could be improved. Royce cited a basin study and recommended the council consider alternatives and shared examples of municipal consolidation for cost savings.
Billy Gunderson made detailed allegations about safety, ADA compliance and recordkeeping tied to the Searce/Service River joint board administrator, Ryan Ackerman, and to contractors working on a public project. Gunderson alleged engineered exclusion, missing handrails and unbonded metal that presented shock hazards, and said the city had provided a bare citation rather than full inspection records in response to an open-records request. She referenced North Dakota Century Code section 44-4-18.7 in saying the city must provide written explanations when records are withheld.
Council members accepted the comments; no formal action was taken during the meeting. The mayor and staff did not provide immediate responses to the specific accusations in public comment.
Next steps: Allegations involving safety, ADA compliance or recordkeeping may prompt follow-up with the relevant city departments and open-records staff; residents may pursue formal complaints if warranted.
