County board agrees to abandon County Ditch 4; final order set for May 6

After a public hearing, the Benton County Ditch Authority voted to grant a petition to abandon County Ditch (CD) 4 and directed staff to prepare a final order for the authority’s next meeting.

County engineer Chris (title: county drainage/engineer) reviewed CD4’s history and recent viewer work. He reported the ditch was originally established in 1904, that liens on benefited parcels were released in 1916, and that a repair petition and work were completed in 1927 (repair cost documented at $563.86). He said the most recent viewers’ work, completed in February 2022, indicated future repairs would be subject to the Minnesota Wetland Conservation Act, requiring wetland typing and potential mitigation purchases; mitigation costs were unknown and could exceed the determined benefits.

Landowners Mike Krakowski and Jim Ganz spoke during the public comment period to explain local maintenance practices and the request to abandon the drainage system. Chris confirmed the viewers indicated changing the historical channel length would not alter the watershed boundary or the assessed benefited acres. Board members and staff discussed existing account balances, the need to recover administrative and publishing costs associated with the abandonment petition, and the legal process for abandonment.

The board heard a motion to grant the abandonment petition, with an explicit finding that repair costs would outweigh benefits; the motion was amended to make the abandonment contingent on payment of outstanding fees and to direct staff to return a final order at the Ditch Authority’s next meeting on May 6 at 09:00. The motion and amendment were seconded and carried (vote recorded as "Aye; carried").