GREENWOOD TWP— A disagreement over the rights of a road association here to determine the speed limit on a public road has led to criminal charges against a township resident. Mark Drobac is facing two misdemeanor counts for defacing a 15-mph road sign posted along Breezy Point Rd., otherwise known as County Rd. 674.
Drobac doesn’t deny that he altered the sign, but said its placement by a group of local residents who have formed a road association is illegal. Drobac said he advised the association at a recent meeting against erecting the sign without going through the legally required procedure.
He cites Minn. Stat. 169.14, which requires permission by MnDOT or another local road authority to post speed limit signs slower than allowed in statute, and that such permission cannot be granted without completion of a traffic study to determine the safe speed.
Drobac maintains that none ,of those steps took place. He also claims that the sign is too close to the road, and was placed on a curve, presenting a safety hazard for travelers along the route. Drobac said he intends to claim his actions were justified if the case makes it to a court hearing, currently scheduled for Dec. 20.
Drobac found himself in the legal crosshairs shortly after the sign was erected. Within an hour of erecting the sign, the doorbell camera of a nearby resident captured video of Drobac, who had stopped his car near the sign and walked up to it, apparently inspecting it closely. Given Drobac’s opposition to the sign, the resident placed a trail camera in an inconspicuous location to record any other incidents involving the sign.
He didn’t have long to wait. According to the statement of probable cause in the case, the trail camera captured video of Drobac on Nov. 7 at approximately 6:55 a.m. The video allegedly shows Drobac approaching the sign with a propane torch before beginning to burn the sign in order to change the numeral one to a four. A second video clip shows Drobac returning to the sign about 20 minutes later with a can of spray paint, which he used to paint a black “4” over the area he had previously burned.
After the sign owner called 911 to report Drobac’s action, a St. Louis County deputy responded and visited with Drobac about the incident. According to the court filing, Drobac “initially adamantly denied burning or painting any sign and said he would never do such a thing.” Once the deputy informed Drobac that he had been video recorded in the act, “he said something to the effect of ‘Oh, I didn’t know what sign you were talking about.’”
Drobac said he had no objection to other signs placed along the road by the road authority, including a yellow 15-mph sign placed near the intersection with Thomas Rd. But Drobac said the yellow sign is merely advisory, while the official black and white sign that caught Drobac’s attention is more likely to be mistaken as a mandatory limit, even if it isn’t one that county sheriff deputies are likely to enforce.
Drobac notes that he pays into the road association so the sign he defaced is technically part his. The summons filed in court cites Drobac’s claim, but it’s unlikely that the court would find it persuasive.
The incident is a reminder that in an era of easy surveillance, it can be difficult to avoid detection for such actions, and that even actions that someone may feel are justified can lead to legal consequences. Drobac, age 70, now faces a misdemeanor count of 5th degree arson for setting fire to personal property and 4th degree intentional damage to property. Both counts allow for a maximum penalty of $1,000, 90 days in jail, or both.