Part of the Process?

To the Editor:

After the Fargo Moorhead Metro Study Group meeting May 12th, I had a chance to speak to Pat Zavoral, Fargo City Administrator. I mentioned we in Richland County are concerned with the flood control plan that destroys many of our homes, land, livelihoods, churches, cemeteries and impacts two school districts. This is a forced relocation of “several hundreds or thousands” of people. This plan destroys family farms that have been in the same family for more than 100 years, homes that were built where there has never been a flood in well over 100 years. Mr.  Zavoral, without blinking an eye, said, “This is part of the process.”  Mr. Zavoral, why have the people adversely affected not been part of the process? 

At the Corps of Engineers community information meeting on March 31 at Kindred Public School, Dr.Tim Mahoney was on the panel. Dr. Mahoney has been the doctor for my parents, and he has always served them well. When I asked the panel about giving up our land, homes, everything in exchange for land for Fargo to develop, Dr. Mahoney responded that Fargo had given up many homes for flood protection. So, Dr. Mahoney, the process is that we give up our homes so your homes (and homes that haven’t even been built yet) don’t flood? Welcome, everyone, to the process.
Trana Rogne
Kindred, ND