County residents voice dismay over road priority

By Sharon McLeay Times Contributor

Wheatland County residents are voicing concern about an easement and road improvements beside NE-17-23-24-W4 along RR 244 near Namaka.
Some residents attended Wheatland County council’s meeting Dec. 6, asking why improvements had been cancelled.
“When we talked to Mike Ziehr (county transportation and infrastructure manager), he said the road is no longer up for development and is not even on the tenure list any longer,” said Myrna Lee Johnson who appeared at the council meeting.
Residents have asked for improvement to the road for over 23 years, and they say to date nothing has been done. Residents said they’ve talked with various county councillors over the years, and last summer were notified that a surveyor might be accessing their land to measure for improvements.
Two letters complaining about the cancellation indicated snow removal and access to their properties are problematic. Another said the delay is holding up estate planning and building plans. The letters indicated concerns that emergency crews could not obtain easy access if needed.
Reeve Amber Link said the road was on the short road construction program for approval that came before council in January and council approved it.
“Part of my challenge, with this decision by council that we inadvertently made, is the process. So, we have ratepayers in this area who were presented these road plans, seen these road plans, been called about surveyors coming on their land. They knew this was in the works … they were informed this was being built,” said Link. “We made a decision that is impacting these ratepayers. I am sympathetic to our ratepayers in the changes we make in our decisions. Unless we have a really, really strong rationale for cancelling that … that is where my issue is, because it was presented and there was that expectation it was going to be built.”
Ziehr said the 10-year-long term road planning is reviewed every year and staff rate the work based on priority.
“We did look at a full review of the road program this spring, both short and long, and dropped a couple roads that probably were not high on the priority list, as far as we were concerned … for daily trip traffic, heavy loads and that sort of thing. Roads that are highly travelled get priority, basically,” said Ziehr.
Link said she failed to notice that the road in question was dropped from the short road program in the spring and felt that changes should be highlighted, so the process with council could be improved. She said she tried drive to some of the acreages, but found many were not accessible.
“I understand that heavier travelled roads are more of a priority, but I also think this is dangerous for these residents,” said Johnson. “When I started rallying my neighbours, I could not believe what conditions they had to go through every day to get to their homes.”
She said the efforts residents have to go to get out of their properties in the winter should make it a priority.
Ziehr said that to go ahead with development required a wetland assessment that would cost $50,000 to $80,000 and developing the road itself would be $500,000 to $600,000.
There are seven landowners affected by the cancellation. Wheatland County council from 20 years ago allowed the purchase of the acreages, with inadequate easements and roads to today’s standards.
Councillor Jason Wilson said assessing adequate road access is something landowners should consider on purchasing a property.
Deputy Reeve Glenn Koester and Ziehr stated county policies indicate there is no liability, or responsibility for road development by the county for the affected parties. There are many properties in the county with undeveloped road accesses, and some residents have worked with the county to construct roads connecting to their properties and paid to have them put in.
No decision was made, but Link promised to bring the matter forward again.