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Daniels County delays Hel Creek Crossing application over large local match
Summary
Residents urged immediate action on a flooded crossing, but commissioners said the county's estimated share ($250,000'$300,000) is not in the current budget and agreed to defer the FEMA-funded Hel Creek Crossing project for at least a year and reapply in the next grant cycle.
A resident and local landowner pressed Daniels County commissioners on June 15 to move quickly to repair the Hel Creek Crossing on Peerless Luster Road, which washes out when runoff is heavy and limits emergency access. Curtis Flagger, who attended to present the request, warned that the county should not let the crossing deteriorate into a long-running emergency like the Coal Creek Bridge situation, where unsafe conditions persisted for years.
Commissioners said the county does not currently have the funds and that the county share for the FEMA project was estimated in the meeting transcript at between $250,000 and $300,000. Because the county's capital and operating budgets are already constrained, the board agreed to postpone committing funds for at least one full budget cycle and to reconsider the project during the next grant round. Commissioners and staff asked that when the grant opportunity returns the county prepare to include its match in the next budget and avoid missing future application deadlines.
John Bach, who prepared the estimate, previously completed a project proposal; commissioners encouraged continued constituent engagement and said they would work with staff to prioritize the crossing in the next budget cycle, while acknowledging current fiscal constraints.
