Sue Sitter/PCT Dave Migler, chair of the Pierce County Board of Commissioners, speaks on county roads at the annual Pierce County Township Meeting on Jan. 19.

Mowing season is at least six months away, but representatives from Pierce County’s rural townships discussed the need to cut grass in ditches at their annual township meeting, held at Memorial Hall on Jan. 19.

The representatives discussed issues on farm-to-market and other roads with Pierce County commissioners.

Commission chair Dave Migler said Pierce County intends to enforce the Oct. 1 deadline given to farmers for mowing their ditches. Those not mowing their ditches by that date would be ordered by local ordinances to pay a $200 fee for county workers to do the job instead.

Migler also stressed the importance of maintaining right-of-ways on roads near farmland. Using work done on a farm-to-market road near Orrin as an example.

“That road cost $752,000.” he said. That’s the federal share. If you guys continue to farm the right-of-way, we could lose that $752,000. That’s what’s paid to get these farm-to-market roads reshaped and redone.”

Migler said the county would send letters to about 20 to 30 farmers violating right-of-ways on the roads.

“We’ve been warned by the state (about the violations). If this happens again, we could lose our funding,” he said.

Commissioner Terry Hoffert said if townships had to pay for the roadwork themselves, “that’s going to be a huge expense. Anytime you can get state or federal funding, you have to take advantage of that to survive.”

Several township representatives discussed the need for county workers to spray for weeds along roadsides. Migler said the county sprayed the ditches regularly in the summer.

Migler also asked the townships to increase their portion of road maintenance fees. Discussion turned to blading and winter maintenance. The township representatives voted unanimously to raise the fees from $205 per mile to $210 per mile.

Migler answered other questions about road projects running from ND Highway 3 in the southern part of the county. He noted the county would need to tap its emergency fund to deal with snow removal in all rural areas. Migler added the fund could be raised to its maximum by levying 15 mills.

The group also discussed contributing $1,000 per township for snow removal. Ken Schaan, who lives in Balta, noted all attendees used roads outside of their own township to travel in and outside of the county. The group agreed a $1,000 fee would be fair.

Snow removal for some roads had been a challenge for county workers, Migler noted, citing farm-to-market roads in White Township, which borders the Anamoose area in McHenry County.

Representatives from White, Tuscarora and Alexanter Townships did not attend the meeting.

In other business, commissioner Mike Christenson reminded the township representatives to contact the water board if they planned to place a culvert on their land. Christenson noted the price for the culverts had risen three times just in 2021. He asked the representatives to contact him if they needed new culverts.