Has June 4 deadline
By Carleen Wild
Moody County Enterprise
Moody County officials are giving longtime Clare Township salvage operator Bernie Opland 16 more days to clean up the right-of-way surrounding his property — or the county says it will step in, hire the work necessary, and send him the bill.
Opland appeared before the Moody County Commission this past week alongside family members after previously being given 60 days earlier this spring to address ongoing zoning and right-of-way concerns near the longtime former home and business site.
“I don’t see a ton of things being cleaned up, I still see things in the right of way, the fence still hasn’t been put up,” County Commissioner Jerry Doyle told Opland.
After years of concerns raised by Clare Township officials, neighbors, and county leaders over debris, equipment, and other materials extending into the township road right-of-way, commissioners were clear that their patience is wearing thin.
“The ditch is a liability to the township,” Doyle continued, urging Opland to make the cleanup a priority.
Township and county officials reminded Opland that the public right-of-way extends 33 1/2 feet from the center of the roadway and cannot be used for regular operations, storage, or equipment staging.
“We’re to the point if you don’t do something soon, we’re going to have to hire somebody to come in and push the stuff back,” said Randy Hemmer. “And then we might have to hire somebody to put the fence up, and then you’re going to have to pay the bill on it.”
Commissioners made clear the June 4 deadline is likely Opland’s final opportunity to get the property into compliance on his own.
“I’m going to be honest with you,” said Commissioner Kendra Eng. “We’ve gone round and round and round trying to get you to comply with things in the past and nothing has ever been done so it’s hard for me to trust you’re going to get this done.”
Commissioner Dave Reker also encouraged Opland to bring in outside help if needed.
Opland, 81, told commissioners health issues, limited finances, and the scale of the work have made cleanup difficult.
“We’ve done a lot of good here in 40 years,” he said, pointing to decades of cleanup work his family has done for communities across the region, hauling away trailers, junk vehicles, and other unwanted materials.
“I’d like to see it cleaned up myself,” Opland added, noting again that there may also be potential interest from a buyer for the property.
Commissioners acknowledged the work Opland and his family have done over the years, but said that is not the issue at hand.
The concern, they stressed, is public safety, township liability, and a long-running failure to keep the right-of-way clear.
Opland said his family is actively working to install fencing and bring in equipment to begin the cleanup immediately. But commissioners were firm: if the property is not brought into compliance by the county’s next meeting on June 4, the county will begin the process of having the work completed and assessing the cost back to the property owner.
Also heard at the meeting:
Moody County officials said discussions may be needed with the City of Flandreau regarding possible changes to 911 and dispatch services after learning the city has explored options with Watertown in an effort to potentially reduce costs. County officials said it remains unclear whether those conversations involve full dispatch services, 911 call handling only, or both.
Inter-Lakes Community Action Partnership is expected to continue leasing space in the county’s 4-H building for its local Head Start program. County officials say the arrangement has been a positive long-term partnership, noting ICAP continues to invest in improvements to the facility for its youngest users.
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