Commissioners consider county road, culvert for upcoming airport project

The Rawlins County Board of Commissioners on July 16 discussed whether an upcoming airport project will require construction of a permanent county road and whether the county should supply the culvert to serve it. The board heard the presentation from Road and Bridge and airport representatives and deferred a final decision until the state clarifies whether the route may be established as a county road.

Mark Loop, speaking for Road and Bridge, said he did not believe his department's budget should be used to purchase a culvert for the airport project and asked the commissioners to make the determination. Dakota Dunker and Dave Brown, representing the airport project, told the board a permanent county road is one possible outcome of upcoming work and that the airport had discussed the county supplying a culvert if that option proceeds.

The commissioners noted that, by county practice, landowners generally do not pay for culverts that connect their property to county roads and said they wanted legal and state guidance before shifting Road and Bridge budget authority. No motion or formal funding transfer was made at the meeting; commissioners said they would wait to hear from the state on whether the proposed route can be designated a county road.

The discussion leaves several procedural steps outstanding: (1) confirmation from the appropriate state agency about whether the route can be accepted as a county road; (2) if the route is accepted, a decision by the commissioners on whether the county will provide the culvert or use airport-trust funds; and (3) any necessary budget transfers if the county assumes financial responsibility for the culvert. The board did not set a timeline for those next steps at the meeting.

The commissioners will revisit the issue once the state provides clarification.