Commissioners discuss private, non-dedicated roads and potential county response

Commissioners and county engineers spent an extended portion of the May 21 meeting discussing private and non-dedicated roads where residents maintain their own access and emergency responders may be restricted by bridge conditions.

Gary Schafer of the Engineer’s Office said a stretch referenced in an email is a private road and “it's not in our road inventory.” Commissioners noted multiple township examples and said residents often ask who is responsible for snow plowing and maintenance. Schafer and Commissioner Bernard suggested the county and townships will need to review records to determine whether particular roads are dedicated public roads or privately maintained.

Bill Danzo, with the prosecutor’s office, told the board the county has examined these questions previously and highlighted legal and cost issues. "The thing that you're gonna have to keep in mind is ... it is probably very expensive when you talk about preparing the appropriate base," Danzo said, adding that accepting private roads into the county system carries maintenance and safety costs and possible liability questions.

Commissioners instructed engineering staff to survey townships and try to identify how many nondedicated roads exist and whether bridges or safety concerns require prioritization. The engineer’s office agreed to prepare a questionnaire to township trustees and compile records showing which roads are not dedicated and any privately owned bridges that affect emergency access.

Why it matters: privately maintained roads can leave residents without plowing, emergency access or bridge inspections; determining whether to accept roads into the public system raises cost and liability questions and could require assessments, donations of right-of-way or infrastructure upgrades by property owners.