Roscoe residents press Keith County for right‑of‑way tree cleanup; board sets further discussion

A lengthy public discussion in the Keith County Board meeting centered on trees in the Roscoe road right‑of‑way that residents said are dead or leaning and pose a safety risk.

A resident who identified himself as Dave said multiple large trees are threatening nearby buildings and vehicles after recent windstorms and asked the county to follow through on prior promises to remove stumps and haul away debris. County road staff and legal counsel cited Nebraska statutes (transcript refers to sections in the 39‑18 series) that place routine mowing and trimming responsibilities on landowners, while giving counties authority to abate nuisances and charge assessments where trees obstruct views or pose hazards. Staff explained the county can remove obstructions under nuisance statutes but must follow notice and procedural requirements unless the landowner waives them.

Commissioners and staff described practical obstacles: contractors have been unwilling to bid some Roscoe work, the county lacks bucket‑truck capacity it once had, and prior reimbursable nuisance grants (funded via KENO/special project funds) were not completed in some past cases. Several residents asked whether the county would reinstate a tree removal grant program; commissioners agreed to place a discussion about restarting a nuisance‑abatement/reimbursement program on next week’s agenda and to explore program parameters and funding. No motion to perform immediate county removal was made; board members said the county would act if a tree fell and obstructed the public road, but otherwise will pursue a formal process for abatement and potential grant assistance.