Going after grant funds

The City of Green River is looking into options for funding to continue working on the ongoing Killdeer Wetlands Diversion Dam project.

On Monday, August 26, the City of Green River held a special workshop on engineering, designs, grants, and directions for the diversion dam. According to City Administrator Reed Clevenger, during the workshop staff provided a brief history on the Killdeer Wetlands and Diversion Dam project that was completed through the Green Belt Task Force decades ago and the natural damages that have occurred since.

"Consideration of needed enhancements began after high river flows washed out key features of the wetland system, and Council expressed concerns about the safety of the flows over the diversion structure," he said.

Clevenger explained that while short term fixes were made to the flood damage area, a long-term solution has yet to be put in place.

"We began this process by reaching out to past project funders to understand their expectations and requirements for the area," he said. "We have moved forward with the idea of designing and building modifications that meet Council's desire to both increase floater safety, while also supporting and improving the continued functioning of the wetland area."

Clevenger broke down the process of applying and obtaining a grant to make the necessary repairs.

"We have been reviewing the Upper Basin Environmental Drought Mitigation Grant with our contracted engineer, our current grant funding partners, and are deciding what information we need to compile to put together this grant application," he explained. "This included finding a preferred design to base this application on, and what various costs and considerations need to be reviewed."

During the workshop, three main options were discussed, with the staff agreeing to apply for the outstanding project costs in addition to surplus funds for unforeseen expenses and the completion of the engineering and permitting process. 

"Once we know if this grant has been awarded, we plan to workshop the decision process to move or not move the project forward," Clevenger added. "We do not currently have the money in the budget to cover the remaining project costs, and if we are not successful with this grant, we will have to weigh the importance of the project and the use of these funds versus other budget items and discuss what this means for the grant funds already awarded."

Clevenger also stressed that the process is more complex because each grant and funding source has specific criteria that must be adhered to.

"As we work toward a final design, we must ensure that minimum standards for each source of funding are met, or risk losing these dollars and the ability to complete the project," he said. "To date, the grants we and our partners have been awarded for the project include a total of $737,000."

When asked about overall expense of the improvements to the dam area, Clevenger gave a summary of the costs and highlighted the pivotal juncture of the project.

"Project partners have worked diligently with WWC engineers to design improvements that address the project goals, goals of the various funding sources, and available funds," he said. "WWC engineering presented the partners with an initial proposal that met project goals well, however the cost was significant, coming in at over $1.6 million. We worked with the partners and WWC to propose modifications to this proposal, which reduced the cost of the project by approximately $500,000, bringing the total to around $1.15 million. Unfortunately, this cheaper proposal did not meet all the expectations even though it is presumed to improve the area. Other options have also been looked at, with each getting further away from the intended resolution."

As development of the project has continued, those involved have looked to the City Council for guidance.

"With the project having reached a point at which decisions on the direction to proceed need to be made, we wanted to present information for input and direction, having an added grant opportunity that, while not a perfect fit, may be worth applying for, and has the potential to cover all the costs while meeting the goals of the project," Clevenger explained.

The city administrator reiterated that time is of the essence, and he is hoping for the approval to move forward.

"Given this information and the short time frame to apply for additional funding, and still meeting the requirements of already accepted grants and their timelines, we were asking for direction to move forward with going after the new grant," Clevenger said. "If it is not awarded, then we will have to revisit the project and figure out the course of action to satisfy all or parts of the project and where those funds would come from."

Clevenger stated that the workshop concluded with everyone agreeing to bring it to the second council meeting in September and get a resolution to move forward with the grant application.

"Award timing is expected end of this year or first of 2025, at which time we will review the funding awarded, if any, and the will of the council to move forward," Clevenger said.