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Sumter County adopts private-road acceptance policy, requires easements and resident sign-off
Summary
Sumter County Council voted 5–2 to adopt ordinance 25 10 34, a policy that establishes how private dirt roads can be accepted for county maintenance, requires deeded stormwater easements and as-built drawings, and obligates resident agreement to convey road portions to the county.
Sumter County Council on voice vote adopted Ordinance 25 10 34, a policy establishing procedures for accepting private roads into the county maintenance system.
County staff said the ordinance requires developers or residents seeking county acceptance to include stormwater-utility easements in deeds and to provide as-built drawings so county staff can locate pipes and drainage infrastructure. The ordinance was revised at second reading to incorporate a stormwater director’s requested language about easement conveyances.
Chair (unnamed) told residents the roads accepted under the program will remain dirt and will not be paved through this adoption: "I wanna make sure that it is understood that these roads will not be paved." The council emphasized the policy’s purpose is to secure emergency egress and access for emergency and delivery vehicles rather than to repave every road.
Frances Bennett, a resident of 6720 Glover Lane, asked whether utility lines would be included in the easements and said she was not concerned about paving but wants reliable access: "I just wanna be able to get in and out without tearing up my car." Staff responded that utilities shown on plats will be deeded to Sumter County when roads are accepted, and that retention ponds are not included in the easement requirement.
Council members described a five-step application process staff will publish, including a pre-application, council pre-application review, resident final application completion, council final review, and a funding decision. Staff said all residents on a road designated for acceptance must agree to participate and sign over their portion of the road because the county cannot legally perform work on private property without conveyance.
The ordinance passed by a recorded voice tally announced by the chair as 5 to 2. Council member Mister Washington called the action "a historic day for Sumter County," saying the county had declined to accept roads for about 35 years and this policy aims to fill a long-standing maintenance gap.
Next steps: staff will publish the application schedule and criteria, and the council will consider funding details for accepted roads.
