Over the many years the Times has been online, we've consistently heard from Dorchester residents who support paving more of the town's streets.One resident emailed us, "If we want to grow Dorchester and encourage more people to build here, improve their homes here, and bring more business here, we need paved streets."
He added: "It would sure be nice if we could start the street paving process without waiting another 20 years for the village board to move."
Well, it can be done, according to our research.
Section 17-510 of Nebraska law says a petition can be started by those who have property next to an unimproved street (meaning gravel or dirt). Note the key word: landowners -- not just residents.
If the petition were signed by enough landowners -- representing at least 61% of the front footage of the property directly abutting the street proposed to be paved -- the governing body (the village board) by ordinance would be forced to create a paving district or districts, barring some loophole -- such as no sewer or water hook-up on that street.
The petition would have to be worded precisely to specify that paving of a certain street or streets is desired.
As it was explained to the Times, a paving district -- or street improvement district -- could take one of many forms. The street improvement district could consist of one street on one block, or comprise the entire town, or anything in between. The smaller the paving district, the better chances of paving occurring.
The process is simple, yet there are many moving parts, according to experts we contacted. For example, the village board would need to levy special assessments on the lots and parcels of land abutting on or adjacent to the paved street to finance the work.
Special assessments for such projects could be paid over a 15-year period.
To see the section of state law that allows this petition process, click here.
I just wish the board would take this paving issue more seriously. Why should citizens who want their street paved have to go through a petition process??? In other towns, the boards actively push improvements, including paved streets, and the board has to fight some loose wingnuts who want to stop anything that resembles progress. Wish we had that problem!
ReplyDeleteI know Dorchester losts residents in the past because they wouldn't pave the streets. I know people moved to Crete because of this.
ReplyDeleteSo how do we start a petition drive? Block by block or town wide?
ReplyDeleteWe lost a good guy who worked at the village and Marvin continues to sit and watch tv in his office before any paving get John back and do something the town really needs so many weeds by the village hall and the only one mowing is poor Jerud Jensen it's sad and pathetic of course positive things do not get published and truth doesn't either
ReplyDeleteThe whole town needs to be paved, otherwise gravel and dirt from unpaved streets will be carried onto the nicely paved streets and they will still be a mess. It will be so much easier to keep the streets clean if they are all paved during the same process. Time to get it all done!!
ReplyDeleteVision the streets of dorchester paved. How great of an improvement would that be???
ReplyDeleteDo the "no pave" people, especially the ones on the town board, ever read the comments on this blog? Just wondering.
ReplyDeleteI've read this article several times and given it some thought, and I must say that I commend the blog for publishing it and taking this approach. If I served on the village board, even though I want paving, I think I'd let this paving issue be citizen driven. You can't justify putting a paved street and curb next to a trailer court or a block from the grain elevator where no one will build or improve. Instead let the citizens come forward, draw up the paving district as they think it best serves them, sign a petition and get it done. This is the right way to do things. A village board is a volunteer group and doesn't want to stir up controversy unnecessarily, so let the people who want paving get off their butts, talk to their neighbors instead of watching TV, form a coalition and present signatures to the board. Like the article says, by state law the village board would then have to act.
ReplyDeleteHopefully the new sales tax will help move this along after they get the current improvements finished and partly payed for
ReplyDeleteMabe we need to elect new members to the board people who would be for paving and improving the town
ReplyDelete