Biersdorf & Associates

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18959316&BRD=1132&PAG=461&dept_id=157660&rfi=6
Members of the Barron County Board of Supervisors have indicated that a Barron man’s idea for streamlining the condemnation process linked to eminent domain should be given further thought, and they asked that the board address the issue at a future meeting.Harold Hansen had approached the county board Oct. 15 during the public comment segment of the regular meeting. There he informed representatives on the basics of eminent domain, and why he thought changes were necessary.

As Hansen explained, eminent domain is a process that government agencies can use to condemn a property in order to gain control of it for public use. The government must make a monetary offer to the property owner, but if the property owner rejects the bid, then the issue becomes more complex.
Since the process can then escalate into a court battle, many property owners become intimidated and simply give up, he said. His proposal was to insert a new step in the process via county board resolution.

Hansen’s proposed resolution would allow either side in an eminent domain dispute to petition their case to a third party-the county’s condemnation committee in particular-by sending its chairman a certified letter. He envisioned that some cases could be resolved at this level of arbitration, rather than tying up the legal system and incurring additional costs for both the county and property owners.

Several board members said they thought Hansen’s proposal deserved a closer look. They asked that the county further scrutinize the idea and suggested that the issue be placed on a future agenda, so it could be revisited at an upcoming board meeting.