Granite County, Forest Service discuss multi‑year approach and funding options for Lakeshore Drive

Granite County commissioners, county road staff, Forest Service representatives and Lakeshore Drive residents spent the meeting discussing a plan to make Georgetown Lake’s Lakeshore Drive passable and, eventually, bring it up to county road standards.

The meeting focused on whether the county and the U.S. Forest Service can agree to a multiyear maintenance plan and how to pay for work officials and residents say is long overdue. County Treasurer Ashley Todd told the group, “Right now, we have a million dollars in the PILT fund.”

The discussion centered on three threads: (1) the terms of the existing five‑year Cooperative Forest Road agreement and whether a separate memorandum of understanding (MOU) for Lakeshore Drive would add certainty; (2) near‑term repairs, including spring graveling and drainage fixes; and (3) longer‑term rebuilding to county standards.

Forest Service participation was presented as possible but not guaranteed. A Forest Service representative said the agency could likely contribute the same level of support it provided last year: “I already said maybe 10. Again, I don’t even know my budget for 4 to 6 more weeks, but that’s what we did last year. I could probably come up with the same pretty easy.”

Local residents and outside county officials offered cost context. Chuck Cody, who identified himself as from Georgetown Lake, said he spoke with officials in neighboring counties about comparable projects and that their work to rebuild a mile to county standards ran “in the neighborhood of 60 to 70,000.” County staff and commissioners asked for more concrete estimates and for bids on gravel and contractor work before deciding on how much county money to commit.

Treasurer Ashley Todd and commissioners discussed using Payment in Lieu of Taxes funds (PILT) to subsidize road work. Several speakers stressed PILT is a countywide revenue source with competing uses; Todd said those funds have been tapped for road and other needs in past years, and the balance must be managed across departments.

Participants agreed on next steps rather than taking a formal vote. Staff will: - prepare a maintenance plan and an itemized estimate for spring gravel/materials and labor; - ask the Forest Service to document any likely contribution for the coming season; and - examine whether a targeted, multi‑year MOU or an amendment to the Cooperative Forest Road agreement is feasible to give Lakeshore Drive more predictable support.

Commissioners and residents repeatedly emphasized avoiding the confusion and contention that accompanied last year’s work, and they asked staff to return with cost estimates and a proposed maintenance plan that can be approved at a future meeting.

No formal appropriation or change to county budgets was adopted at this meeting.

Ending: County staff will compile estimates and a draft maintenance plan for Lakeshore Drive and return to the commission for a follow‑up agenda item.