Township Roads
Townships are proud to maintain over 55,000 miles of safe roads.
For inspiration, check out this short video of the road equipment and maintenance process from Turtle Lake Township in Cass County!
TR0050-Overview-of-Township-Roads-and-Statute-Reference.pdf (Document Number: TR 0050)
Describes common terms and lists statutes related to township roads and their regulation & maintenance. (4 Pages) (Produced: June 2019)
TR1000-Minimum-Maintenance-Roads.pdf (Document Number: TR 1000)
Explains what minimum maintenance roads are, how to make the designation, and discusses other issues such as the level of maintenance on these roads. (9 pages) (Revised: September 2020)
TR2000-Owner-Obligation-Road-Ditches.pdf (Document Number: TR 2000)
Discusses the authority under Minn. Stat. § 366.015 to make owners responsible for mowing and removing rocks from the road ditches adjacent to their property. (7 pages with sample forms) (Revised: June 2020)
TR2500-Owner-Obligation-to-Remove-Snow-or-Ice.pdf (Document Number: TR 2500)
Discusses the authority under Minn. Stat. § 366.016 to make owners who place snow and ice onto a road or right-of-way responsible for removing the snow and ice. (13 pages with sample forms) (Revised: June 2020)
TR3000-Recording-Town-Roads.pdf (Document Number: TR 3000)
Discusses the legal background to recording roads and reviews the various method for recording existing town roads. Provides a brief list of the advantages and disadvantages of the different methods. (17 pages) (Revised: November 2020)
TR4000-Creation-and-Extinguishment-of-Town-Roads.pdf (Document Number: TR 4000)
Discusses the various methods used to create or get rid of a town road. After providing a brief discussion on the legal basis for each, the document moves into a series of worksheets that discuss the procedures involved for the methods discussed. (14 pages) (Revised: November 2020)
To reduce the size of the request, town officers may request the primary document and then select the worksheet they are interested from the following:
- TR4000A-Appendix-A-Checklists-for-Creating-Altering-Vacating-Roads.docx – Worksheet & Sample Documents for Establishing, Altering, or Vacating Roads (TR 4000A)
- TR4000B-Appendix-B-Accepting-Dedication-of-Land-for-a-Town-Road.docx – Accepting Dedication of Land for a Town Road (TR 4000B)
- TR4000C-Appendix-C-Accepting-a-Platted-Road-for-Maintenance-by-the-Town.docx – Accepting a Platted Road For Maintenance by the Town (TR 4000C)
- TR4000D-Appendix-D-Worksheet-for-Extinguishing-Towns-Interest-in-Abandoned-Road.docx – Worksheet for Extinguishing a Town’s Interest in “Abandoned Roads” (TR 4000D)
- TR4000E-Appendix-E-Application-to-Dedicate-Land-for-a-Town-Road.docx – Dedicating Land for a Town Road (TR 4000E)
TR5000-Is-This-A-Town-Road.pdf (Document Number: TR 5000)
A flowchart with descriptions the reader uses to work through the various considerations to determine if a particular road was ever created as a town road or lost as a town road. (4 pages) (Revised: August 2020)
TR6000-Tree-Vegetation-Control.pdf (Document Number: TR 6000)
Outlines the various statutes and issues association with mowing, weed control, tree trimming, tree removal, and other roadside vegetation control issues. (10 pages) (Revised: May 2022)
TR7000-Resolution-to-Place-35-mph-Speed-Limit-Signs.pdf (Document Number: TR 7000)
Sample resolution deciding to place 35 M.P.H. speed limit signs on town platted roads that qualify as being within a “rural residential district.” (1 page) (Revised: May 2020)
TR7500-Resolution-to-Place-25-mph-Speed-Limit-Signs.pdf (Document Number: TR 7500)
Sample resolution deciding to place 25 M.P.H. speed limit signs on town platted roads that qualify as being within a “rural residential district.” (1 page) (Revised: Oct. 2022)
TR8000-Resolution-Reaffirming-MM-Designation.pdf (Document Number: TR 8000)
Sample resolution used to reconfirm the designation of existing minimum-maintenance roads. Used if the original resolutions making the designations are difficult to locate. (1 page) (Revised: May 2020)
TR9000-Ditches-and-Drainage.pdf (Document Number: TR 9000)
Reviews some of the disputes that can arise over the handling of surface water and discusses the statutes town boards must consider when dealing with such disputes and when performing work on road ditches. (4 pages) (Revised: November 2020)
TR11000-Resolution-Town-Line-Road-Agreement.pdf (Document Number: TR 11000)
Sample resolution used by towns to agree on the division of maintenance on a town line road. (3 pages) (Revised: May 2020)
TR12000_Cartways-Worksheet.pdf (Document Number: TR 12000)
A description of cartways and the circumstances under which they can be created. Refers the reader to the town road establishment procedure in the Creation and Extinguishment document. (13 pages) (Revised: November 2023)
TR12500_Cartway-Proceedings.pdf (Document Number: TR 12500)
After a brief discussion of what cartways are, this paper walks through the usual steps of a typical cartway proceeding, from the initial inquiry about a cartway to the filing of the final documents establishing it. (43 pages) (Revised: October 2005)
TR13000-Culverts-Approaches.pdf (Document Number: TR 13000)
A brief description of the law applying to the question of who pays for culverts and approaches. (2 pages) (Revised: November 2017)
TR15000A-Snow-Removal-Policy-Sample-Employees-Equipment.pdf (Document Number: TR15000A)
A sample resolution boards with snowplowing personnel and equipment can use to establish a snowplowing policy. Only those boards willing to require strict compliance with the policy should use this form. Boards will need to modify the form to fit their particular circumstances. (9 pages) (Revised: August 2020).
TR15000B-Snow-Removal-Policy-Sample.pdf (Document Number: TR15000B)
A sample resolution boards that contract for snowplowing services can use to establish a snowplowing policy. Only those boards willing to require their contractor to comply with the policy should use this form. Boards will need to modify the form to fit their particular circumstances. (8 pages) (Revised: August 2020).
TR16000-Resolution-to-Temporarily-Close-a-Road.pdf (Document Number: TR16000)
A sample resolution to temporarily close certain town roads during the winter. (1 page) (Revised: May 2020).
TR17000-Voters-Authorization-for-Manure-Line-Regulation-Resolution.pdf (Document Number: TR17000)
An explanation of the voters’ option to authorize the town board to regulate the placement pressurized flexible force mains, often called ‘manure lines’, and a sample resolution for use at the Annual Township Meeting. (2 pages) (Created: November 2020).
TR18000-Road-History-Form.pdf (Document Number: TR18000)
A sample form designed to standardize and ease recordkeeping for town roads. (1 page) (Rev: November 2023)
TR1900-Town-Line-Roads.pdf (Document Number: TR19000)
An explanation of the statutory obligations where a road crosses from one township into the next. (3 pages) (Created: May 2023)
TR20000 Sample Parking Ordinance.pdf (Document Number: TR20000)
A sample ordinance designed to allow towns to legally tow obstructions on their road) (4 pages) (Rev: November 2023)
TR21000-Sample Right of Way Violation Notice.pdf (Document Number: TR21000
A sample Notice of violations of the right of way protection statute that may be used to put a landowner on notice of an obstruction or other violation and the remedy required by the township. (2 pages) (Created: Sept 2023)
