Weston County signs off on Morrissey and Barton road work, approves cattle guard installations

The Weston County Board of Commissioners approved multiple County Road Fund projects and agreements to install or relocate cattle guards, while continuing a longer-running discussion about whether some roads in the county were formally established in records required for certain state funds.

The board approved a County Road Fund eligibility certificate for a regravel project on Morrissey Road covering approximately four miles with an estimated cost of $277,000 (about $181,000 for trucking and $96,000 for gravel, as presented at the meeting). Commissioners also approved a smaller project to gravel about 0.5 miles of Barton Road in advance of a 2025 CMAC project; the Barton work was estimated at $26,000 (approximately $12,000 for gravel and $14,000 for trucking). The Barton approval included a separate vote on the County Road Fund eligibility form.

A staff update reported costs for an ongoing Buffalo Creek project: county spending so far at about $158,000 (after credits) and a projected total near $230,000 once remaining bills are run, equating to roughly $43,000 per mile on the work discussed. Road staff also outlined potential short-term operational options, such as renting a 4,000-gallon water truck (estimated at about $7,000 per month covering roughly 176 hours, or about $43 per hour) for dust control while longer-term options are evaluated.

The board approved chairman signatures on agreements to install and relocate cattle guards (referred to in the agenda as CalGuard/cattle guard installations) on County Road Number 5 (Breeze Road and Reeves Road locations were discussed). Commissioners noted that applicants would pay for the cattle guards and materials; the agreements grant permission for installation/relocation of the devices in the county right-of-way.

During debate on the County Road Fund items, multiple commissioners and staff discussed the county’s road-establishment process and the difference between roads maintained by the county and roads that have a formal recorded establishment and easement package. Staff noted older records are incomplete in places and that the county had in some cases maintained roads for decades without paper records showing formal establishment. The board directed staff to continue researching statutes and the road book and to consult state officials if necessary before pursuing some types of state funding.

Votes on the major road-fund items carried; several commissioners urged cleaning up the county road book and addressing missing easement records to reduce legal and funding risk for future projects.