Tanglewood residents press Linn County after judge rules roads public

Dozens of residents of the Tanglewood Lake community told the Linn County Board of Commissioners on March 17 that they have been left uncertain about who is responsible for policing, road maintenance and dam upkeep after what residents said was a recent criminal-court ruling describing their neighborhood roads as public.

Speakers urged the commission to explain the ruling and say whether the county will assume maintenance and law-enforcement responsibilities. “We have paid taxes as property owners for Tanglewood’s been into existence for 55 years,” Tanglewood board president Chuck Stevens said during public comment. “If it’s public, we want a plan of action — when we could start seeing police presence and what you’re going to do about the roads.”

The comment period included multiple Tanglewood residents who said they learned about the court action only informally and are worried that the community’s gates have been damaged and remain open. Resident Stacy Fromdahl, who works in the county clerk’s office and said she was also a property owner in Tanglewood, told commissioners she had searched for a historical letter that residents believe documents the roads’ private status but could not find it. “That letter would have prevented all of this,” she said.

Other residents, including Francie Campbell and Leslie Brown, said loose security at the gates has allowed vandalism and theft and that they want clarity on when the county will provide increased law-enforcement patrols and how maintenance responsibilities will be handled while the legal status is being addressed.

Under Sheriff Bobby told the meeting that county deputies have responded to calls in Tanglewood before and will continue to do so, but that private-property status limits routine traffic enforcement and other proactive policing measures. “You have been coming through Tanglewood, just patrol. Just the fact that you guys drive through helps,” he said. He added that deputies can still respond to crimes and make arrests when there is probable cause.

Commissioners said they had not yet held a board meeting to discuss next steps and that the matter involves both the judge’s ruling and legal review. Commissioner Allison Johnson (listed in the public transcript as Commissioner Johnson) told residents the commission will “get with our attorney” and promised to follow up. The board agreed to provide information and to collect contact details so staff could send updates to residents when available.

Why this matters: Tanglewood is a long‑established residential area; changing a road’s legal status from private to public can shift responsibility for maintenance, policing and dam inspections to the county, with budgetary and operational consequences. Residents want clear answers about who will maintain roads, who will pay for repairs, and how the sheriff’s office will patrol the community.

What the commission said it will do next: Commissioners told residents they will seek legal clarification and suggested they will discuss the issue in a public meeting. At the end of the session the board asked staff to prepare to include the matter in forthcoming discussions and said they would share contact information for a designated county point of contact so residents can receive direct updates.

Ending: The board did not take action at the meeting; commissioners said they will follow up after legal review and promised to share a timeline and a single point of contact for Tanglewood residents who want updates.