ROW measurements not as simple as it sounds

This is in response to Virginia Cross’s letter dated Jan. 14, 2016.
Virginia’s statement is true, I was paid for my years of service with Stillwater County with taxpayer dollars.
I also feel that I gave a day’s work for a day’s pay. During those years I also owned property in Stillwater County and paid taxes on that property.
That being said, I feel although I was paid with tax dollars I can still have an opinion. The Jan. 14 letter sounded as though a person who works for the taxpayer should disregard some safety concerns in exchange for aesthetics. That would be a liability issue for county taxpayers, commissioners and crew.
As most people know the county roads are not always in the center of the right-of-way. A tape measure doesn’t do much good if the center of the right-of-way is not known. Roads do change through the years as do right-of-way fences.
I feel the only accurate way to tell if a tree is 1 or 2 feet inside or outside the line would be to have a ROW center line survey done on 800-plus miles of road in the county.
Without spending the county’s limited funds on surveys the next best alternative is to go by the existing fence lines. Right or wrong this is only my opinion.

Steve Bue
Reed Point