GLENDIVE RANGER REVIEW Sunday, May 30, 2021 • Vol. 59, No. 43 • Glendive, Montana $1.00 GPD takes steps to shore up its patrol vehicle fleet By Hunter Herbaugh with both Dodge vehicles in Ranger-Review Staff Writer need of new motors and the Crown Vic just not working The Glendive Police right now. With these vehicles Department is experienc- having been problematic for ing issues with a majority of the department before, it’s its fleet which has left them left them to explore options considering options for their on how to move forward, more problematic vehicles. starting with the Charger. The GPD has five vehicles at GPD Chief John Hickman their disposal; a Dodge Char- brought it to the attention ger, a Dodge Durango, a Ford of the city’s Finance, Util- F-150, a Ford Explorer and a ity, Property and Recreation Ford Crown Victoria. Committee during a special Currently, three of those meeting on Monday, May 24 vehicles - the Durango, the that he is seeking to retire the Charger and the Crown Vic - are down for maintenance, See POLICE, page 2 The Glendive Police Department is struggling to keep its fleet of patrol vehicles in operational condition. Local officials get a few flood plain answers Airport By Hunter Herbaugh building to Ranger-Review Staff Writer A pair of meetings among start soon, officials for Dawson Coun- EDIBLE FOREST: ty, the City of Glendive, the Army Corps of Engineers, still raising Edible, sustainable forest Headwaters Economics and garden slowly takes root the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation funds in inhospitable ground, on Tuesday, May 25 helped to answer some questions By Hunter Herbaugh Page 8 regarding the issue of the Ranger-Review Staff Writer floodplain in Glendive, though more questions remain and The new terminal project new questions were raised at for the Dawson Community the meetings. Airport is moving to the next The meetings were held as phase with the date for con- part of the Section 205 Study struction to begin becoming that is being done on the levee more clear. According to KLJ along the Yellowstone River Engineering Consultant Craig as the city and county seek to Canfield, the design phase have it certified, potentially of the project was officially helping solve one of the com- closed out and construction is munities biggest inhibitors of expected to begin sometime economic growth on the west around June 14, with a final HITTING THE ROAD: side of the river. pre-construction meeting The river levee was con- being held on June 9. Journalist is ready to hit structed in 1959 and was The contract for construc- the road and get out of certified with 50 year level tion of the new terminal build- flood protection. However, ing was awarded to Corlund Helena after a year of FEMA then changed their Construction, a Sidney-based pandemic. He’s looking requirements in 2005 to 100- company, last month at the year level flood protection price of about $2.3 million. for news ideas in for properties to be exempt Before construction begins, northeast Montana, from flood insurance require- however, the board agreed ments, meaning the local that it would be best to hold Ranger-Review file photo Page 12 levee was de-certified. off on giving Corlund the The Section 205 Study The last significant flooding event occurred in March 2019 when the Yellowstone River ice went out in notice to proceed to give them is currently in the “study” Glendive. The river level rose high enough to flood low lying areas such as the ABC baseball fields in plenty of time to gather mate- phase of the program, which Glendive. The West Glendive levee was not breached at the time. rials, something that has been is meant to identify the scope more difficult than usual over and possible costs of correct- ance behind the levee grade,” then FEMA will as well. enough released information the last couple of years. ing the levee. Through this County Commissioner Den- “We have a memorandum of to be certain at this point. To help pay for the con- phase, it was determined that nis Zander said. “We want to agreement with FEMA ... it’s struction of the terminal, a levee raise would be the solve the issue, but we have the equivalent of a consult- New floodplain maps the Dawson County Airport best way to bring the levee to be prudent also. $500,000 ing firm certification docu- New floodplain maps also Board has reached out and up to the 100-year level of in the scheme at the feder- ment. There’s a memoran- made up a large part of Tues- received grants and loans protection, but in a meeting al government is not a big dum between the Corps and day’s discussion. The discus- from several organizations. with the USACE last month, thing but to Dawson County, FEMA that that is accepted sion centered on what the These have included $1.8 mil- city and county officials were it’s huge, and we can’t spend by the federal government,” county and the city could lion in grants from the Feder- informed that the initial esti- good money after bad.” Krause said. “The certifica- expect if it decided to move al Aviation Administration, as mate of the project would At Tuesday’s meeting, tion criteria that most con- ahead with generating new well as a $209,000 grant and a be around $944,000. With sulting firms and you guys flood plain maps. The cur- $103,000 loan from Montana the next step of the proj- “We want to solve would have to go through is rent maps were created in Aeronautics. ect including cost sharing 44 CFR 65.10, and it lays out the 1970’s, meaning that data According to Canfield, the between the federal and non- the issue, but we a whole bunch (of the pro- is very outdated. board should be receiving the federal partners, this would have to be prudent cess), and then the very last According to Nadene Wad- Montana Aeronautics grant DCC BUDGET: sworth, DNRC’s floodplain mean the fix would cost the also. $500,000 in the sentence, it’s ‘Part E,’ it says, soon. Chairman addresses county and the city a total of ‘In lieu of all of the stuff mapping outreach specialist, To help cover the remain- $472,000. scheme at the fed- above, if it’s recommended the process of generating ing costs of the project, Air- budget concerns and for accreditation by a federal new maps would take about port Manager Craig Hostetler Certification eral government is five to 10 years, but it would college conditions, entity that has responsibility has been running a donations Along with the high price not a big thing but to over levees, it’s done.’ I’m be done using newer, high campaign that has been going Page 4 tag, there were also concerns kind of para-phrasing there quality equipment to pro- fairly well. He noted at the regarding the Federal Emer- Dawson County, it’s but that’s the part.” vide better data that could board meeting on Tuesday gency Management Agency. huge, and we can’t However, if FEMA will still help predict flood risk more evening that he has so far Primarily, if FEMA would require insurance behind a accurately. received about $15,000 in certify the levee, as their cer- spend good money certified levee was not as However, how the new donations and on Friday, he tification requirements are after bad,” clearly answered. According maps would turn out would noted that he had received different from the Corps, and to Traci Sears, the Montana be unknown until enough more donations since then. if they would still require Dennis Zander, National Flood Insurance data is collected. Through He also notified the board MAKOSHIKA properties behind a certified Dawson County Program Coordinator and the the process of generating that he expected to receive levee to have flood insurance, DNRC’s floodplain liaison, no new maps, there could be another donation soon from ACTIVITIES: something that local officials Commissioner one is sure what FEMA plans areas that previously were the family of Mark Simon, a Makoshika is kicking have been trying to do away to do just yet under their new in a floodplain be moved out former member of the air- with. Without knowing these “Risk Rating 2.0” plan that is of it or the opposite, areas port board who passed away off the summer with a specifics, local officials were currently being developed. that were not in a floodplain some time ago. variety of activities for left to question whether the One possibility she is aware could now be in one. With the Board member Craig Steb- study was the answer to the USACE representative Tony of is that FEMA may not possibility of bad outcomes bins also provided a donation all ages, problems they were hoping it Krause was able to pro- require flood insurance on in mind, the local officials on the spot at Tuesday’s meet- would be. vide some answers as he properties behind certified asked why the local commu- ing, sliding a check across the Page 16 “The biggest question was addressed the issue of wheth- levees, but private lend- nity would want new maps. table saying he should “put that, will (the levee fix) be er FEMA will certify a levee ers may be able to. Krause Wadsworth responded say- his money where his mouth accepted by FEMA? At our fix as well as the Corps.