County considers snow removal

HARTINGTON — Cedar County Commissioners spent much of their meeting Tuesday debating whether they should be maintaining private roads in Cedar County subdivisions.

Dale Wieseler spoke with the Board about snow removal in a northern Cedar County subdivision.

Wieseler said until recently, the County “had always maintained the roads in that subdivision,”

With new Commissioner Chris Tramp in office, that policy seems to have changed, though, Wieseler said.

“It’s the county’s responsibility (to clear the roads) because it’s a public road,” Wieseler said. “The taxpayers have been paying and the County is the winner in this.”

Wieseler presented Commissioners with a plat of the Lewis and Clark Estates subdivision, which was platted and approved by the County Board in 1968. He also presented tax information about the assessment of property in the subdivision and several state codes he had discovered during his research.

Wieseler said when the County accepted the plat back in 1968, they accepted responsibility for maintaining those roads.

“A statement on the plat said it’s dedicated to the public use,” he said.

Commission Chairman Dave McGregor said while the subdivision may be dedicated to the public use, there is no statement saying the County will take care of maintenance in the subdivision.

Wieseler said if the County does not maintain the road some real issues could arise if an emergency call comes from there and an ambulance orfire truck is unable to get inbecause of the roads.

“If you’re not dealing with it, what if 911 can’t respond. You don’t want to be there,” he said.

Wieseler said he was having trouble understanding why the County would even hesitate about clearing these roads, since they were talking about less than half a mile of road.

McGregor said the issue is much bigger than that because if the County agrees to maintain the roads in this subdivision, they have to agree to help out in all subdivisions in CedarCounty, and “that just isn’t agood use of taxpayer dollars.”

Wieseler pointed out that the subdivision is assessed at about $4.5 million, so the County is generating about $9,000 a year in taxes.

“Having to clear snow there, your cost is minimal compared to that,” he said.

McGregor said he would ask County Attorney Ed Mattney forhis opinion, but his first thoughtis that these are private roads and should be maintained by the property owners.

“Private subdivisions are exactly what they say — private,” McGregor said. “In my 12 years as a Commissioner we’ve hardly ever done much with a subdivision. We’ve put gravel on some roads as a courtesy that’s about it.”

County Clerk Dave Dowling said he sent inquiries out and discovered that of the 23 counties he contacted, themajority of them said they donot touch private roads. One

county attorney informed his board the County should not touch private roads.

McGregor said they would revisit the issue once the County Attorney had weighed in.

In other action, Cedar County Commissioners approved a bid for a new semi truck for District Two.

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition https://etypeservices.com/Northeast%20Nebraska%20News%20CompanyID379/