Bill Engel was asked to leave Monday’s County Commission Meeting after clashing with commissioners over brush enforcement. Worth County Sheriff’s Deputy Jason Cain came to the meeting to maintain order. Engel subsequently left the meeting.
On Monday, December 4th, Engel, according to minutes from the County Commission, gave the county one week to cancel taxes assessed after county crews went to remove brush along roads next to land he owns that the county says were in violation of the brush law approved by voters in 2010. The tax bill, according to figures provided by the county, came out to $9,186.74.
Engel had previously clashed with the county over the brush law two years before, saying at the time at a meeting in 2015, “I cannot and will not comply,” citing EPA regulations and saying that endangered trees and plants would be destroyed by complying with the brush law. The county had sent multiple certified letters to Engel and produced return receipts that were signed by Engel. Commissioners also went out to the site and met with Engel over the brush removal.
Engel asked the commissioners what the commission was going to do about assessing taxes. “If there’s litigation, it’s going to be in Kansas City,” he said. “It’s going to be done one way or another, and I’m not going to wait until the next election.” Commissioner Tyler Paxson said that the procedures were done in proper order, that Engel was not on the agenda, and that he needed to leave. That was when Deputy Cain was called into the meeting.
“We didn’t want to do this; we told him multiple times about what needed to be done,” said Paxson. Commissioner Reggie Nonneman said that the county had no choice in the matter. “We have to enforce the brush law, because the voters approved it.”
Two other landowners have had their brush removed by the county and the costs assessed to their taxes. Several others are on the list to be done when the county crews have time to do the work.
The present commissioners have set up criteria to determine what roads are enforced. Criteria include whether the road is on a mail route or school bus route along with complaints from landowners, county crew members, and gravel delivery people. If a road is targeted for brush removal, all landowners along a road get brush letters; if a landowner does not have brush to remove, they can disregard the letter. Along with the voter-passed brush ordinance, voters passed a tax rock ordinance in 2010 in which the county delivers tax rock to all roads that have sufficient gravel base. This is in addition to the CART program, offered twice a year, in which landowners pay money to put gravel on their roads and the county puts in a matching share.
Jerry Dearmont of the Northwest Missouri Regional Council of Governments came to discuss paved roads that needed work. Commissioners said that roads in need of improvement include M (pavement peeling), the Oxford Bridge (aging), and the Jay Creek Bridge west of Grant City (narrow). Recommendations will be presented to the Transportation Advisory Committee meeting that will take place on January 2nd.
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