Landowner with federally designated wetland told to submit formal request over $93,000 drainage assessment

A DeKalb County landowner facing an approximate $93,000 drainage bill was told June 18 to submit a formal written request outlining the relief sought after board members discussed whether a federally designated wetland on the parcel should reduce the assessment.

During the surveyor’s report and ensuing discussion, participants said the parcel contains a federally registered wetland that limits development and that an earlier owner was paid roughly $18,000–$20,000 to enroll about 26 acres in a wetland program. Board members said that federal designation can restrict what a landowner may do on the property and makes relief from drainage assessments a complex question.

Board members and staff said the landowner should document any overflow or retention claimed for the wetland — photographs with dates were suggested — and submit a formal letter describing the relief requested and the basis for it. One board member said there may be state case law addressing how "benefited acres" are calculated for assessments and that staff would research precedent before the board decides.

Board members noted technical questions: whether the wetland genuinely reduces tile sizes or downstream load (thereby providing a measurable benefit to the watershed), and that any break for this landowner would shift costs to other assessed landowners unless the board authorized a different allocation. No formal decision to reduce or waive the assessment was made at the meeting; the board asked for a written request and supporting documentation before further consideration.

The transcript contains conversational references to numbers (an earlier payment of about $20,000 to the original owner and an approximate $93,000 levy to the current owner) that the board said would need verification. The board encouraged the landowner to present specific points in writing and to appear at a hearing prepared with evidence.