Minot Mayor Shaun Sipma is hoping to accelerate the timeline for the Mouse River Flood Control Project.
Sipma told the Legislature’s interim Water Topics Overview Committee – the plan was to build out the project over 20 years. Sipma said he’d like to see that timeline shortened to 12 years. He said that would save around $100 million on construction costs, and it would also save residents in Minot and in the valley in terms of flood insurance costs.
"The combined cost savings would be about $45 million in flood insurance costs between the 20 and the 12 year build," Sipma told the Committee. "That's starting in 2022."
The city will have a new flood plain map in 2022.
"The faster we can get flood control done, the more cost savings we're going to have — not only in construction, but the impact it's going to have on flood insurance costs, and the impact it's going to have on property values and the mill levy rates in Minot over the long term," Sipma said.
The chairman of the committee – Rep. Jim Schmidt (R-Huff) – said his committee will hold a meeting in Minot next year, just before the 2023 Legislative session – and the accelerated timeline will be discussed.