Scott County commissioners voted Dec. 16 to designate a stretch of County Road 51 in Blakely Township as a minimum‑maintenance road, effectively reducing routine winter plowing on the middle segment while maintaining access from the north and south.

Tony Winnecke, county highway engineer, explained the change is not a permanent closure but a decision to refrain from regular maintenance for minor snowfall "if it's a 1 or 2 inch snowfall, probably not going out there. If it's a 6 or 8 inch snowfall, we would go out there to maintain that." Winnecke said the pavement section to the south has virtually no habitable properties and that the county does not want to encourage the route as a throughway across a nearly 3‑mile rural stretch where motorists can become stranded.

Commissioners acknowledged concerns from nearby property owners and hunting access; one commissioner said the parks master planning committee and hunting public lands would remain accessible from the south. The board asked staff to continue conversations and to consider options for agricultural users who rely on that stretch during planting and harvest seasons.

A motion to adopt resolution 2025‑253 (authorizing designation of a section of County Road 51 as a minimum maintenance road) passed by voice vote after discussion.

The county said it has coordinated with the neighboring Lesueur County/Tyrone Township on the operational change and will continue outreach to affected residents and townships as implementation details are finalized.