You have to hand it to the Fargo Diversion Authority. With almost methodical precision, their public relations outreach yields nearly the exact opposite result of what they are attempting.
If the project managers are encouraging or signing off on these letters, then one has to begin questioning the competence of those paid to handle the Fargo Diversion Authority image.
On the other hand, if letters like Ken Pawluk’s and Clay Deitrich’s are independent attempts to rally their agenda…, then we must simply bow to the elitist expertise of eyes shut and mouth agape.
This is Part 7 of 7 in response to Ken Pawluk’s letter to the Fargo Forum.
| Ken Pawluk July 26, 2015 letter to Fargo Forum I want to let Commissioner Hovland and the people impacted by the diversion, a majority of whom are my constituents in Cass County, that we cannot eliminate all the impacts, but we will compensate people fairly for their loss of homes and/or farming operations. We are doing this in compliance with all state and federal regulations, and will exceed those requirements when we do not feel they adequately address the issue. As we work to accomplish this, we will continue to welcome input and dialogue from all interested parties.What I do not welcome is short-sighted commentary or those looking to blame my constituents for the flooding they face. |
“Cannot eliminate all the impacts…?”, What a duplicitous statement!
Mr. Pawluk, you and your ilk created the impacts, therefore, you and your ilk have it within your power to eliminate those impacts that would not naturally occur. Any engineer worth their salt could design formidable flood protection if it didn’t have Fargo’s land grab attached to it.
Fargo simply does not want to reduce or eliminate development encroachment into the last natural flood plain south of the city, which is a willful policy (not technical) decision.
That natural flood plain attenuates flooding for the greater metro area, which no credible engineer can deny. However, allowing continued encroachment only ensures that more property owners will find their flood plain status change, which will potentially lead to mandatory flood insurance requirements.
There have been many promises to compensate people fairly, however, only the elite appear to receive that privilege.
You openly admit that the process is arbitrary and capricious in your reply above with the use of “when we do not feel”…
You and your ilk are not interested in dialogue outside the parameters you’ve set…, which has been evident from the outset.
Rather ironic that there is a feigned attempt at diplomacy years after the impacts were moved upstream without the prior consent or dialogue with the land owners being affected by contrived relocation of Fargo’s flood waters.
Commissioner Pawluk, the closing statement in your letter “…I do not welcome is short-sighted commentary or those looking to blame my constituents for the flooding they face…” is a prime example of how closed minded you and your ilk have become. This myopic view that the Fargo Diversion Authority and its various counterparts have taken prevents you and your ilk from being objective.
The danger of losing objectivity is that a pragmatic solution for Fargo’s contrived flood levels becomes harder to reach, largely because the goal is financially unrealistic.
There is no question that Fargo has water issues. FEMA statistics,by themselves, indicate that the Fargo metro area on the ND side of the Red River represents nearly 41 percent of the total FEMA in-force policies in North Dakota. That would suggest that the water in the natural flood plains south of metro area is Fargo’s problem for three reasons.
| 1) | Fargo has allowed development to restrict the floodway, delaying the natural conveyance of water via the Fargo Moorhead metro area. |
| 2) | Fargo has allowed development to encroach into the natural flood plain, reducing flood attenuation and altered the timing and behavior of flood events. |
| 3) | Fargo is attempting to drive development further into the natural flood plain, which will relocate water, create higher river crests and increase FEMA insurance requirments. |
The question is why should Fargo be allowed to push its problem onto others?
Y’see Mr. Pawluk, you and your ilk have failed miserably at problem solving flood protection because the Fargo Dam and FM Diversion plan lacks:
• impartiality
• transparency
• genuine benchmark conditions
• warranted conclusions
So let’s do a quick recap;
This series began as a result of letter to Fargo Forum, here are links to all three:
2015-06-25 Clay Dietrich Letter
For more on the Home Builders Associations role: (Read this Article)
Cass county commissioner Ken Pawluk considers the lack of a Fargo flood in recent years…
“…the biggest detriment to this project…”;
FEMA could potentially require flood insurance, even if the dam and diversion are constructed;
Pawluk’s have several hundred acres that will benefit as a result of the Fargo Dam and FM Diversion project;
• 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 project decisions made by Cass county and the Fargo Diversion Authority
• Ken Pawluk is a Cass County commissioner, and has been 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.
Remember to ask Mr. Pawluk about these things if he runs for office in the future and hold him accountable…, accordingly.
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The orchestra playing this Fargo Canal song has many directors or non at all…..They keep playing the song with no one reading the music and sour notes continue to plague the Diversions orchestra….