A Mills County resident urged the commissioners court on Aug. 25 to repair long-standing washouts and remove excess gravel on County Road 259, saying the road has been reduced to one lane by cones and that drivers often force passing traffic onto the shoulder.

The unnamed resident (identified in the record as the public commenter at the podium) told the court he has repeatedly driven in the ditch to avoid oncoming vehicles that “decide they will go around the cones regardless” and said his truck had been scratched by bushes along the shoulder. “There is so much gravel on the side of that road,” he said, asking county crews to use the material to fill holes and return the road to two lanes.

County staff and commissioners responded with practical next steps. A staff member advised the resident to speak with the precinct commissioner after court. Commissioners described ongoing work across precincts: hauling material from Heather’s pit to maintain Manning Road (County Road 327); rebuilding and hauling to County Road 235 and County Road 437; addressing washouts on County Road 549 and FEMA mitigation needs; and preparing a rock crusher and milling operations for more repairs. Commissioner Pardon said a FEMA mitigation area is working on a washed-out site at County Road 549 and that the county may need to act sooner than planned.

Specific road items reported by commissioners during the meeting included:
- Manning Road (CR 327): hauling material from a local pit and grading work under way.
- County Road 235 and County Road 437: tree removal and road rebuilding efforts.
- County Road 545 and County Road 549: repairs and a FEMA mitigation site being coordinated with county staff.

Commissioner Williams also described equipment moves, cattle-guard cleanouts and coordination to begin rock work using a crusher the county is preparing to pick up and deploy. Commissioners said they are coordinating loader and equipment availability among precincts to support rock hauling and resurfacing.

The court did not adopt a new policy at the meeting but recorded the public comment and the commissioners’ operational reports; staff advised the resident to follow up with the relevant precinct commissioner. The county judge said commissioners would discuss road priorities in upcoming work and scheduled follow-up items in routine precinct reports.