Cochise County supervisors spent a large portion of the July 31 work session on drainage and road maintenance questions after supervisors described repeated calls from constituents whose homes flooded and who expected the county to clear or alter flows on private property. Supervisor Gomez asked whether the county can clear debris or build channels on private property if residents give permission; staff replied the county generally cannot use public funds to alter drainage on private property or concentrate flows across an individual’s land.

Miss Gilman, County Administrator, and county flood-control staff explained that in many locations “the water is flowing exactly how he says” and that roads and roadside ditches are not designed as permanent drainage channels. County staff said they provide sandbags to residents for temporary protection but cannot spend public funds to construct channels across private land; long-term projects to capture or recharge runoff are possible but costly. Staff said such flood-control projects can be “a million dollar project” while the county has “about a million a year to spend,” limiting how many major projects the county can undertake.

Supervisors also discussed county-maintained roads versus private roads and planned public outreach. Staff noted county GIS maps list the roughly 1,400 miles the county maintains and that more than 3,000 miles are not maintained by the county; an interactive map also shows FEMA-mapped floodplains. The board directed staff to prepare information and to schedule a work session to present roads that could be added to or dropped from the county-maintained list and then to host a public meeting for residents to comment.

Staff emphasized options for residents who want road maintenance: form a road maintenance agreement with neighbors, hire private contractors, or establish a road district that levies local taxes. The board discussed putting clearer disclosure language in real-estate transactions and working with local real-estate stakeholders so prospective buyers understand when a road is not county maintained.