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Council seeks new signatures on ditch petition; wetlands and easement issues require study
Summary
City Attorney and administrator told the council that a 2018 petition to convert a south interior ditch into a legal drain will need new signatures and wetland-elevation study; the council was also asked to refer a fence-ordinance review to the Public Utilities Committee.
City Attorney Rob Fleming and Administrator Nick Ziegelmann updated the Grafton City Council on Oct. 13 about a petition from Wayne Lessard to turn a south interior ditch into a legal drain, and raised related questions about fences and hedges along Highway 17.
Fleming said he, Administrator Ziegelmann and Jon Markusen of KLJ met with the Water Board; elevations must be taken and wetlands impacts evaluated, and an easement may be necessary. Because the petition dates to 2018, Fleming instructed that new signatures be collected before proceeding. Ziegelmann said that if enough signatures are obtained the project could move forward even if the city does not formally sign it, but Fleming emphasized the city would not relinquish ownership of the ditch as it is part of the flood-control system.
Separately, Mayor West asked that discussion of the fence ordinance be referred to the Public Utilities Committee for its November meeting. Council member Donavon McMillian questioned whether the city has authority over fences or hedges along Highway 17, citing visibility concerns; minutes do not record a legal determination.
The minutes do not list a schedule for collecting signatures, a timeline for elevations or wetland permitting, or any formal commitment of city funds for the project.
