Wealthy Welfare Oxbow, ND (Part 3)

Editorials OHB - Oxbow Hickson Bakke Project Costs

According to city-data.com Oxbow, ND is one the wealthiest communities in Cass County and perhaps North Dakota.

Here are the 2013 estimated median household incomes for the following:

North Dakota: $ 55,759
Cass County: $ 52,015
Fargo: $ 44,845
Oxbow: $ 141,436

 

Jim Nyhof, Oxbow ND Mayor (Government Housing)

Despite the higher median income per household a different yarn is being spun by Oxbow’s elite who finagled big buyouts, yet, profess they are victims of circumstance in a process that has netted equity enrichment’s as high as 967.5 percent.

You have Oxbow Mayor Jim Nyhof living in government subsidized housing. Property that was annexed into Oxbow, ND just shortly prior to the $2.69 million Bartram estate buyout, and is now being rented for a mere $1,500 per month.

2016-06-09 | 970 WDAY Jay Thomas questions Jim Nyhof.mp3

 

Whether one believes that Oxbow’s Elite “are” or “are” not driving the bus on this deal, is a matter of debate. What do you call intentional manipulation of “rules” for financial gain or equity enrichment?

Don’t forget, Oxbow Mayor Jim Nyhof was drafting 1 a.m. emails to city council members lobbying a concept that would allow every shareholder to walk away with a minimum of $ 27,000 each for their stockholder in a NONPROFIT corporation.

There were/are so many options that could have saved the state, county and city taxpayers a bundle when is comes to the Oxbow project. The OHB ring-dike-levee…, touted as a $65 million “all in price tag” which is currently passing the $75 million mark, forces the taxpayer into shelling out big bucks to provide equity enrichment for the Oxbow country club and homes. Was malfeasance really the intent behind the Cass County and Fargo flood taxes? The same taxes Fargo want voters to extend on the November ballot.

Albeit, there are a small handful of the 40 Oxbow property owners on the buyout list that wanted little from the process…, and there are those that bickered for every blade of grass.

Sadly, all 40 homes and course holes could have been addressed for around $10 million. The Fargo Dam and FM Diversion Authority (FMDA) could have spent $100,000 per home to construct a new foundation, provide utilities and relocation of the existing structures for around $4 million. They could have purchased 170 acres (130 acres for the golf course and 40 one acre lots for each home) for around $853 thousand. With the remaining dollars to landscape the golf course hole relocation’s.

But Oxbow’s Country Club elite were salivating over the high-end Robert Trent Jones plans and the FMDA was looking for a way to buy-off Oxbow and only had to dangle money.

One has to remember that Darrell Vanyo and others refused to compensate the Kindred School District for the annual $80k loss relating to Oxbow’s property tax reduction which was re-distributed to the remaining taxpayers within the district. Ironically, the $75 million spent thus far on Oxbow could have provided 937 years of compensation to the Kindred School District.

According to public FMDA records and information provided by AE2S, the buy-out list:

Oxbow Related Buy-Out List
(Click address below to view property)

Name Previous
Address
New
Address
Cass
County
Valuation
Buy-Out Equity
Enrichment
 %
Andel 810 Riverbend Rd 787 Riverbend Rd 213,600 1,330,318 1,116,718 622.81%
Anderson 337 Schnell Dr 355 Trent Jones Dr 229,800 837,199
Bartram 5059 Makenzie Circle Not Rebuilding 553,300 2,708,777 2,155,477 489.57%
Benson 840 Riverbend Rd 442 Trent Jones Dr 273,400 935,071 661,671 342.02%
Bindas 813 Riverbend Rd 449 Trent Jones Dr 330,300 1,356,539 1,026,239 410.70%
Brakke 361 Schnell Dr 764 Riverbend Rd 321,000 757,849 436,849 236.09%
Breen 345 Schnell Dr ( Left Oxbow ) 258,600 485,572 226,972 187.77%
Champ 829 Riverbend Rd 788 Riverbend Rd 481,500 2,368,373 1,886,873 491.87%
Debates 848 Riverbend Rd ( intend to stay ) 361,700 2,302,898 1,941,198 636.69%
Fisher 357 Schnell Dr 760 Riverbend Rd 321,000 643,246 322,246 200.39%
Goldsmith 325 Schnell Dr ( intend to stay ) 203,000 811,137 608,137 399.57%
Hakanson 332 Schnell Dr 421 Trent Jones Dr 189,900 607,616 417,716 319.97%
Hasbargen 852 Rivergend Rd Not Rebuilding 358,300 1,222,600 864,300 341.22%
Henry 317 Schnell Dr 409 Trent Jones Dr 287,300 1,121,726 834,426 390.44%
Huber 744 Riverbend Rd ( Left Oxbow ) 283,900 346,263 62,363 121.97%
Ingebrigtson 353 Schnell Dr 772 Riverbend Rd 206,300 806,556 600,256 390.96%
Jeff Pederson 805 Riverbend Rd 776 Riverbend Rd 277,900 888,158 610,258 319.60%
Jeziorski 349 Schnell Dr 761 Riverbend Rd 153,600 616,718 463,118 401.51%
Johnson 817 Riverbend Rd ( intend to stay ) 278,000 935,133 657,133 336.38%
Johnson 338 Schnell Dr 775 Riverbend Rd 249,800 910,062
Kaspari 17495 52nd St SE Not Rebuilding 476,800 813,352 336,552 170.59%
Kautzman 330 Schnell Dr Not Rebuilding 190,000 452,710 262,710 238.27%
Kochmann 329 Schnell Dr 417 Trent Jones Dr 358,000 1,087,247 729,247 303.70%
Kuntz 346 Schnell Dr ( Left Oxbow ) 267,500 512,971 245,471 191.76%
Kuzas 341 Schnell Dr 351 Trent Jones Dr 202,100 1,094,521 892,421 541.57%
Leake 844 Riverbend Rd Not Rebuilding 322,900 720,000 397,100 222.98%
Losing 752 Riverbend Rd 768 Riverbend Rd 268,200 976,182 707,982 363.98%
Mathiason 350 Schnell Dr 769 Riverbend Rd 229,100 764,991 535,891 333.91%
Mattson 328 Schnell Dr 347 Trent Jones Dr 143,800 647,141 503,341 450.03%
McQuillan 313 Schnell Dr ( intend to stay ) 165,300 724,738 559,438 438.44%
Menze 828 Riverbend Rd Not Rebuilding 367,700 960,000 592,300 261.08%
Miller 333 Schnell Dr ( Left Oxbow ) 89,100 104,088 14,988 116.82%
Murphy 334 Schnell Dr 751 Riverbend Rd 158,800 600,244 441,444 377.99%
Nyhof 336 Schnell Dr ( intend to stay ) 166,400 496,508 330,108 298.38%
Pearson 309 Schnell Dr 325 Trent Jones Dr 223,500 1,096,718 873,218 490.70%
Podolak 843 Riverbend Rd ( intend to stay ) 529,800 2,298,780 1,768,980 433.90%
Rademacher 821 Riverbend Rd 434 Trent Jones Dr 288,300 1,050,324
Retzlaff 748 Riverbend Rd 755 Riverbend Rd 313,300 686,434 373,134 219.10%
Rieger 833 Riverbend Rd 446 Trent Jones Dr 374,400 1,369,738 995,338 365.85%
Rustvang 839 Riverbend Rd Not Rebuilding 550,900 1,779,000 1,228,100 322.93%
Sauvageau 326 Schnell Dr Not Rebuilding 139,300 496,508 357,208 356.43%
Schneibel 749 Riverbend Rd 433 Trent Jones Dr 271,100 1,044,845 773,745 385.41%
Strei 808 Riverbend Rd ( under construction ) 301,200 1,280,129 978,929 425.01%
Talley 321 Schnell Dr 410 Trent Jones Dr 264,200 961,008 696,808 363.74%
Wold 816 Riverbend Rd 429 Trent Jones Dr 239,500 924,505 685,005 386.01%
Oxbow Country Club 130 Oxbow Drive 40 Club House Drive 1,085,200 10,499,448 9,414,248 967.51%
“Yellow” Estimated –  Based Upon Average Oxbow Buyout 364.32%
12,733,400 55,433,942 30,171,408

Why would any Fargo or Cass county taxpayer ever consider extending a multi-generational sales tax to provide welfare to the wealthy?

Should Cass County strip Oxbow of its city status and acknowledge it as the exclusive Oxbow Country Club community it is…?

Coming up next: Wealthy Welfare Part 4 – The “Agenda”

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3 thoughts on “Wealthy Welfare Oxbow, ND (Part 3)

  1. Following the 2009 flood all the Oxbow flood homes were bought out. The above homes did not need buyouts because they were not even located in the flood plain!. Then, even though not in the flood plain or needing flood insurance, Cass County paid for a ring dike for Oxbow that was completed 2010 and designed by Houston Engineering – the same engineers doing the Diversion. That’s what communities that have median incomes of $140,000.00 – and political influence – get. That and 500% unnecessary buyouts. This is how Fargo’s leaders spend the 1/2 cent sales tax.

  2. We live North of Oxbow, along the river, we were told by Houston engineering, that we wouldn’t have to sand bag until a ’45 Crest in Fargo! but with the dam in place they would put ‘5 on the main floor! That being said,do you think we would get a Oxbow style buyout?? Or eminent domain?

  3. Jon,

    It is very unfortunate that the FMDA is offering preferential treatment to Oxbow and leaving the remaining landowners in the proposed staging reservoir in limbo.

    You have specific property rights and protections defined under either option.

    It would be in your best interests to contact the following law firms that deal with eminent domain issues to ascertain your best course of action:

    Garaas Law Firm
    1314 23rd St S,
    Fargo, ND 58103
    Phone:(701) 293-7211
    garaaslawfirm@ideaone.net

    Rinke Noonan
    1015 W St Germain St,
    St Cloud, MN 56303
    Phone:(320) 251-6700
    http://www.rinkenoonan.com/contact-us/

    Biersdorf & Associates
    150 S 5th Street, Suite 3100
    Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402
    Phone: 866-692-5039
    E-Mail: info@condemnation-law.com

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