Despite a number of residents protesting the consideration of implementing a maintenance fee on the Leonard Wilson Ditch in the southern part of the County, the Marshall County Drainage Board approved the measure following a public hearing last week.
In late fall, Jon Benedict came to the Drainage Board seeking assistance in getting some of his property south of State Road 10 in the area of Bigley’s Orchard and the CMA Airport from being under water.
The tile has never had a maintenance assessment on it. Originally the neighbors in the area, back in the 60’s decided they could maintain the ditch cheaper than the county could and joined forces and finances to do so. Over the years those initial neighbors have died and the ditch has fallen into major issues with overgrown weeks, brush, and silt.
Benedict told the Drainage Board the history he found showed the ditch was cleaned in 1952, 1962, 1977, in the early 90’s and again in 98 with a main cleaning. Since that time nothing has been done.
The water shed of the Leonard Wilson Ditch is 547 acres and 48% of the property owners remonstrated against the proposed $8 per acre maintenance assessment. Thirteen property owners wrote letters of objection to the assessment.
Benedict, who filed the petition to get the regulated drain on maintenance, told the board he has 21% of the property in the watershed.
Drainage Board member Kurt Gardner said, “The pictures show it hasn’t been maintained and our responsibility is to maintain it.”
County Surveyor Larry Fisher said, “We have allowed the will of the people but on this drain it’s not working.”
The Marshall County Drainage Board voted 3 to 2, with Kevin Overmyer and Kurt Garner voting against the implementation of a maintenance assessment.
