<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<TITLE>Message</TITLE>
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16544" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY>
<DIV><SPAN class=875342621-03122007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#800000
size=2>Vizzz Peeps,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=875342621-03122007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#800000
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=875342621-03122007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#800000
size=2>Donovan is partially correct, and had he read the posting by Stephanie
Kalasz he would see what I mean. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=875342621-03122007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#800000
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=875342621-03122007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#800000
size=2>Inside city limits, a property owner doesn't technically own to the
center of the road. As a matter of fact, a lot of people don't own the
lawn and sidewalk that city code requires them to take care of. These are
platted streets that become part of the city's system.
</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=875342621-03122007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#800000
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=875342621-03122007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#800000
size=2>In the county, it's a little different. Some roads are deeded, and
the property owner owns to the edge of the right-of-way (generally 50
feet). Most roads, however, are not deeded, but they are public roads
through prescriptive use. In other words, since people have historically
been driving on them they are public roads. These roads that exist through
prescriptive use, while owned to the center by adjacent property owners, are not
taxed. They are referred to as "waste acreage" since the local highway
district has jurisdiction over them. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=875342621-03122007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#800000
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=875342621-03122007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#800000
size=2>The highway district then maintains these roads through funds collected
-- for the most part -- from property tax, license fees, and fuel tax (as
well as a few smaller other funding sources). Some of those
funds are actually transferred to the city (because all city residents live
within a highway district and pay highway district taxes) for road (street)
maintenance as well.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=875342621-03122007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#800000
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=875342621-03122007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#800000
size=2>As far as the shovelling of snow into the street, I agree with Paul's
initial grumble. For years it always tweaked me that I could spend all day
plowing snow on my route and end up with some nice clean roads, leaving as
little berm as possible in front of peoples' driveways. Then I'd make my
way back and someone has pushed all their snow out of their driveway into the
road. I've always made it a point (since I've had a driveway of my own to
maintain) to shovel to the sides rather than into the street. I've never
understood why people wouldn't do that.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=875342621-03122007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#800000
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=875342621-03122007><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#800000
size=2>DC</FONT></SPAN></DIV></BODY></HTML>