Drainage Easements
Purpose
To provide guidance on the replacement or repair to wooden bridge structures located on private property where Hillsborough County secured verbal approval from property owners to cut channels or ditches for drainage purposes across private property without benefit of an easement.
Policy
It is the policy of the Board of County Commissioners that in instances where the Board or Staff have made verbal agreements in the past with property owners for improvements to existing drainage channels or the construction of new drainage channels across or through their private properties, and provided access to the severed portion of private property by means of a wooden bridge or pipe culvert in exchange for the right of entry, that the County shall maintain these access structures in exchange for a recorded drainage easement, said easement to be 30 to 40 feet in width.
Responsibilities
The Division of Public Works under the direction of the County Administrator shall review each request for replacement or repair on an individual basis to determine if the conditions exist requiring further action. If it is determined that the properties were severed and that an access was provided either by bridge or pipe culvert, the County shall, in exchange for a recorded drainage easement, maintain the bridge or pipe culvert.
If the property owner has other means of access which would not cause a great amount of inconvenience, access by bridge or pipe culvert will not be provided by the County.