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NEW ULM -- Brown County Commissioners will consider a resolution and letter of commitment authorizing participation in the planning process and execution of a sub-grant agreement to update the Brown County All-Hazard Mitigation Plan Sept. 5.
The resolution includes a sub-grant agreement with the Minnesota Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. After approval, the plan needs to be updated every five years.
Brown County's plan was approved by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in 2013. Due to the length of time needed to revise and update the plan, a grant is requested from the state to help offset costs. The county plan cost is estimated at $32,000. Federal funds would cover $24,000. The local match is $8,479.90.
Mitigation plans form the foundation for a community's long-term strategy to reduce disaster losses and break the cycle of disaster damage, reconstruction, and repeated damage. The planning process is as important as the plan itself, according to Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
Plans create a framework for risk-based decision-making to reduce damages to lives, property, and the economy from future disasters. Hazard mitigation is any sustained action taken to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and their property from natural hazards.
The cost share grant program includes FEMA paying 75 percent of all eligible costs and the local community paying the remaining 25 percent of costs. Eligible applicants include counties, cities and tribal governments.
Commissioners will also consider:
• A $22,974 low base bid contract with Global Infrastructure for repair work to the Wellner Hageman Dam sluice gate and minimum flow valve at Mound Creek Reservoir. In the event that the sluice gate and valves are determined to be beyond repair, damage or maintenance of the gate is impractical, Global can furnish new Rodney Hunt equipment that would cost $37,956.
• Accepting and filing the third draft of the 2018 County Budget. Six call-back items are subject to further review by the County Board this fall. A Request for Board Action with additional information will be prepared for consideration on Sept. 19 for adoption to the 2018 preliminary levy.
The $14,247,125 draft 2018 budget is a 4.4 percent increase over the $13,645,361 adopted 2017 budget.
• Convening an informational discussion with County Ditch (CD) 33 landowners regarding better drainage options. At an Aug. 22 drainage committee meeting, it was decided that landowners on CD 33 should have an opportunity to provide input on solutions for creating better system drainage.
The committee considered hiring an engineer to complete a feasibility study on options that could be considered for system improvements and repair. The study was estimated to cost $2,500.
Quotes to do a complete clean-out were obtained from two contractors. The low bid was $40,750.97. Due to differing opinions on how to proceed, the drainage committee felt it was best to bring the landowners together and determine how they want to proceed.
If a clean-out is determined to create the most ditch system efficiency, a $62,000 assessment would be applied in 2018. A public hearing to set 2018 assessments is set for 11:30 a.m., Sept. 26.
The board meeting begins in the courthouse commissioners room at 9 a.m. Sept. 5.
Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@nujournal.com.