Ouray County staff recommend no changes to HUTF submission; officials flag Buckhorn bridge and map discrepancies

County staff recommended submitting the county's 2024 Highway Users Tax Fund report without changes, and used the review to raise two maintenance and mapping issues that need follow-up.

The Board of County Commissioners heard from staff that Jeff's team had prepared the annual HUTF spreadsheet and map and that no changes were proposed for the 2024 submission. "We just hadn't tracked any requested changes from Ty over the course of 2024," staff said, and recommended the packet be submitted the same as 2023.

Commissioners and staff used the discussion to highlight an off-jurisdiction bridge and inconsistencies on the HUTF map. Commissioner Connie pointed out that Buckhorn Road lies within Ouray County boundaries but is maintained by Montrose County. She said she received a CDOT bridge-division report indicating "some severe scour damage to that bridge." Connie told the board she forwarded the report to her Montrose County counterpart but that Ouray County needs documentation showing Montrose accepts maintenance responsibility. "I don't believe it's our problem, but we do need to produce some documentation for the state to see that this, in fact, is something that Montrose County accepts," she said.

Staff said they will search county records for any intergovernmental agreement (IGA) or other documentation. If no paperwork exists, staff said they would seek to develop an IGA so the state has an acknowledged responsible party.

The group also reviewed how routes appear on the HUTF map compared with the county's Exhibit A (the official county road map dated February 2014). County staff and commissioners used the example of a legacy "Route 33" and Coal Creek Road: older maps listed a segment as "not eligible, not maintained," then later layers showed it with mixed symbology (blue-dotted segments plus natural-surface legend items). Jeff's team said the HUTF report materials treat Route 33 as ineligible and not maintained by the county even though the overlay symbology can be confusing.

Staff summarized the criteria used to include roads in the HUTF inventory: to be eligible, a highway must be an "open, used and maintained public highway" and should be on a plat or dedicated public right-of-way (or otherwise covered by an agreement such as a pass-through to a special district). County staff said other counties sometimes use pass-through agreements when funding or maintenance is handled by a special district. The county's review found Coal Creek had been added to the HUTF inventory in 2016 and that the first quarter-mile of Coal Creek had moved from private/unmaintained to HUTF status in county records; staff said they will check minutes and resolution records to trace how that change occurred.

Commissioner Connie asked staff to prepare the HUTF signature sheet for the board and place it on the Jan. 28 consent agenda if possible; staff agreed to prepare the paperwork.

Ending

County staff recommended no substantive edits to the 2024 HUTF packet but left the record open for two follow-ups: (1) locate or create documentation that Montrose County accepts responsibility for Buckhorn Road bridge maintenance and provide that to CDOT; and (2) reconcile HUTF route symbology with the county's official road map (Exhibit A) and note any inconsistencies in the HUTF submission materials.