01-04-1999 - Laserfiche WebLink

Commission Minutes--January 4, 1999 1920 Interstate 94 and their business near Tower City in the spring of 1999, contingent upon Pak Ag Services paying a fee of $750.00; this being with the understanding that the action is approved for one year and it will be reviewed again in November or December, 1999. On roll call vote, motion carried unanimously. 15. ABATEMENT APPLICATION, Denied for Orville Iwen The Board continued discussion from the October 5, 1998, meeting on the abatement application of Orville Iwen, Amenia, North Dakota, for his property located in Section 12, Amenia Township, and Section 20, Wiser Township. Frank Klein, Director of Tax Equalization, was present, as well as Mr. Iwen. Also present was County Engineer, Keith Berndt, who has been involved in the drainage concerns. Mr. Klein said a meeting was held on December 15, 1998, with Mr. Iwen, Commissioner John Meyer, Mr. Berndt, the Water Resource Board and their engineer, Jeff Volk of Moore Engineering, to discuss possible solutions to Mr. Iwen's flooding problems. Last October, the County Highway Department installed gates on the culverts through County Road #4 to prevent water from backing onto Mr. Iwen's land in Amenia Township at a cost of about $1,000 paid by the County, according to Mr. Klein. Also, a bridge serving the field access between Sections 20 and 21 of Wiser Township was replaced with a large culvert at a cost of $42,000. According to a memorandum to the County Commission from Keith Berndt dated October 29, 1998, the North Cass Water Resource District is paying 60% since the bridge was on a legal drain and Cass County is paying 40% of that cost. It is Mr. Klein's recommendation that the abatement be denied until such time as Mr. Iwen can show that the drainage problems on his land are incurable; and that Mr. Iwen should continue to work with the respective water resource boards in regard to his drainage issues. Mr. Klein said the Water Resource Board was very helpful and offered further assistance to Mr. Iwen. Mr. Iwen addressed the board at this time and discussed drainage issues. He said the culvert in Wiser Township will not help his situation until Drain #25 is restructured, and that will not be done until Drain #13 is improved. Mrs. Quick asked Mr. Berndt to respond, and Mr. Berndt said the Water Resource District is considering some overall drainage improvements but the future of that is uncertain. He said the bridge in Wiser Township was replaced with a culvert because it was in poor condition; and this was done to resolve Mr. Iwen's field access problem. Mr. Iwen then referred to the Amenia Township situation, and Mr. Berndt said Mr. Iwen is proposing to do some additional diking along State Highway #18, and the Water Resource District has explained the procedure to him. Mr. Meyer said township officers from both Amenia Township and Wiser Township were present at the December 15th Water Resource District meeting where it was suggested that Mr. Iwen have a survey done of his land. Mr. Klein said it was his understanding from that meeting that the Water Resource Board wants Mr. Iwen to have a professional survey done of the drainage ditch elevations to determine if it has the proper slope before they would approve of any diking application made by him to the State Water Commission. Mr. Iwen said a Soil Conservation survey had been done, however, Mr. Meyer said that survey is over 20 years old.