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Humboldt County to get tough on right-of-way rules

DAKOTA CITY — Humboldt County will be cracking down on violators of the county’s right-of-way policy, County Engineer Paul Jacobson announced at Monday’s meeting of the Board of Supervisors.

“Unauthorized use of Humboldt County secondary road right-of-way has been noted where obstructions have been placed,” according to a notice to be publicized by the engineer’s office.

The obstructions are defined as fences, cultivation of the right-of-way, rocks, trash, piles of brush, abandoned vehicles or machinery, signs, open ditches and water breaks, tile and tile outlets, snow from private drives placed on roadways or shoulders, and mud or other debris from farm fields.

“The main point of this is, with the exception of mowing or harvesting grass and a crashworthy mailbox, everything else you do in the right-of-way requires a permit,” Jacobson said.

“Anything without a permit can be removed by the county at the owner’s expense,” he said.

If the obstruction is an immediate hazard it is the responsibility of the engineer and the board to get rid of it no matter what and at the owner’s cost, Jacobson said.

This is part of the board’s ongoing discussion regarding brush piles in the right-of-way.

“The board said these requirements apply. Now we are going to take it out of the boardroom and put it to the public,” Jacobson said. ”They have been in place, but we need to remind the public.”

While the policy is not new, the notice is a good reminder for the public, Supervisor Eric Underberg said.

The board received an update from Drainage Engineer Rick Hopper, of Jacobson-Westergard & Associates, Estherville, about a possible private drainage project in Sub District 5 of Drainage District 11 about three miles north of Rutland. Hopper said the project would have to involve annexation of land.

“It is more complicated than what it sounds,” he said.

The plans involve installing new tile which would drain the water in a different direction to another outlet.

“There are several steps they have to go through even if they decide to go this way,” he said.

Hopper came up with a rough estimate of $766,000 for the project. The landowners intend to have their own meeting about the project. The landowners requested the board to continue the hearing on the project until Aug. 21.

The board also approved revisions to the county’s entrance policy which includes adding 20 percent to the cost of putting in new driveways or driveway extensions. In addition, the owner will need to submit a $500 deposit which is refundable upon compliance review by the engineering staff after completion.

Supervisor Carl Mattes was absent.

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