Madison County staff outline multi-phase plan to verify roads and publish public map

County planning and GIS staff told commissioners they have begun a multi-phase project to clarify the legal and physical status of county roads after years of inconsistent records. Staff described four phases: (1) compile physical centerlines and platted roads into a single working map layer; (2) verify each candidate road through a deep review of clerk-and-recorder files, minutes and archives; (3) bring verified batches to the commission for acknowledgment by resolution; and (4) publish a web-based road index so the public and county departments can see legal status and supporting documents for each road.

Staff said many historic documents are inconsistent and that some roads may be "prescriptive" or otherwise unclear in status. The team recommended several resourcing options: hire a contractor with a clearly defined deliverable, create a new county position, or divide the work among current staff with contractor support. Planning staff suggested using a contractor to achieve a clear deliverable and estimated that targeted batches could be completed faster than an indefinite in-house effort.

Commissioners asked about funding and timing; staff said an RFP would determine vendor costs and that some grants for mapping work are being explored. GIS staff noted the work would also help other county functions such as fuel-tax allocations, E-911 addressing and better maintenance-cost accounting.

Commissioners agreed to keep the working group in place to draft an RFP and return recommendations on scope, timeline and funding at a future session.