Pawluk’s Pen Perils (part 3)

Editorials EO 11988 Letters to Editor
Ken Pawluk, Cass County Commissioner
Ken Pawluk, Cass County Commissioner

Part 3 of 7 addressing Ken Pawluk’s letter to the Fargo Forum.

In Ken Pawluk’s July 26, 2015 rant submitted to the Fargo Forum, he take exception with Wilkin County commissioner Lyle Hovland’s July 7, 2015 letter in response to Clay Dietrich’s (FM Homebuilders Association) June 25, 2015 letter to the editor.

Here are links to all three letters for your consideration:

2015-06-25 Clay Dietrich Letter

2015-07-07 Lyle Hovland Letter

2015-07-26 Ken Pawluk Letter

For more on the Home Builders Associations role: (Read this Article)

Ken Pawluk July 26, 2015 letter to Fargo Forum
A county commissioner from Wilkin County, Minn., recently went to The Forum to suggest that it is our own fault in Cass County that we flood. To somehow suggest that we control flooding in the Red River Valley is not just laughable but it is appalling and disrespectful to the homeowners of the 500 homes that have been lost due to flooding through Fargo-Moorhead.

 

It is neither laughable, appalling or disrespectful to make a factual observation on the actions of Cass County, Fargo or the Diversion Authority.

Constructing a home in a floodway or adjacent floodplain is an irresponsible development practice which arguably violates Executive Order 11988.

Since Cass county and Fargo grant permits that foster encroachment into the natural flood plain…, YES, it is your own fault that floods impact Cass county residents that you’ve allowed to develop in harms way, which in turn relocates water onto others that may not have been in harms way, which is a new flood impact created by decisions and actions of Cass county and the city of Fargo.

2011-09-28 Letter from FEMA to Darrell Vanyo (Flood Insurance Rate Map) (button)
Click to View FEMA letter on “encroachment”

The Fargo Dam and FM Diversion project fosters irresponsible development practices that relocates flood impacts from the natural flood plain onto others.

What Mr. Pawluk is conveniently avoiding in his rant toward Wilkin Commissioner Lyle Hovland is the role that Cass county and Fargo officials played in granting building permits in a flood risk zone for the 500 homes he is citing.

Even more suspect is Mr. Pawluk’s disregard for development encroachment into the natural flood plain south of Fargo ~ which relocated water from where it would have naturally attenuated the 2009 flood onto many of the property owners he is feigning to utilize in his example.

Sorry Mr. Pawluk, but your credibility on this matter is “zip”. Cass county and the city of Fargo have been actively engaged in irresponsible development practices that changed the base flood elevation in and around Fargo and you and your ilk claim FEMA are the bad guys.

Cass county and Fargo forced FEMA’s hands and FEMA had to remap the area to ascertain changing conditions as a result of irresponsible flood plain development. Which you and your ilk are now arguing could place 20,000 homes under mandatory flood insurance.

Here’s a thought…, pull your heads out of your derriere’s and stop leveraging future development against the existing homes of hard working taxpayers funding the escapades of you and your ilk.

Mr. Pawluk, why should any property owner relinquish their current rights and benefits associated with their land to benefit your land…?

Hmmm…

FM Diversion North Reach (near Harwood)D
View Pawluk Land

• There are 706.922 acres of property listed under the last name Pawluk west of the Sheyenne River and north of 32nd ave NW that are registered to the same Fargo, ND mailing address.

• The taxable valuation as of 2014 was $747,000

• This is an area prone to flooding.

• Pawluk land will benefit from a project decisions made by Cass county and the Fargo Diversion Authority

• Ken Pawluk is a Cass County commissioner, and has done so since the inception of the diversion project.

• Ken Pawluk is a voting member of the Fargo Diversion Authority and Public Outreach Committee.

• Ken Pawluk had the “opportunity” to exercise his will with greater representation in the DPAC assessment vote, both as a property owner and as a Cass county commissioner on the 706.922 acres registered to his Fargo, ND address.

Coming soon: Pawluk’s Pen Perils (part 4)

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1 thought on “Pawluk’s Pen Perils (part 3)

  1. What happened to dislosure and honesty? Conflict of interest is obviously not an issue with this Commission…Are there any other properly owners larger than this Commissioner??????

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