Property owners in Clark County living along county roads might want to take heed if they have trees that have limbs hanging out into the roadways.
The Clark County Fiscal Court has received numerous complaints the last few months about tree limbs obstructing drivers’ views along some county roadways, including Lafayette Boulevard and Rose Drive.
At Wednesday’s meeting, commissioners discussed the problem and what recourse the county had to rectify it.
According to state law, if the tree is growing on private property, it is the homeowner’s responsibility to keep the limbs trimmed back and away from the roadway.
According to County Attorney Brian Thomas, if the property owner does not do that, the county can come in and remove the limbs and send a send a bill to the property owner for the cost of the removal.
“If it is creating a traffic hazard, then the county can provide notice to that owner to get rid of that and how much it will cost if the county has to do it. If the owner does not respond within 30 days, then the county road engineer can remove those limbs that are overhanging into the roadway to remove the
hazard,” said Thomas. “Then the county can assess the cost of removing the limbs to the landowner, who then has 10 days to pay the bill.”
In other business the Fiscal Court approved hiring Baldwin Engineering Company to provide engineering services, at a cost of $3,500, for the county’s new parking lot at the corner of W. Broadway Street and Wall Alley.
Judge-Executive Henry Branham said Baldwin would help the county develop and bid out the project, with construction beginning in early July and being completed within 30 to 45 days.
When completed, the parking lot will provide 35-40 parking spaces for county employees and court personnel.
The court also:
— voted to notify MCON, the current provider of its home incarceration program, that the county was switching to another company to provide those services. The move was made, said County Attorney Brian Thomas, because of the recently passes House Bill 463, that changed the way people cited for non-violent offenders can be charged, which will result in many more individuals being put on home incarceration.
— accepted the Clark County Road Department’s six-year road plan. Eight roads were added to the plan including: Yorktowne Drive, Yorktowne Court, Potomac Drive, Constitution Drive, Mount Vernon Drive, Williamsburg Drive, Bunker Hill Drive and Heather Lane. Work done on roads on the six-year road plan is prioritized by need and done as funds become available.
— heard a presentation from new Winchester First Director Tim Janes on the upcoming Beer Cheese Festival.
— heard a presentation from Sandy Comargo of CDP Engineers on the Winchester Stormwater Advisory Committee.
The Clark County Fiscal Court has received numerous complaints the last few months about tree limbs obstructing drivers’ views along some county roadways, including Lafayette Boulevard and Rose Drive.
At Wednesday’s meeting, commissioners discussed the problem and what recourse the county had to rectify it.
According to state law, if the tree is growing on private property, it is the homeowner’s responsibility to keep the limbs trimmed back and away from the roadway.
According to County Attorney Brian Thomas, if the property owner does not do that, the county can come in and remove the limbs and send a send a bill to the property owner for the cost of the removal.
“If it is creating a traffic hazard, then the county can provide notice to that owner to get rid of that and how much it will cost if the county has to do it. If the owner does not respond within 30 days, then the county road engineer can remove those limbs that are overhanging into the roadway to remove the
hazard,” said Thomas. “Then the county can assess the cost of removing the limbs to the landowner, who then has 10 days to pay the bill.”
In other business the Fiscal Court approved hiring Baldwin Engineering Company to provide engineering services, at a cost of $3,500, for the county’s new parking lot at the corner of W. Broadway Street and Wall Alley.
Judge-Executive Henry Branham said Baldwin would help the county develop and bid out the project, with construction beginning in early July and being completed within 30 to 45 days.
When completed, the parking lot will provide 35-40 parking spaces for county employees and court personnel.
The court also:
— voted to notify MCON, the current provider of its home incarceration program, that the county was switching to another company to provide those services. The move was made, said County Attorney Brian Thomas, because of the recently passes House Bill 463, that changed the way people cited for non-violent offenders can be charged, which will result in many more individuals being put on home incarceration.
— accepted the Clark County Road Department’s six-year road plan. Eight roads were added to the plan including: Yorktowne Drive, Yorktowne Court, Potomac Drive, Constitution Drive, Mount Vernon Drive, Williamsburg Drive, Bunker Hill Drive and Heather Lane. Work done on roads on the six-year road plan is prioritized by need and done as funds become available.
— heard a presentation from new Winchester First Director Tim Janes on the upcoming Beer Cheese Festival.
— heard a presentation from Sandy Comargo of CDP Engineers on the Winchester Stormwater Advisory Committee.
