First step: Annexation

Clearwater officials recently received a surprise they weren't expecting.

Property owned by the village, from the little baseball field, south to the tree dump, is not in village limits.

"How are they not in city limits when the dump is owned by the city?" Trustee Marsha Hart asked during the Aug. 12 board meeting.

Chairman Kelly Kerkman said it was never annexed in.

Village clerk Angie Hupp explained how she made the discovery.

In past years, lane mile reports submitted by the village's street superintendent included only the west side of Montana Street, past Dibble Street.

Current engineer and street superintendent John Zwingman added the east side when he updated reports, resulting in discussion between the state and Hupp.

"The state said it's been a center line split with the county since the 1980s," she said. "I told them, 'But it's our street.'"

Hupp reviewed records with Antelope County Clerk Lisa Payne. When the Mitchell subdivision was added in 1910, the Page in courthouse records wasn't filled in.

"We've got nothing," Hupp said.

Village attorney Kyle Peterson said a survey will be necessary if deed records are unavailable.

"If you're looking at potentially doing a housing subdivision, it'll help to have that platted out into different lots for how you want that to be developed," the lawyer said.

The village's planning and zoning commission would need to give the nod to the subdivision, which would advance to the trustees for approval, with three separate readings of the proposal required.

Boundaries on potential annexed land will be determined and Peterson will draft a resolution for annexation.