Williams County commissioners approve closing short section line near Tioga after public hearing

The Williams County Board of County Commissioners voted to adopt Resolution 2026-03-03 on March 3 to close a roughly 294-foot section-line segment near 10404 Highway 1804, Tioga, following a public hearing.

Petitioner Jeff Barta, who said he lives at 10404 Highway 1804, told the board he filed the petition so he could place a garage closer to his property’s section line and avoid a 33-foot statutory setback. “I’d like to build a garage right next to the section line,” Barta said, adding that closing the line would mean the county “would never have to build a road there.”

County staff and commissioners discussed the legal standard under the Century Code for closing section lines, which requires a finding of public benefit as the primary criterion. A county staff member explained that, in addition to a public-benefit finding, a line may be closed if it has not been used for 10 years, if terrain makes travel impracticable, or if alternate access exists. Several commissioners voiced concern about setting precedent by closing unused section lines.

After the hearing was closed, a commissioner moved to approve the resolution and authorize the chairman to sign. The roll-call vote recorded: Steve — Yes; Corey — No; Beau — Yes; Chris — No; Barry — Yes; the motion carried.

The resolution references the statutory requirement for a public-benefit finding in section-line closures under the Century Code and describes the footage to be closed as presented in the petition. Specific implementation steps, such as filing of amended plats or any subsequent administrative actions required to remove setbacks from county records, were not specified during the meeting.

Next steps: The county will execute the resolution as authorized; the board did not specify any additional public-notice requirements or follow-up hearings during this meeting.