Board declines Harbor Lane vacation as drafted, orders republish to property line

Brandon Biermeister, interim county engineer, presented Resolution 37-2025 to vacate approximately 928 feet of Harbor Lane, but the board voted to deny the resolution as it was published and directed staff to republish the vacation to the property line so the entire stretch can be considered at a future public hearing. The motion to not approve the currently-published resolution and republish carried on a roll call vote.

The matter mattered because the map in the packet did not extend to the property line the landowners and some supervisors expected. County staff and a landowner said they had understood the vacation would go to the property line; county staff reported that extending the vacation would require republishing the notice and holding another public hearing. “I just checked with the county attorney if we could extend it without republishing, and, no, we can't,” a county staff member said during the discussion.

Biermeister described the item as a request to vacate roughly 928 feet of Harbor Lane. Landowners who appeared said they had been told the matter was finished and that the vacation would include the driveway area to the property line. County staff and the county attorney advised that any extension beyond the originally published map would require a new publication and additional public hearing notices.

After extended back-and-forth with the landowners and staff about whether the published map reached the property line, Supervisor Tim (first name provided in the transcript) moved to not approve Resolution 37-2025 as published and to republish the vacation to include the property line; that motion was seconded and passed by roll call (the board recorded ayes). The board directed staff to republish legal notice and schedule a new public hearing; staff indicated a hearing could be scheduled in two weeks after publication requirements are met and cited a likely public hearing date of July 29 at 10:00 a.m.

The action means the board will consider the full stretch — from the currently published endpoint to the property line — in a single republished notice and hearing rather than approving the shorter segment as currently published. Staff said the road department will handle the republishing and notices and bring the republished item back for a new public hearing and vote.

Affected parties were told they are welcome to attend the republished hearing and speak in favor or opposition; staff and the landowners were directed to coordinate on the notice timeline.

Notes: the board did not approve the version of Resolution 37-2025 that was on the agenda and instead directed republication to include the property line for one consolidated hearing.