AN ORDINANCE FOR SHELBY COUNTY RURAL ADDRESSING SYSTEM

(REPLACES ORDINANCE NO. 1991-6)

SECTIONS:

I.                    TITLE

II.                 DEFINITIONS

III.               PROPERTY NUMBERING MAPS

IV.              ADDRESS SYSTEM

V.                ASSIGNMENT OF ROADWAY NAMES

VI.              ASSIGNMENT OF HOUSE NUMBERS

VII.           INSTALLING AND MAINTAINING ROAD MARKERS

SECTION I.  TITLE

This Ordinance shall be known and cited as the “Rural Address System” of Shelby County, Iowa.

SECTION II.  DEFINITIONS

For the purposes of this Ordinance, certain terms and words are hereby defined.  Words used in the present tense shall include the future, the singular number shall include the plural, and the plural includes the singular.  The word “shall” and “will” are mandatory, the word “may” is permissive.

1.      Docks.  A platform–type structure extending from shoreline property over a public water body, including but not limited to platforms that provide access to boats moored on the water body.

2.      EMC. Shelby County  Emergency Management Coordinator  or designated assistant 

3.      Engineer.  The Shelby County Engineer or designated assistant.

4.      GIS Coordinator.  Geographic Information System Coordinator

5.      Meandering Public Roads.  These are winding roadways which do not head generally east-west or north-south.

6.      National Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (1978).  The manual for traffic control devices for streets and highways as approved by the Iowa Department of Transportation including revisions (both existing and future) adopted in accordance with Title 23 of the U. S. Code.

7.      Paths. All public or private paths located in State or County Parks used for recreation by walkers, bikers, or non-motorized vehicles

8.      Planning and Zoning Board.  An appointed advisory public body of the Shelby County Board of Supervisors.

9.      Principle Building.  The main structure as distinguished from an accessory structure on a property.

10.  Private Road.  A non-public roadway officially recognized by the Board of Supervisors as an access for vehicles from a public road to a private driveway leading to the principal building.  Usually a subdivision road platted on the final plat, serving a number of subdivision lots.  These roads are not recognized as public roadways by the State and the County and are, therefore, not maintained as such. 

11.  Property Numbering Maps.  The official set of electronic, aerial and roadway base maps which display the official name for every rural roadway and the designated address for every business or residence.

12.  Public Road.  All land between the right-of-way lines perpetually dedicated to the City, County, State or Federal government as an access for vehicles.  The term does not include public easements on private property where the roadway has not been dedicated to a jurisdiction or the jurisdiction has not accepted ownership.  These roads are recognized by the State and the County as public roadways and maintained by the appropriate jurisdiction.

13.  Resident.  The landowner, tenant or person in charge of a house or business on public and private property.

14.  Road Marker.  The street name sign along with the required hardware and post specified in the National Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (Section 20-39).

15.  Roads.  All public or private roadways that generally run north and south, usually a through road, but may end in a dead end.

16.  Slips.  A mooring space, usually adjacent to a dock, sometimes accessed by a catwalk or dock.

17.  Streets.  All public or private roadways that generally run east and west, usually a through street, but may end in a dead end.

18.  Subdivision.  A division of land into three or more lots or parcels which has been recorded in the Shelby County Recorder’s Office, and added to the official plat books of Shelby County.

19.  Trails. All public or private roadways located in State or County Parks, on which licensed vehicles may be operated.

20.  Unincorporated Area.  All land located outside the city limits of municipalities which are incorporated with the State of Iowa.  Such land is the jurisdiction of the Shelby County Board of Supervisors.

21.  Zoning Administrator.  The Shelby County Zoning Administrator or designated assistant.

SECTION III.  PROPERTY NUMBER MAPS

Street naming and property numbering maps incorporated as part of the Shelby County Rural Address System, dated November 19, 1992, and titled “Property Numbering Maps” shall be adopted by resolution by the County Board of Supervisors as the official addressing maps, and no other property numbers shall be used or displayed in the unincorporated area of Shelby County.  The Property Numbering Maps shall be maintained by the County GIS Coordinator in an electronic format, in cooperation with the Zoning Administrator and EMC at the Shelby County Courthouse, Harlan, Iowa.

SECTION IV.  ADDRESS SYSTEM

A.      On the property numbering maps, the reference point for all “Roads” is the South West Corner Township 79 North, Range 40 West (Cass Township); the reference point for all “Streets” is the South West Corner Township 78 North, Range 40 West (Shelby Township).

B.       All streets, roads, highways, and other public thoroughfares running generally north and south shall be designated “Roads”.  Alphabetical naming shall begin in the South West Corner of Cass Township and increase alphabetically 10 Roads per section to the far eastern edge of Shelby County.

C.      All streets, roads, highways, and other public thoroughfares funning generally east and west shall be designated “Streets”.  Numbering will begin with one hundred (100) in the South West Corner of Shelby Township and increase consecutively 10 Streets per section to the far northern edge of Shelby County.

D.      Meandering public roads shall be designated “Avenue”.  The number assigned to the Street is the average number between the possible high and low numbers of paragraph “B” and “C” above.

E.       Whenever possible, 50 numbers shall be allowed for each mile section so that the number of each consecutive mile shall commence with hundreds and one.  For “Roads”, the east side will have odd numbers, while the west side will have even numbers.  For “Streets”, the north side will have even numbers, while the south side will have odd numbers.

F.       One whole number shall be assigned for approximately every two hundred (200) feet of ground along a “Street”, “Road”, or “Avenue”.  Numbers shall begin at one (1) in the south and west portion of each section.  Numbering shall continue at fifty (50) at every NW and NE quarter section.

G.      The building number assignments will be assigned by noting the point where a perpendicular line running from the center of the principal building intersects the roadway.  The roadway must be the one where the driveway provides access to the principal building.  In cases where there is a long meandering driveway, the building number assignment will be based on the point where the driveway intersects the roadway.  In unusual circumstances, the Shelby County Zoning Administrator will assign the building address based on best judgment.  The intent is to have sequential addressing along a public and private roadway.

H.     Existing subdivisions with official road names recorded in the Recorder’s Office, and with an established house numbering system as of adoption date of this Ordinance, are accepted as is.  They are encouraged to adopt the Shelby County Rural Address System.  All other existing subdivisions are required to comply with this Ordinance and Property Numbering Map.  All new subdivisions shall comply with the Shelby County Rural Address System as described above.

I.         The street address assigned to mobile home parks will be based on where the mobile home park road(s) intersects the public road.  The mobile home park owners/managers must develop and implement a lot numbering system for their park within six (6) months of the adoption date of this Ordinance.  The owner/manager shall provide a copy of the lot numbering plan to the Zoning Administrator.

J.         Trails/Paths will be designated within State or County Parks with address assignments starting with 0 and increasing according to the length of the trail from the Roadway from which it originates, in 100ft increments, with significant structures addressed as necessary. The even/odd numbering assignments shall be based on Section IV E of this Ordinance.

K.      Docks will be addressed based on the Trail name and its straight line intersection with the trail fronting the dock’s location.

L.       Slips will be numbered sequentially based on the address of the dock to which it is adjacent.  Example:  24 Songbird Trail, Slip12

SECTION V.  ASSIGNMENT OF ROADWAY NAMES

The responsibility for naming all public and private “Avenues”, “Streets”, and “Roads” for the Property Numbering Map shall be the responsibility of the Shelby County Board of Supervisors in compliance with Section III and IV.

SECTION VI.  ASSIGNMENT OF HOUSE NUMBERS

A.      The responsibility for assigning house numbers to all residences and businesses in unincorporated Shelby County shall be the responsibility of the EMC in cooperation with Shelby County Zoning Administrator in compliance with Section IV.

B.       Addresses for residences and businesses on all public and private streets shall be assigned by the EMC, in cooperation with the Shelby County Zoning Administrator at the time a building permit is issued in accordance with Section IV.  The number assigned to the new residence or business will be provided to the resident and also the post office, utility companies, and appropriate County departments.  Final approval for a certificate of occupancy of any principal building erected or repaired after the effective date of this Ordinance shall be withheld until permanent and proper numbers have been displayed in accordance with the requirement of Section VII.

SECTION VII.  POSTING DESIGNATED ADDRESSES 

A.    The EMC will notify in writing every resident who has been assigned a new rural address.  Within sixty (60) days after receipt of such written notice, the resident shall affix and install numbers in a manner prescribed by the Zoning Administrator.  The numbers should be along the property right-of-way line near the driveway or access to the residence or business.  In order to maintain continuity throughout the system, residents shall purchase the required numbers, hardware, etc. from Shelby County at a cost to be determined by the Board of Supervisors.

B.     It shall be the duty of the resident to remove any different number which might be mistaken for, or confused with, the number assigned to said structure.

SECTION VIII.  INSTALLING AND MAINTAINING ROAD MARKERS

A.      The Engineer shall develop the specifications for public and private road identification markers in accordance with the National Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices.  The Engineer shall determine the proper road marker for each public road intersection and every intersection of a private subdivision road with a public road.  The road markers shall be installed under the direction of the Engineer.  The Engineer is responsible for the repair and replacement of the road markers described in this paragraph.

B.       Property owners on private roadways are responsible for the purchase, installation and maintenance of road identification markers at private road intersections.  The specifications for the markers will meet the requirements of Section VIII A.  Any other roadway designations are in violation of this Ordinance and must be removed with a reasonable period of time.

SECTION IX.  Repealer. 

All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict with the provisions of this ordinance are hereby repealed.

SECTION X.  Severability Clause.  

If any section, provision, or other part of this ordinance shall be adjudged invalid or unconstitutional, said adjudication shall not affect the validity of the ordinance as a whole or any section, provision, or other part thereof not adjudged invalid or unconstitutional.

SECTION XI.  Effective Date. 

This ordinance shall become effective upon publication.

PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of Supervisors of the County of Shelby, this 20^th day of April, 2010.

AYES:  Hull, Schmitz, Burmeister     NAYES:  None