Sidney Receives FEMA BRIC Grant For Storm Water Project

The City of Sidney has received a $1,277,685 FEMA BRIC (Building Resilient Infrastructure & Communities) grant to cover 75% of the cost for the Sidney Meadows Storm Drain Project. The City was also awarded their portion of the required match, $511,074, in State of Montana Resiliency dollars, covering the entire cost of the project other than engineering.

According to their web site, the BRIC program aims to categorically shift the federal focus away from reactive disaster spending and toward research supported, proactive investment in community resilience. Examples of BRIC projects are ones that demonstrate innovative approaches to partnerships, such as shared funding mechanisms, and/or project design.

As reported in The Roundup on March 13, 2024, Sidney Public Works Director Jeff Hintz explained that severe flooding has occurred two or three times in the past 13 years primarily on the east side of Sunflower Lane. With a drainage area of 1000 acres, a rapid snow melt or deluge of rain just won’t fit into a 12” pipe! Sand bagging by city crews and volunteers for three days straight at about eight Sunflower Lane residences has occurred on more than one occasion and the existing drainage ditch is insufficient to handle the water.

With the BRIC and state dollars, a 54” pipe will go alongside the main canal, then under the canal on the southeast of South Meadow, into the drainage ditch and on to the Yellowstone River. The project is slated to begin in 2025.

The City also received American Rescue Plan funds to cover the cost of remediating the storm water issues which have threatened the ROI Group home and Miller’s Corner areas of the Anderson subdivision. The price tag has increased slightly from the original estimate of $350,000 with a change from retention ponds to installing pipes which were deemed much more effective for water control. The city will start this project towards the end of July.

 

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