Promises Kept – Local Streets
I promised to protect our local streets from overdevelopment, preserve and safeguard our rural agricultural and equestrian communities, and mitigate the financial impacts of outside development on our residents. Here's what we've accomplished:Preventing Overdevelopment
ITID successfully opposed the addition of 140th Avenue and 40th Street to the County’s Long-Range Thoroughfare Plan, a move that would have dramatically increased traffic in our residential areas. This victory helped protect the peaceful nature of our rural community.Opposing Commercialization and Industrialization
The District strongly opposed efforts by local residents and our county commissioner to commercialize and industrialize properties within the District by allowing semi-tractor trailers and heavy dump trucks on residential properties. These changes would have increased maintenance costs for our local streets and posed safety concerns for residents.Legal Victory for Street Protection
ITID successfully defended itself in court against a local developer, who attempted to use District streets without contributing to their maintenance or obtaining the necessary permits. The court ruled in favor of ITID, protecting easements, landowner assets, and the integrity of the District’s infrastructure. Additionally, the court ruled that ITID is entitled to claim reimbursement for some of the legal expenses incurred during the case. The court will determine the specific expenses to be reimbursed in a future ruling. This victory not only safeguards our streets but also helps mitigate the financial burden on the District and its landowners. Cost-Efficient Street Maintenance with Millings After analyzing the long-term costs of maintaining dirt streets compared to stabilizing them with millings, we found that stabilizing streets with millings was more cost-effective. As a result, we adopted policies, created specialized crews, and trained staff to properly install millings. To date, we have completed approximately 75 miles of milled streets, which includes the R3 milled roads and the 25 miles of previously milled streets that had not been properly maintained. This shift is reducing long-term maintenance costs. In fact, demand for millings has been high, with many more residents requesting it than opposing, as evidenced by the petition process and frequent calls from landowners seeking millings on their streets. By focusing on these initiatives, we have been able to protect our local streets from the pressures of outside development, ensure the safety of our residents, and maintain cost-efficient infrastructure that preserves the rural character of our community.
