Stutsman County Commission hears update on snow removal costs

JAMESTOWN — The estimated reimbursement for snow removal for October through December from the state of North Dakota could be around $66,000, according to Andrew Kirking, Stutsman County emergency manager/911 coordinator.

Kirking told the Stutsman County Commission on Tuesday, May 2, that the total snow removal costs from October through December was more than $258,000 with the county share being more than $144,000. He said the average costs for snow removal from October through December is more than $22,000.

He said 15 townships in Stutsman County applied for reimbursement for snow removal.

Gov. Doug Burgum signed Senate Bill 2183 in April that appropriates $20 million for emergency snow removal grants to eligible tribal governments, counties, cities and townships. The bill provides $15 million in funding for reimbursement grants to tribes, counties, cities and townships for snow removal costs from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31 and an additional $5 million for reimbursement for the period of Oct. 1 through April 30.

Any unallocated funds from the first period — Oct. 1 through Dec. 31 — can be made available as part of the second period — Oct. 1 through April 30. The bill will reimburse up to 60% of costs exceeding 150% of the average of four of the last five years’ snow removal costs.

“If we are able to get the full 60%, the reimbursement over the 150%, we are looking at about $66,500,” Kirking said. “I don’t think there is really any chance that we are going to get that. I think $20 million for snow removal for the whole state and the counties and the townships and the tribes and the cities, I don’t think we are going to see all of that.”

Kirking said 38 townships in the county have applied for reimbursement for snow removal for the period of Oct. 1 through April 30.

“With the county that brings us up to just shy of $1 million snow removal and that is not including the bills for April and I think March,” he said.

Kirking said he received a request from the state of North Dakota to start getting preliminary damage related to flooding.

“I did send a letter out to all the townships saying, ‘Hey, if you are seeing your roads inundated with water, please reach out to me,’” he said. “I haven’t really had a chance to sit down with the road department yet to see what they are seeing out there but we need to come up with over $100,000 with the damages to be considered for that new FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) declaration.”

Kirking said he’s not sure if there is more than $100,000 worth of damage in the county related to flooding but he thinks there are lots of townships that need help with their roads because of the gravel that was scraped off during snow removal.

In other business, Levi Taylor, Manns Township board member, said the condition of County Road 62 south of 44th Street Southeast, which is east of Ypsilanti, is all gravel to N.D. Highway 46 and in bad condition. He told the county commission that County Road 62 should be paved to N.D. Highway 46.

Taylor said Sen. Terry Wanzek, R-Jamestown, told him that funding that could be used to pave County Road 62 would be available July 1. He said the funds are available specifically for rural roads for infrastructure leading to an end user.

Farmers taking soybeans to Casselton is a concern of the Green Bison Soy Processing facility in the Spiritwood Energy Park Association’s industrial park at Spiritwood, said Connie Ova, special projects manager for the Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corp. She said Green Bison Soy Processing could be interested in helping improve County Road 62.

County Commissioner Joan Morris said if there are funds from the Legislature, that a group needs to be formed to figure out how to get the road paved.

The county commission approved encouraging the JSDC to form a group to review the arterial roads in the county leading to the Spiritwood Energy Park Association’s industrial park in November. The group will specifically look at Stutsman County Road 62, which is the road off of exit 269 from Interstate 94, The Jamestown Sun reported in November.