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Vermillion County drainage ordinance amendments sent to APC after board clarifications
Summary
The Vermillion County Drainage Board approved a set of edits to a draft drainage ordinance — clarifying culvert/end-section language, inspection access, fee items and adding a variance pathway — and voted to forward the packet and permit forms to the Area Planning Commission for review.
The Vermillion County Drainage Board voted to forward a revised draft drainage ordinance and accompanying permit forms to the Area Planning Commission for review after a detailed discussion about culvert end sections, inspection access and application fees.
Board members spent the bulk of their meeting reviewing line-by-line changes to the draft. Members suggested removing a stray reference to “Falcon County surveyor,” adding language requiring permittees to provide access to the surveyor or its representative for inspections (discussed in relation to section 311), and rewording culvert-end requirements so the county approves end-section designs rather than mandating a single precast concrete product. The board also discussed rodent screens for pipes larger than 12 inches and residential minimums for culvert placement and compaction procedures.
Members pressed for a clear variance pathway for unusual sites. The board agreed to add a variance request procedure similar to the drain-assessment variance clause already in the packet so applicants can seek relief when standard installation requirements are impractical for an existing field drive or shallow ditch.
The group also flagged several confusing fee-line items in the draft permit packet: the draft lists a $50 application fee for a drainage plan, a $35 review fee for culvert reviews, and a $75 private-drive review fee. Board members asked staff to simplify the fee schedule and to clarify whether applicants must pay separate fees for preliminary and final plan reviews.
After the edits were summarized, a motion to take the amended ordinance and permit materials to the APC passed by voice vote. The board directed the chair and staff to deliver the packet and to incorporate the drafting clarifications noted at the meeting before APC review.
The board did not adopt a final ordinance at the meeting; it approved sending the amended draft and permit forms to APC for the next step in the review process.
Board members said legal review remains important and that the county attorney’s office should confirm final statutory references and formatting before APC presentation.
