Lincoln County commissioners vote to close portion of Old Mini Brown Road after residents warn of lost access

At the April 21, 2026 meeting of the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners, the commission voted 21–3 to adopt a resolution closing a section of Old Mini Brown Road in the 17th Civil District.

The issue began when County Attorney Ed Sims presented a petition from resident Tim Gil asking the commission to officially close the roughly 1,110-foot stretch. Sims said the segment is not on the county road list, is overgrown in places and that property owners touching the road had been notified. Road superintendent Tim Gil told commissioners the county has not maintained the stretch since an early-1990s realignment and that the segment has effectively been private for decades.

The matter became contentious after public comments. "I've lived on that road for 32 years… I do not have safe vehicular travel now," said Janet Risner, who said she relies on bridges along Old Mini Brown Road and cannot afford repairs. Landowner Dave Martin warned that making the road private would shift access control to adjacent owners and raised questions about shared-bridge liability. Nearby resident Terry Harlland presented an engineering report concluding a bridge near his property is at risk of collapse and urged removal to avoid potential lawsuits.

Commissioners debated an amendment from Commissioner Brandon Cooley that would have closed the most dilapidated portion while returning the remainder to the county road list — an action that, if adopted, would likely require construction of a new bridge. Road superintendent Tim Gil estimated a new bridge could cost roughly $250,000 to $300,000. The amendment failed on a roll call vote, 3 yes and 21 no.

With the amendment defeated, the board voted on the primary motion to close Old Mini Brown Road. The clerk recorded 21 yes votes and 3 no votes; the chair and county attorney treated the roll-call result as adoption of the prepared resolution and directed that the resolution and disclosures be copied to the minute book.

What happens next: the resolution passed and will be signed and filed by county staff; the record indicates property ownership of the former roadbed would typically revert to adjacent landowners and the road would be redesignated as a private easement. Commissioners noted that restoring county maintenance to the segment could require a substantial capital outlay and would set a precedent affecting other long-abandoned roads.

The commission’s action resolves the petition before it; the clerk and county attorney indicated administrative follow-up (signing the resolution and noting the closure in the minute book) would occur after the meeting.