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Neighbor asks county to intervene on Osage Rd. sinkhole; county counsel says township responsible
Summary
A homeowner said vehicles are damaging his property as drivers bypass a sinkhole on Osage Road; county counsel told the board the road is a township responsibility and townships have taxing authority to fund repairs.
During the public comment portion of the Aug. 5 meeting, Tom Cowan, who owns property adjacent to a sinkhole on Osage Road in Walton Township, asked the county to inspect the site and help protect his land. Cowan said his family was "being impacted financially" and that vehicles driving around the sinkhole were causing damage to his property.
County Counselor Brad Jantz replied that because the road is a township road it "is an issue for the township board to resolve," noting townships have limited resources but the legal authority to levy taxes to fund operations or projects. Cowan told the commissioners he believed the township and county were ignoring the issue and requested county resources and equipment to fix the sinkhole; commissioners did not commit to direct county intervention during the public meeting but the matter was recorded for follow-up.
