Keith County commissioners discuss overhaul of addressing system, consider comprehensive-plan review

Keith County commissioners and staff spent an extended portion of the meeting discussing problems with the county’s addressing and road-naming system and possible steps to improve emergency response and delivery accuracy.

Cody, from the zoning office, reported current addressing work is modest — “maybe 4 a month” — and that staff have begun receiving developer surveys and subdivision materials related to the comprehensive plan. Road superintendent Ryan and several commissioners described repeated misrouting problems caused by east/west versus north/south naming conventions and by commercial mapping services returning the wrong town for county addresses.

Several commissioners urged including an addressing review in the county’s comprehensive plan update and forming a subcommittee that would include system users (emergency responders, postal service, public works, and residents) to identify costs and implementation steps. Commissioners noted readdressing would be expensive and would require residents and property owners to update registrations, but they said the public-safety advantages might justify the cost. One commissioner observed, “Is it more costly than somebody's life when they get sent to the wrong subdivision?”

Staff suggested training and clarified that, operationally, moving address-assignment responsibilities to the zoning office would be feasible but would require time for handoff and training; the board asked staff to coordinate training and to present options to the comprehensive-plan steering committee. County staff also noted developers sometimes assign their own road names without following county-approved sequences, a practice staff said creates confusion for emergency responders and the public.

No formal vote was taken; commissioners asked staff to schedule further work with the comprehensive-plan process and to convene a user-focused group to evaluate scope and costs.