Kossuth County schedules informational meeting on petition for Drainage District 82 lateral

Kossuth County supervisors voted to set an informational meeting on Jan. 13 at 10:00 a.m. after staff presented a petition seeking improvements to Lateral 33B of Drainage District 82.

The presentation described Lateral 33B as a sizable tile main that feeds several laterals and outlets to the district’s open ditch. Speaker 3, who introduced the petition, said the lateral’s size could make it a candidate for reclassification so that only properties within the reclassified benefit area would pay for improvements. Speaker 3 told the board that because the district has not been reclassified in the past, more property owners would receive notice than would ultimately bear assessment costs and recommended sending detailed letters and a map to clarify who stands to benefit.

Board members discussed venue and notice. Speaker 2 and others urged sending a map with the notice and considered holding the meeting at the election center if turnout is large. The board agreed that proactively showing property boundaries at the informational meeting could reduce confusion and protests when formal reports are later circulated.

The motion to set the informational meeting for Jan. 13 at 10:00 a.m. was made as recorded in the minutes and carried unanimously. Speaker 6 recorded the motion and called the vote.

Next steps: staff will prepare detailed mailed notices and a map for the Jan. 13 informational meeting and circulate materials to supervisors prior to that meeting.