The Lawrence County Commission voted to accept a countywide master transportation plan, and county highway staff and commissioners discussed next steps for setting maintenance-level criteria and potential agreements with the U.S. Forest Service.

Highway staff advised the plan is not mandatory and contains many recommended projects that could later fall to municipal jurisdictions. The plan's approval was framed as a first step to qualify for future funding, such as state grants, and to make projects eligible for engineering and grant applications.

Commissioners asked for clearer guidance about traffic-impact studies and developer responsibilities. One commissioner noted that, when the city required a traffic count for a high-impact subdivision, turn lanes and other improvements followed; similar approaches could apply under the countywide plan when development materially affects county roads.

Staff also raised the issue of dozens of roads on the county system that the Forest Service has identified for potential transfer or for which the Forest Service requested county snow-plow agreements. Commissioners directed staff to provide a copy of previously used road-maintenance criteria and place a focused agenda item on the next meeting to propose clear criteria for maintenance-level changes (for example, excluding single-user driveways that function as private accesses).

Why it matters: Adoption of a master transportation plan creates an official, countywide roadmap that local leaders can use to pursue funding and to coordinate with municipalities and state agencies for road improvements. Deciding maintenance criteria and agreements with the Forest Service affects which roads receive snow removal and long-term county maintenance.

What commissioners noted: Commissioners agreed the plan is countywide and that the county may simultaneously pursue an agreement or coordinated plan with the city of Spearfish in parallel. County staff will provide the older maintenance-policy document and prepare a focused discussion for the next meeting.