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Nemont briefs Daniels County on easements and bores for fiber crossings under county roads
Summary
Nemont representative presented sample easement language and boring/casing specifications, offered to prepare a map of current fiber crossings, and discussed alternatives (recording rights vs. noting in minutes) for keeping county staff informed about buried utilities.
Jodie Benson, representing Nemont, briefed the board on utility easements, the county’s options for recording right‑of‑way and the company’s specifications for bores under county roads.
Benson explained common practice and technical specs to commissioners: “a boore is just a hole that you drill underneath the road for the cables,” she said, and described typical casing sizes and the standard practice of using casing when crossing county roads. She offered to provide the county a printed map of existing fiber crossings and staking sheets for the specific request on South Redstone Road, and proposed either recording easements where the county holds right‑of‑way or adding a county Right‑of‑Way file and map that staff can update without the cost of recording deeds for every crossing.
Commissioners and staff discussed practical tradeoffs: the cost of recording formal easements countywide versus maintaining a map and an internal permit file, and the legal complexity where the county might not technically own the underlying road right‑of‑way. Benson said she would create a clearer map and return with specifics at a future meeting.
No formal action was taken; the board asked staff to coordinate with Nemont and consider an approach that balances cost, long‑term recordkeeping and contractor needs for future repairs or road rebuilding.
