City, county, straighten out right-of-way responsibilities

Ahrens (left) and Ledbetter discussed the complexities of maintaining the roadway right-of-ways where the city and county meet.

Mount Pleasant for Real Photo by Lou Antonelli

By LOU ANTONELLI
Editor-in-Chief

Commissioners met Monday with Road Engineer Roger Ledbetter and Mount Pleasant City Manager Mike Ahrens to discuss who does what on roads at the boundaries of the city and unincorporated county land.

Ahrens said the subject came up because of the annexation a few years ago of the Silver Creek addition, which is bounded on the north by FM 1612.

The city’s boundary runs down the middle of the road, leading to confusion over who is responsible for maintaining the right-of-way.

Ahrens said state law indicates that unless the roadway in entirely in the city limits, it is only responsible for mowing its side.

In the case of FM 1612 – also known as Silver Creek Road – that means the city mows the south right-of-way, while the county mows and maintains the northern side.

Ledbetter said there’s been some confusion because the City of Mount Pleasant Code Enforcement Department has told people they have to mow to the roadway.

Ahrens confirmed that is the way the current city ordinance is written.

“You can’t just mow your lawn and not mow between the lawn and street,” he said. “You have to mow to the street.”

Otherwise, through, the city only has to maintain the right-of-way on the south side of FM 1612.

In another example of a recent annexation, along FM 3010 near Cookville – which runs from Hwy. 67 to the Interstate 30 service road – the city is on both sides part of the way and along that section it is responsible for both right-of-ways, said Ahrens.