Post by biglakebass on Jun 10, 2019 19:37:23 GMT -6
So the cabin my Dad has on East Battle Lake, he got this notice below.
The cabin is in a sub-division that was built in the 40s, that has had road services for the 35 years that he has owned it at least. Then out of the blue he got this letter. What do you smart guys think?
Apparently the proposed assessment is about 5k for Dads place. Its not the end of the world by any means. But its very puzzling, if the township doesn't own the road as the letter states, I have posed a handful of quesitons that pop in my mind. See below for the letter and my initial thoughts that follow the letter
Liberty Lane road concerns with Girard Township
Letter dated May 29, 2019 states:
Dear Liberty Lane Property Owner,
Although Liberty Lane is not a township road, Girard Township has provided road maintenance for many years. Liberty Lanes driving surface is very poor and the road is too overgrown with brush, large trees and tree branches for the township to continue any services.
An engineer has provided the township with an estimate to remove brush, trees and branches and to do an upgrade to the driving surface of Liberty Lane. The estimate for the upgrade includes an option for either a tar or a gravel surface. The cost of the upgrade would have to be special assessed to the benefited properties along Liberty Lane.
An alternative option is to leave the road as is with the township NOT providing snowplowing, grading, etc in the future. There are many roads in Girard Township to residential areas around the lakes that the township does not provide maintenance.
We are inviting you to attend the next township meeting which will be held on Saturday, June 22, 2019 at 9:00am at the Girard Town Hall. We would like to discuss this proposed project with you and hear your ideas and suggestions. If you cannot attend this meeting, you may write a letter with your thoughts and concerns and send it to the township clerk.
Carol Jacobsen
Girard Township
24893 Palace Rd
Battle Lake, MN 56515
Questions to the above letter:
1. If Liberty Lane is not a Township road, who owns the property that the road currently resides on?
2. “Liberty Lanes driving surface is very poor and the road is too overgrown with brush, large trees and tree branches for the township to continue any services.”
Question: If the township has provided services on Liberty Lane in the past, but now the road is “too overgrown with brush, large trees and tree branches”, could property owners deal with the issues with the brush, large trees and tree branches on a per property owner basis and then have the Girard Township continue services?
3. “An engineer has provided the township with an estimate to remove brush, trees and branches and to do an upgrade to the driving surface of Liberty Lane. The estimate for the upgrade includes an option for either a tar or a gravel surface. The cost of the upgrade would have to be special assessed to the benefited properties along Liberty Lane.
Question: If the township does not currently own Liberty Lane, why would you provide an estimate for brush, tree and branch removal? If you don’t own the current road, and intend to stop services, why would you engage in estimates to remove the problems, and in addition provide options for improvement of the driving surface? Will you then assume maintenance again even though its not a township road?
4. If the Township is providing estimates to improve the road surface and the tree removal, is the Township going to purchase the land where the current road is, so that it is a designated Township Road on legal abstracts for continued uninterrupted services into the future?
5. “An alternative option is to leave the road as is with the township NOT providing snowplowing, grading, etc in the future. There are many roads in Girard Township to residential areas around the lakes that the township does not provide maintenance.”
Question: Can you provide specific examples of the “many roads in Girard Township to residential areas around the lakes that the township does not provide maintenance?”
Do you have information on how those property owners gain access to their land year round and the annual costs associated with the maintenance to do so?
The cabin is in a sub-division that was built in the 40s, that has had road services for the 35 years that he has owned it at least. Then out of the blue he got this letter. What do you smart guys think?
Apparently the proposed assessment is about 5k for Dads place. Its not the end of the world by any means. But its very puzzling, if the township doesn't own the road as the letter states, I have posed a handful of quesitons that pop in my mind. See below for the letter and my initial thoughts that follow the letter
Liberty Lane road concerns with Girard Township
Letter dated May 29, 2019 states:
Dear Liberty Lane Property Owner,
Although Liberty Lane is not a township road, Girard Township has provided road maintenance for many years. Liberty Lanes driving surface is very poor and the road is too overgrown with brush, large trees and tree branches for the township to continue any services.
An engineer has provided the township with an estimate to remove brush, trees and branches and to do an upgrade to the driving surface of Liberty Lane. The estimate for the upgrade includes an option for either a tar or a gravel surface. The cost of the upgrade would have to be special assessed to the benefited properties along Liberty Lane.
An alternative option is to leave the road as is with the township NOT providing snowplowing, grading, etc in the future. There are many roads in Girard Township to residential areas around the lakes that the township does not provide maintenance.
We are inviting you to attend the next township meeting which will be held on Saturday, June 22, 2019 at 9:00am at the Girard Town Hall. We would like to discuss this proposed project with you and hear your ideas and suggestions. If you cannot attend this meeting, you may write a letter with your thoughts and concerns and send it to the township clerk.
Carol Jacobsen
Girard Township
24893 Palace Rd
Battle Lake, MN 56515
Questions to the above letter:
1. If Liberty Lane is not a Township road, who owns the property that the road currently resides on?
2. “Liberty Lanes driving surface is very poor and the road is too overgrown with brush, large trees and tree branches for the township to continue any services.”
Question: If the township has provided services on Liberty Lane in the past, but now the road is “too overgrown with brush, large trees and tree branches”, could property owners deal with the issues with the brush, large trees and tree branches on a per property owner basis and then have the Girard Township continue services?
3. “An engineer has provided the township with an estimate to remove brush, trees and branches and to do an upgrade to the driving surface of Liberty Lane. The estimate for the upgrade includes an option for either a tar or a gravel surface. The cost of the upgrade would have to be special assessed to the benefited properties along Liberty Lane.
Question: If the township does not currently own Liberty Lane, why would you provide an estimate for brush, tree and branch removal? If you don’t own the current road, and intend to stop services, why would you engage in estimates to remove the problems, and in addition provide options for improvement of the driving surface? Will you then assume maintenance again even though its not a township road?
4. If the Township is providing estimates to improve the road surface and the tree removal, is the Township going to purchase the land where the current road is, so that it is a designated Township Road on legal abstracts for continued uninterrupted services into the future?
5. “An alternative option is to leave the road as is with the township NOT providing snowplowing, grading, etc in the future. There are many roads in Girard Township to residential areas around the lakes that the township does not provide maintenance.”
Question: Can you provide specific examples of the “many roads in Girard Township to residential areas around the lakes that the township does not provide maintenance?”
Do you have information on how those property owners gain access to their land year round and the annual costs associated with the maintenance to do so?
