Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure Drainage topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Blue Earth County approves redetermination and repair for County Ditch 65; repairs to branch one ordered
Summary
The drainage authority approved a viewers' redetermination of benefits for County Ditch 65 and ordered repair work to partially reroute branch one under 200th Street, with construction estimated at $107,611, road authority costs of $17,628, and landowner assessments totaling just under $90,000; temporary damages to landowners were calculated at $2,760.
Blue Earth County’s drainage authority on June 9 approved both a redetermination of benefits and an engineers’ repair plan for County Ditch 65, allowing staff to proceed to final design and public bidding for construction on branch one.
At the redetermination hearing, appointed viewer Mark Barren described the five factors used to apportion benefits — watershed acres, soil type, location rate, presence of county tile and system efficiency — and said the viewers calculated total benefits over a 25‑year period at about $1,036,000. He described the statutory requirement for a one‑rod grass strip easement along open ditch and explained the valuation conventions used for easement payments.
Following the viewers report approval, the board heard the engineers’ repair presentation. Jake Mueller (ISG) and Ian Moran (ISG) summarized televising and field inspection results showing pipe blockages, cracks and failures in branch one where the tile runs beneath Township Road 200th Street. The engineers proposed a partial reroute and replacement of existing 12‑ and 10‑inch tiles in the right‑of‑way, matching grades and capacities, and noted considerations including buried utilities (gas lines) at the junction. The total project construction cost was estimated at $107,611, with road authority costs of $17,628 to be assessed to Judson Township; landowner assessments were reported as just under $90,000.
Viewer Mark Barren also described temporary damages for construction disturbance where 1,900 feet of tile would be moved into farm fields. Using a convention of $300 per acre rent and a two‑year damage model ($600 per acre), the viewers calculated approximately 4.66 disturbed acres and $2,760 in temporary damages to be paid as a one‑time settlement to affected landowners.
After opening and closing a public comment period with no speakers, the board moved, seconded and approved the drafted findings in order approving the engineer’s repair report and directing the engineer to prepare construction plans and specifications for bidding.
Next steps include completion of construction documents, public bidding and assessment of costs per statutory apportionment. The transcript records the board’s motions as carried; individual roll‑call tallies were not provided in the record.
