The City of Surrey, N.D., is less than one square mile, but growth is hard on infrastructure regardless of service area size. Two and a half public works employees (director, streets superintendent, and part-time construction manager) oversee a community that includes a playground, softball complex, skating rink with walking path, RV park, K-12 public school, church, senior center, post office, greenhouse, and lumber yard. The much-larger City of Minot is seven miles away, drawing people seeking less-expensive housing and a slower lifestyle to town. Population has more than quadrupled since 1960 to about 1,400, causing drainage-infrastructure headaches Public Works Director Keith Hegney hoped Case Construction Equipment's third annual Dire Straits grant program -- which provides a municipality with $25,000 in free equipment rental for a critical project -- could help resolve.
Having been chosen as this year's recipient, the city will use the equipment to trench sediment-clogged drainageways and dig new ditches along several roads to direct stormwater and snowmelt runoff away from town and off roads. Poor drainage has wreaked havoc on roads, costing large portions of the city’s yearly budget to maintain. In addition to flooding and infrastructure damage, inadequate drainage causes several areas in town to collect standing water, creating a public health concern.
“We can finally address some of these concerns,” says Hegney. "We can remove vegetation and soil, grade, and construct networks to ensure natural drainage. Misdirected runoff can and will continue to cause major damage if we don’t take care of it. Now we can.”
The equipment will be provided through CASE dealer Titan Machinery.
“Dire States is about making an impact on communities that have struggled under the weight of their crumbling infrastructure,” says Michel Marchand, vice president – North America, CASE Construction Equipment. “Drainage control and flood mitigation are essential when it comes to positioning a city for growth, and Surrey's projects will improve multiple facets of the community and its operations.”
The grant was awarded after soliciting submissions nationwide from local communities to use heavy equipment to improve a critical piece of local infrastructure. A committee of representatives from CASE chose the winner.