Supervisors allocate funding for permanent drainage ditch

Holt County Supervisors approved fixing a drainage issue on the corner of 496 Avenue and 871 road, approximately two miles east of O'Neill. Whether Grattan Township will assist with costs for the upgrade wasn't immediately clear during the board's Oct. 15 meeting at the Holt County Courthouse meeting room.

Road superintendent, Gary Connot, said concerns surfaced approximately one and one-half years ago, when homes in the area were impacted by surface and subsurface water.

County road department members met with landowners downstream, property owners being impacted and township officials.

"They said, could we dig a five-foot cut through this back slope of the road and drain the water away from the road and their homes," Connot said.

County road employees performed the work, according to Connot.

"The water run, for over a year, down this road, down the ditch and it spilled out into the road. The road has been closed for about a year," Connot said. "In the last two to three months, it has dried up and people have been going through this."

Connot told supervisors a permanent drainage ditch for the area is necessary.

The proposed drainage plan would move the water approximately three-quarters of a mile south to the railroad right-of-way, where it will cross the right-of-way and the county road, and meander to the Elkhorn River.

Connot said he has been working closely with two landowners affected by the water.

"This drainage plan will assist this water in getting away," he added. "They will manage and maintain their waterways to get it to the river."

Chairman Bill Tielke called the water concerns a "unique situation" and noted landowners want to find a remedy.

"A couple houses' valuations were altered because of water damage," he said. "We can eliminate those problems."

"Landowners have got quite a bit of the rock material to go on top they're donating. The township, we don't know the amount, so it comes back to the county, and I guess what we're looking at for costs," he said.

The chairman said three lots have sold in the area for new home construction.

"The valuation should be able to be put back on some of this ground to offset our input," he said.

Supervisor Don Hahlbeck noted he has inspected the area and is in favor of the funding.

Connot said grading for the project could run $20,000 to 25,000. Surfacing, seeding, restoration and fencing would also need to be calculated into the final total.

"We still don't know how much the township will contribute," Tielke said.

Supervisor Steve Boshart asked what the goal is as far as payment.

Tielke said landowner contributions, valuations on new construction and township funding should offset the expense.

"We need to get our water to go somewhere," Tielke said.

Supervisor Robert Snyder, of Ewing, asked Connot if an engineer had been consulted.

According to the road superintendent, an engineer designed the drainage ditch in the right-of-way.

"If you just grate up the road, you wouldn't address, you wouldn't get the water to flow clear to the tracks. There needs to be some definite cut and fill sections in both the ditch and roadway to make the water flow to the railroad, and thus, to the river," Connot said.

Tielke reported that several landowners were removing trees at their cost.

"There's been good cooperation," he said.

Boshart agreed work needs to be done but expressed concerns.

"I don't know where you draw the line in the county ... I don't know where you stop and start."

Supervisor Doug Frahm added, "If you drain this one, what do you have to do for the rest of them?"

Tielke said ditches and culverts in the area have been allowed to collapse over the years.

"At one time, what we're wanting to redo was in place, it wasn't maintained," he said.

Frahm asked if the railroad company expressed concerns.

"Apparently, we're good," Tielke said.

Snyder asked if the township had funds available.

Tielke noted they will contribute, but had not given a definite amount.

"We cannot tell them how much they have to contribute, but they are going to contribute," Tielke said.

Frahm responded, "It would be nice to know how much they're willing to contribute."

When pressed for a total cost, Connot said, again, estimates for construction were between $20, 000 and $25,000, with additional costs for seeding, culverts and restoration.

"I think you should know the dollar amount," Snyder said. "Might be $30,000. Might be $40,000."

Boshart said he agreed with Snyder.

"But, how many things have we built in the last 10 years that we've know exact how much it's going to cost us."

"Apparently none," Snyder said. "The next project when somebody comes in here, are you going to okay that, too?"

"Depends on the scope of the project," Tielke said.

"I don't know if that's fair to the taxpayers," Snyder said.

Tielke said land valuations have not decreased much.

"People have come up with enough reasons we've lowered valuations. When you continue to lower valuations because there's a water puddle or the basement could get wet, this will at least put some stuff back on the tax roll," Tielke said.

Frahm asked if the board would be setting a precedent "to drain ground to make it more valuable."

"We'll never be done. I don't want that to happen," he said.

"We've put in a lot of culverts and drained a lot of area for the very reason we're doing here," Tielke said

Following a Hahlbeck motion, seconded by Boshart, supervisors unanimously approved the maintenance plan.

In other business, the board:

• approved change orders for nine Emergency Watershed Protection Program projects. Connot noted site conditions had changed so original plans were able to be modified.

• listened to a quarterly update from weed superintendent Bill Babutzke, who reported 115 inspections had been completed throughout the year, up 50 from 2019.

• agreed to list pieces of surplus equipment on an online auction forum. Smaller pieces will be offered via regular auction.

• granted a wage increase for the custodian at the courthouse annex.