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Washington County approves small right‑of‑way payments to advance Burdett Road state‑aid projects
Summary
Supervisors authorized county staff to pay three landowners small sums to acquire right‑of‑way parcels for Burdett Road and related state‑aid projects and instructed the administrator to execute payments so the county can move the projects to letting once state review finishes.
Washington County supervisors voted to approve small right‑of‑way payments to three landowners so the county can complete acquisitions linked to Burdett Road and related state‑aid projects.
Road department representatives told the board that several state‑aid projects (including Burdett Road and SABP 7601 / LSBP 7631) are nearly ready for advertisement but need small parcel acquisitions. The county manager recommended the administrator be authorized to issue checks for the agreed amounts so deeds can be returned to the state aid contact and the county can certify compliance with state aid rules.
The board approved administrator authority to pay Harry Brant Land Company $232 for 0.029 acre (Branton property), TGM Land Company $2,720 for 0.34 acre, and Merrell/Merle Planning Company $312 for 0.039 acre to acquire needed easements. County staff said the payments reflect market calculations tied to recent local sales and that formally hiring appraisers and review appraisers would exceed the value of the small parcels.
Officials noted outstanding permitting and reviews that still must be cleared before letting: one wetlands report awaiting U.S. Army Corps of Engineers review and a cultural assessment requested by state historic/archeological reviewers (for potential Indigenous artifacts), which could delay clearance by several months. Staff said they had requested extensions from state aid to avoid rescission of funds while the county completes the procurements and environmental clearances.
The payments were presented as routine steps to secure minimal‑sized parcels necessary to relocate utilities and establish construction limits; the board voted unanimously to authorize the payments and for the county administrator to issue the checks.
County staff said once state aid signs off on the outstanding reports and certifies right‑of‑way acquisition, the county will advertise the projects for construction.
