Commission amends performance-standards ordinance; moves detailed road-maintenance policy into Title 6

Kane County commissioners on Sept. 16 adopted amendments to Chapter 22 (performance standards) of the county land-use ordinance and directed staff to transfer a detailed road-maintenance policy out of the land-use chapter and into Title 6 (streets, sidewalks and public ways).

County planner Shannon said the Planning and Zoning Commission voted to retain two construction/design-standard paragraphs within Chapter 22 but opposed inserting a lengthy road-maintenance policy into the land-use ordinance without the roads department’s input. County roads director Bert Harris told the commission that housing a road-maintenance policy under the roads department’s code or Title 6 and on the county website would make it easier for residents and applicants to find operational maintenance standards and schedules.

Commissioners discussed options and directed staff to have the larger road-policy text codified in Title 6; the planning-related edits to Chapter 22 remain in the land-use ordinance. Commissioners said the change should reduce public confusion and streamline citizen questions because road maintenance and timing are operational matters handled by the roads department.

The motion — which included instructions to the codifier to place the road policy into Title 6 — passed unanimously. Staff will renumber the policy and coordinate with the codifier and county clerk to publish the updated ordinance sections and the road-maintenance policy in the appropriate code chapter.