200. Town Roads

201. Township Roads: Page Township is the road authority for all roads that have been properly accepted by the Town. The Board is responsible for maintaining all roads such that they are passable by motorized and non-motorized vehicles and pedestrians. Any hazard or impediment to navigation shall be removed or abated as soon as practicable.

202. Acceptance of New Roads: Page Township shall only accept new roads that meet minimum standards and are approved by the Town Board.

Sect. 1. General Requirements: The following shall be required of all new Town roads:

The road surface shall be a minimum of 26’ wide (13’ from centerline).
The surface shall be sloped away from the centerline at 3.0 – 4.0%.
The road bed shall be composed of 12” pit run granular material (4” max diameter) and topped with 6” of compacted, class 5 aggregate.
Ditches shall be a minimum of 2’ deep with 4-1 inslopes and 3-1 backslopes
Where possible, roads should be through streets.
Dead-end roads must extend to the next property line (OR an easement must extend to the property line). A hammer-head turn-around must be included.
The property owner/developer will be responsible for upkeep on the road for two (2) years with the exception of regular maintenance (i.e. grading and snow plowing).
All necessary road signage must be properly placed.
Any areas that are higher than the roadway must be back-sloped at the 3:1 angle. An easement is required for the extended back slope.

Sect. 2. Application: Developers shall submit to the Clerk preliminary plans for any road intended to be dedicated as a public right-of-way prior to construction. The applicant must include: location, length, width, and material of the road surface; drainage ditches and culverts; driveway location(s). The application will be reviewed at the next subsequent Board meeting. Applicant will pay a permit fee to be set by the Board at the annual re-organization meeting.

Sect. 3. Inspections: Page Township reserves the right to inspect every phase of construction (including ditches, culverts, and sign installation) as it is completed. A final inspection must be satisfactorily completed prior to final acceptance. Applicant may be required to pay any testing and sampling fees above and beyond the cost of the permit.

Sect. 4. Acceptance: The Board may act to accept the new road by resolution at any meeting following completion. It shall then be filed with the Mille Lacs County Recorder, added to Town road maps, and included in the Roads Recorded (Section 920). Recording fees will be charged to the applicant.

203. Road Maintenance: Residents and landowners are not permitted to perform any maintenance work on Town roads. Should work be done, they are solely liable for any damages incurred.

Sect. 1. Gravel: Additional gravel shall be added and packed into existing road beds at an annual rate of no less than 1/2” per year not less frequently than once every 4 years. The amount and frequency of added gravel may be modified as needed by the Board.

Sect. 2. Grading: All Town roads shall be graded approximately twice per month, weather permitting. Higher or lower frequency of grading certain areas shall be at the discretion of the Board.

Sect. 3. Snow & Ice Removal: The Town shall have all roads passable within a reasonable amount of time after a snowfall has stopped but does not assure a completely bare road.

a. Dispatching of Snowplow: The Town may dispatch snowplow(s) on Township roads during or after snow events. The Township will usually not dispatch the snowplow until after 3” of snow has fallen. The snowplow will not be sent out in situations that may be hazardous due to restricted visibility.

b. Operations: Generally, the cleaning of roads will consist of three phases: (1) making the road passable; (2) widening; and (3) cleaning up. Depending on the situation, more than one phase may be accomplished at one time.

c. Personal Property: Mailboxes and fences damaged during snow plowing will be evaluated case by case. Only those mailboxes with a proper swing-away post which were damaged by actual contact with the snow plowing equipment maybe repaired at the Township’s expense.

It is unlawful to plow snow from driveways onto or across public roads. Piles of snow left on or near the road can freeze into a solid mass creating a hazardous situation for vehicles and snowplows. Accidents and damages caused by snow piles placed in the roadway may result in liability to the property owner.

The Town’s snow plowing contractor will not attempt to remove stuck vehicles from ditches, snow banks, or any other impediment. When directed by a Supervisor, the Town’s snow plowing contractor will make an emergency plowing effort through private property.

Sect. 4. Minimum Maintenance Roads: The Town may declare certain roads, or sections of roads, to be Minimum Maintenance Roads. Upon such designation, the roadways are not subject to standard maintenance activities but must remain safely passable to all vehicle traffic.

a. Designation: The Board shall have discretion in designating a Minimum Maintenance Road, but considerations may include number of residences, seasonal needs, alternate access routes, and other factors that reasonably determine the demand for public roads.

b. Temporary Closure: Pursuant to a Board resolution approved each year, the Town may temporarily close Minimum Maintenance Roads for up to four months in any calendar year.

Sect. 5. Dust Control: Landowners are permitted to purchase and apply—directly or with a contractor—approved dust control products in accordance with the product label. The road will still be graded as deemed necessary by the Town Board. Landowners apply all dust control material at their own risk and cost.

a. Notification and Acceptance: Landowner must inform the Town of the intention to apply dust control prior to application. Upon acceptance, landowner must flag the area according to instructions from the Town, such that brightly-colored markers are visible on both sides of the road on both ends of the treatment area. A permit fee may be required.

204. Driveway and ROW

Sect. 1. Purpose: The purpose of this policy establishing driveway access and right-of-way alteration regulations and permit requirements (“policy”) is to specify requirements for the construction or installation of a new or alteration of existing driveway or field access which spans or crosses a Township Right-of-Way and connects to a Township Road or otherwise makes structural alterations within a Township Right-of-Way controlled by Page Township (“Page”) as the Road Authority.

Sect. 2. Legal Authority: This policy is enacted under the following authority:

Sect. 3 Permit Requirement: A parcel’s owner or designee (“Applicant”) must obtain a permit from Page prior to construction, installation, or replacement of any driveway, field access, or any other structure, barrier, or bridge that crosses, spans, excavates, or otherwise substantially alters a Town Right-of-Way. This shall include shaping of ditches, driveway side-slopes, or replacement of an existing driveway culvert in its current location. In addition, a permit shall be required for connecting any new drainage or expanding existing drainage into the Town ditch.

A permit fee shall be set according to a schedule adopted by the Page Board of Supervisors.
The permit fee may be increased, pursuant to the fee schedule above, if construction has already begun or is completed without an approved permit in place.
A separate deposit may be required, pursuant to the fee schedule above. The deposit shall be returned upon final inspection of an approved driveway.
No permit is required for standard maintenance, such as placing additional gravel on an existing driveway surface, cleaning out culverts, or vegetation management.

Sect. 4 Application Procedure: A completed application must be submitted along with any applicable permit fees and deposit. Prior to submission of the application, applicant shall place a stake, inscribed with the applicant’s last name, on each side of the proposed driveway or other alteration of the right-of-way. The application shall include:

Applicant and property owner names, addresses, and contact information.
A sketch showing the parcel boundaries, nearby driveways and intersections, and any other pertinent information.
Any other information required by the Page Board of Supervisors on the application form.
A designee granted authority by Page to approve permits may refer the application to the full Board of Supervisors for final consideration.

Sect. 5 Driveway Regulations: In issuing a permit, Page or its designee will provide specific requirements for driveway placement, width, and culvert size as well as other requirements as appropriate. The following technical specifications shall be generally applicable to all driveways:

Residential 16 feet

Farm/Field 20 feet

Commercial/Industrial 30 feet

Sect. 6. Drainage Regulations: A permit is required for any new or expanded drainage connection to a ditch within a Page right-of-way. The applicant must provide details to Page of the area to be drained.

In order for a permit to be granted, sufficient outlet must exist such that there are not negative downstream impacts.
Page or its designee may set conditions for approval of permit, including payment for expanding connected road or approach culverts, installation of water retention structures, or others as deemed necessary by Page or its designee.

Sect. 7 Other Requirements: The following requirements apply to all permits issued:

may be started until the Application is approved and the Permit issued.

205. Ditches & Hydrology: The Town shall ensure that water flows properly along its natural route alongside and underneath Town roads

Sect. 1. Ditches: Ditches shall be maintained such that water can flow at all times of year and shall be of sufficient depth to shed water from the roadbed.

a. Improvements: When the Town makes improvements to road ditches, it shall be responsible for replacing any existing private driveways or other accesses, including culverts, that were compliant with Chapter 204. At the discretion of the Town, noncompliant accesses may be improved and costs may be billed or assessed to the affected landowner.

Sect. 2. Culverts: Culverts shall be placed under Town roads such that water does not flow over the roadbed during normal conditions and annual fluctuations.

Sect. 3. Wetland Conservation Act: All road projects affecting hydrology, such as new or expanded culverts, road ditches, or road expansion, must be submitted for review by Mille Lacs County for compliance with the Wetland Conservation Act.

206. Right-of-Way Maintenance:

Sect. 1. General: The Town reserves the right to manage up to the greater of thirty-three (33) feet from the center line of all Town roads or the distance that has historically been maintained or used for snow storage.

a. Hazards to Navigation: The Town shall eliminate all hazards to safe navigation of Town roads including but not limited to: vegetation, rocks, debris, refuse, fences.

b. Visibility: The Town shall ensure sufficient visibility at all intersections to see oncoming traffic from a safe distance.

c. Minimum Maintenance Roads: Designated roads pursuant to Chapter 203, Sect. 4 shall not be subject to standard maintenance, but must be remain safely passable by all vehicle traffic.

Sect. 2. Mowing: All Town right-of-ways shall be mowed at least once per year a minimum of seven feet and maximum of eight feet from the edge of the road bed as appropriate. Vegetation shall be mowed to between four and six inches in height. The first mowing shall be completed by August 1 annually unless ordered otherwise by the Board of Supervisors.

Sect. 3. Brush Control: Vegetation smaller than six (6) inches in diameter shall be eliminated with either herbicide application or manual cutting or removal at any time deemed necessary by the Board of Supervisors.

a. Herbicide: Any herbicide must be applied by a licensed applicator from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture in category J. Any application on surface water must be done with a product labelled for such use.

1. Notification: Landowners shall receive written notification at least two weeks prior to the proposed application of any foliar herbicide or overspray. No notification is required for direct application to a cut stump or basal bark unless required by the product label.

2. Opt-Out: Landowners have the right to refuse herbicide treatment. They shall be notified of alternate means of controlling brush and keeping the right-of-way free of hazards to navigation.

a. Agreement: Landowner must sign a three-year agreement and work must be done in compliance with Township specifications as well as all local, state and federal regulations. Work must be completed by June 1 of each year. Failure to comply will result in termination of the agreement, with the work done by the Township and assessed to their property taxes.

b. Manual: A brush mower or other mechanical device may be used either in particular areas or along entire rights-of-way. No landowner notification is required.

Sect. 4. Noxious Weeds: The Town shall ensure that noxious weeds as defined by the State of Minnesota are not pervasive in any right-of-way

Sect. 5. Trees: No vegetation over six (6) inches in diameter shall be removed without proper notification of the landowner. Any wood from a removed tree is the property of the landowner and shall be left on the original property outside of the right-of-way.

207. Signs: The Town is responsible for maintaining proper signage on all Town roads unless placed by another Public Road Authority for their cross streets. All signs must meet minimum reflectivity requirements unless they are a special purpose sign not acquired under the Township Sign Program.

Sect. 1. Inspection: An inspection of all signs’ reflectivity shall be conducted annually and reported to Mille Lacs County each Fall.

Sect. 2. Replacement: Signs that do not meet reflectivity requirements, are substantially damaged, or have been removed shall be replaced as soon as is practical.

Sect. 3. Required Signs: The Town shall ensure appropriate placement and proper installation of all signs required by the Minnesota Department of Transportation, including but not limited to: stop/yield, speed limits, dead end, Minimum Maintenance Road, warnings, end-of-road markers, street names.

Sect. 4. Additional Signs: The Town may also maintain and replace at its discretion “Welcome to Page” signs and culvert markers.