Mr. Vanyo, What Do We Have Here?

During last evenings Septemebr 13th, 2012  Diversion Authority open house and public meeting at the Moorhead Marriott, I posed a few direct questions to Darrell Vanyo, Cass County commissioner and Diversion Authority chairperson.

Let me qualify that I do not personally hate Darrell Vanyo.

It’s just a matter that Darell Vanyo’s actions and decisions as Cass County commissioner and Diversion Authority chairperson will be defined in a legacy showing that he is inept as an elected official and wields his authority recklessly placing regional populations at risk.

On September 28th, 2011, Darrell Vanyo was sent a letter from FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) expressing specific concern that flood plain areas must be kept “free of encroachment” to ensure that base flood levels are not increased.

When I asked Darrell Vanyo why “he” and the rest of the Cass County commissioners are green lighting building permits in the flood plain, in direct defiance of regulatory advice from FEMA as outlined in the September 28, 2011 FEMA letter, he mumbled and denied any acknowledgement and existence of the letter.

Download FEMA letter to Darrell Vanyo – 1094k [pdf]

It does raise concern that an elected official can choose to ignore correspondence from agencies, such as FEMA, that are designed to provide guidance to ensure safety of the population at large.

The water displacement issues alone caused by intrusion into natural flood plains has not been adequately addressed by Darrell Vanyo both as a Cass County commissioner and Diversion Authority chairperson.

There is no assurance that the proposed Fargo Moorhead Dam and FM Diversion will get federal or state congressional approval or funding.

Allowing further development into the last natural floodplain adjacent to Fargo places these properties at significant risk of flood impacts or FEMA buyouts down the road.

Which raises the questions, does a conflict of interest exist where Darrell Vanyo could potentially drive Fargo and the Diversion Authority’s political agendas as a Cass County commissioner, to circumvent due process of issues.

This is just one example of why “I” signed the petition for Pleasant Township to secede from Cass County into Richland County.

It is clear that Cass County officials have little interest in representing rural Cass County over pro-Fargo agendas. Fargo being the very city that lifted it’s moratorium on river setbacks, allowing development closer the Red River – which currently presents significant water flow restriction relating to flooding along the river channel.

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