BISMARCK -- State officials agreed Thursday to award nearly $26 million in grants to help counties recover from last year's devastating floods.
Minot and other cities in Ward County received $18.8 million of the funding, which can be spent on developing new community infrastructure, raising roads, restoring flood damaged property, acquiring property and expanding landfill capacity.
More than 11,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes and businesses in Minot and surrounding towns last summer after record flooding of the Souris (Mouse) River.
Minot plans to spend $4 million of its state funding for repairs to sewer lift stations and $2.15 million to expand its landfill. Minot Public Schools received $3.5 million to help relocate and replace a middle school.
"With these grant funds from the state, we will be able to move forward this year, in a big way, on critical infrastructure projects that are a direct result of the impact felt by last year's flood," Minot City Manager David Waind said in a statement.
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The Board of University and School Lands also approved the following awards: Barnes County, $500,000; Benson County, $467,806; Burleigh County, $2.68 million; McHenry County, $527,026; Morton County, $1.08 million; Ramsey County, $459,800; Renville County, $514,000; Richland County, $500,048.
The board will discuss further grants for projects in Benson, McHenry, Renville and Ramsey counties in May.
The state received more than 135 flood grant applications asking for a total of $39.3 million in financial help for $130 million worth of projects.
Funding for the grants comes from $30 million set aside by the Legislature in November to help flood-impacted political subdivisions.
Other projects receiving help include $200,500 to replace a storm water pumping station in Valley City, $200,000 for countywide road repair in Benson County and $150,000 for a landfill expansion in Devils Lake.
Gov. Jack Dalrymple said the grants are an important part of the ongoing work to help communities recover from last year's major flood events.
"We will not waiver in our commitment to help meet these challenges," he said in a statement.
The board also agreed to provide $2 million in grants to five rapidly-growing school districts in North Dakota's Oil Patch. The money is to help provide temporary portable K-8 classrooms in South Heart, Tioga, Powers Lake, McKenzie County and District 8 in Williams County.
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A complete list of projects approved for funding can be found at www.land.nd.gov .
