Resident asks court to restore maintenance on Hayden Heights gravel road, citing recent county work and notice violations

MADISON COUNTY, Ky. — During public comment on Oct. 14, a Richmond resident asked Madison County Fiscal Court to resume maintenance of a gravel portion of Hayden Heights Road, saying the county had previously performed maintenance on the segment many times and that statutory notice requirements were not followed before the court voted to discontinue maintenance.

Debbie Seo of 204 Crimson Drive told the court the county’s record-keeping contradicts statements by county road officials that the road had not been maintained in several years. Seo said she contacted the Kentucky State Police and the Madison County Sheriff’s Office and that neither agency had incident reports for the road. She provided dated road‑work entries that she said show county maintenance on 07/15/2020; 06/24/2021; 08/21/2021; 05/23/2022; 06/09/2022; 08/01/2022; 02/17/2023; 03/09/2023; 07/06/2023; and 08/08/2023.

Seo also cited KRS 178.070, which she said requires notices to be posted in at least three prominent locations within one mile of the road when maintenance is proposed for discontinuation; she said her video and other evidence show only one sign was posted and that statutory requirements were not met.

What she requested and county response

Seo asked the court to introduce a new resolution to continue maintenance on the gravel portion of Hayden Heights, noting the segment serves multiple farms and provides local access. Judge Reagan Taylor acknowledged receipt of documents and asked Seo to leave copies with the court for review. No formal action was taken at the meeting; the judge said he would look into the material presented.

Why it matters: Discontinuing maintenance on a gravel public road affects property access, farm operations and emergency response. The petitioner presented county work logs and law‑enforcement contact notes and asked the fiscal court to reexamine the prior decision in light of those records.