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Ely council approves partial reimbursement to fix disputed Georgetown Ranch fence, requires contractor licensing
Summary
Facing a contested property line and blocked culvert access, the Ely City Council approved moving a fence to the recorded line and to reimburse half the cost up to $2,250, requiring the contractor to obtain City license before work begins.
The Ely City Council on June 12 approved a plan to correct a contested fence line between private owner Ben Noyes and the city'leased Georgetown Ranch, resolving a dispute that had blocked culvert access and limited water flow.
Noyes told the council he bought the property in 2021 and had a survey completed after conversations with city staff; he said the fence he installed followed an old jog and that the jog was intended to accommodate culverts and seasonal pooling. "I bought the property in 2021, and I asked Engineer Almberg if there was a recent survey, or if the City would like to do a survey; I'd pay for half, and they could pay for half and put a fence line in," Noyes said. He said the fence as installed leaves him about thirty feet short on his side.
Betsy Vogler, the Georgetown lessee, told the council the existing fence configuration blocks water and access. She said straightening the triangular jog and restoring original ditches would give both lessee and owner access to the water. "If we just went straight through, that would be okay," Vogler said.
After discussion about cost and survey boundaries, Councilman Terrill Trask moved to approve Option 2 from Noyes's proposals: replace the fence corner to corner on the surveyed line and have the city reimburse half the expense up to $2,250. The motion was amended to require that K-3 Fencing obtain a City of Ely contractor license before beginning work. The motion carried unanimously.
City Clerk Jennifer Lee noted that K-3 Fencing is not currently licensed in the City and must obtain proper licensing before work commences. City Engineer B.J. Almberg said the survey established the east line but did not set all corner monuments, and the council framed this action as a practical resolution to clear the culvert and water-access problem while preserving the parties' rights to further survey and record boundary changes later.
The council's action requires the fence contractor to secure local licensing and authorizes a one-time reimbursement to the property owner for half the fence cost (capped at $2,250). The decision resolves the immediate access issue; further, Noyes acknowledged he might later seek to adjust other fence segments to match a full recorded property line.
The council did not alter any water-rights ownership or long-term lease terms in the motion; it limited its action to fence correction and administrative requirements. Work may proceed once the contractor is licensed and the parties coordinate logistics.
