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Council authorizes haul-road agreement with J and J Land Sales and approves Sheridan Township road MOU
Summary
The council authorized the city manager to sign a haul-road agreement with J and J Land Sales LLC tied to a recently annexed mining operation, specifying primary haul routes, maintenance and dust-control obligations and enforcement tied to the conditional-use permit; the council also approved an MOU with Sheridan Township narrowing the city's grading responsibility near the landfill to about two miles.
The Watertown City Council authorized the city manager to sign a haul-road (Hall Road) agreement with J and J Land Sales LLC and approved a separate memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Sheridan Township on road maintenance.
City staff told the council the haul-road agreement is a condition of a recent annexation and the Board of Adjustment's conditional-use approval for mining on a parcel annexed June 15, 2026. Staff said the primary haul route will be 31st Street south to Highway 212; the agreement requires J and J to implement dust-control measures, post signage, maintain the haul route and pave a short section of 3rd Avenue adjacent to their property during the current construction season. City Engineer Justin Peterson said the paving is expected later this construction season but a firm timeline was not available.
Council members asked about impacts on other users (notably trucks associated with Dunnic), weight limits, enforcement and how the city would verify third-party damage. City Attorney Carico and staff said enforcement will be complaint-driven (citizen reports, photos or video) and that violations of the haul-road agreement are intended to affect J and J's conditional-use permit; the city retains authority to assess whether a claimed third-party event caused damage. Staff also said J and J maintains an on-site scale for weighing trucks and that the agreement does not change existing weight limits.
Councilman Allen pressed for clarity on limits for allowing temporary use of 3rd Avenue (for example during detours or emergency conditions); staff said the city engineer or designee must authorize such temporary use in writing and that the authorization would be evaluated by the city based on the facts of each instance.
The council approved the authorization to sign the haul-road agreement on a roll-call vote after a motion by Councilman Mormon and second by Councilman Peters; the motion carried. The council also approved an updated MOU with Sheridan Township, which narrows the city's blading/grading responsibility to roughly two miles near the landfill and leaves mowing and snow plowing to the township; that MOU passed on voice vote.
Staff assigned code-enforcement and the community development department as contact points for citizen reports of violations and said that signage and dust-control requirements are included in the agreement.
