Real Estate Services reviews and processes releases and occupations of easements dedicated to the county. Principal responsibilities include coordinating the internal review of each request, and preparation of necessary documents for submission of the request to all county departments and utility companies that may have facilities or interests in the easement area. The methods and standards by which the County allows occupation of, or release of easements are set forth by county ordinances, resolutions, and other policies.
The majority of requests for releases or occupations pertain to utility, drainage or canal maintenance easements. Easements are documented in recorded platted subdivision plans, or recorded with the Clerk of the Court. In platted subdivisions, public easements within/upon a specific lot can be identified by the "Dedication" found on the front page of the subdivision plat. With over 570 platted residential subdivisions and more than 80 platted commercial subdivisions, the "dedications" vary considerably. Anyone considering a release or occupation of a county easement is urged to fully research the dedication for their particular property.