Yellowstone County updates road policy to require utility oversight, inspection fees and traffic-calming procedure

The Yellowstone County Board of Commissioners on May 6 approved Resolution 25-67 to amend the county road policy, adding clearer requirements for utility installations, post-installation inspections, fines for unpermitted work and a process for traffic-calming requests.

Monica, a Public Works staff member, told the board the last substantive policy revision was in 2018 and that the update "button[s] up a process for oversight to ensure that we don't sustain damages to our roads." She said the changes include requiring plan sets and as-built drawings, establishing mechanisms to pass inspection costs to applicants because the county lacks field staff to perform those inspections, and a bonding requirement set at the time of application based on project valuation.

On traffic calming, staff described a formal process for communities to request speed humps or speed tables that includes a speed study and a percentile-based threshold commonly used nationally; staff noted the policy was informed by reviews of other Montana communities and jurisdictions in the Rocky Mountain West.

The update also clarifies variance handling: Public Works can approve or deny variances administratively, with appeals to the Board of County Commissioners. A commissioner asked that the amended policy be posted on the Public Works website after approval; Monica said the office would replace the old road policy on the site.

The board approved the amendment by voice vote; the meeting record does not include a roll-call tally.