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HARTINGTON — A new aerial photography system used by Cedar County is speeding up work at the County Auditor's office and also assisting other county departments to do their work.
Cedar County signed a six-year contract with Omaha-based EagleView Imagery to take aerial photos of Cedar County property to allow county officials to determine if any structural changes have been made prior to making property valuations.
The company's planes flew through Cedar County in April to capture images throughout the county. The digital photos were then made available to the county to analyze.
Cedar County Assessor Janelle Heikes said the new system is working well.
Heikes said if her office finds a new structure or building improvement they were unaware of, they reach out to the property owner.
'If we find something, we would contact the property owner and have them go through the process of filling out a building permit,' Heikes said.
In the past, the county relied on ground-level, still photography of property. That system didn't work as well, because it's difficult to see everything that way, she said.
The aerial imagery can also be shared with other county departments, such as emergency management, zoning and law enforcement, Heikes said.
Heikes said the company will update its photography every three years. The service costs $60,000 per year.
Cedar County Zoning Administrator Tim Gobel said at least two rural property owners have recently put up new structures without securing a building permit or confirming compliance with county zoning regulations.
Gobel said one property owner built a shed without contacting the county, while another constructed a grain bin. He said he is concerned both projects may violate zoning rules by being located too close to the roadway.
'I don't just want to grant them a variance. That sends a bad message,' he said. 'We need to set up some sort of policy to handle this type of situation.'
Gobel is concerned this may continue to happen and would like to see some rules put in place to better prompt people to jump through the proper hoops before putting up a structure.
He noted some counties levy a $1,000 fine to people who put up a structure without first getting a county building permit.
Commissioners agreed a policy should be put in place.
County Clerk Jessica Schmit said she will contact other counties to see what sort of policy they have, and what sort of fine they levy in case of a violation.
Gobel also presented the board with one building permit. Luke Schmitz received a building permit to move the Wynot church rectory to a new location in Bow Valley. Gobel said Schmitz is still trying to determine what route he will take.
Commissioners also approved a resolution Tuesday acknowledging the certification of Road Supt Carla Schmidt. This must be renewed every three years.
A resolution was also passed setting Nov 25 as a Public hearing on a road closure request at the Nelson Brothers subdivision in northern Cedar County.
