Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation And Property topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Property owners press county for clarity on legal status of County Road N through Rico
Summary
Matt and Christina Shiff presented slides asking the county to clarify the legal status of County Road N across their mining claim near Rico, requested survey records and reclamation company history, and were told county staff and the Forest Service will collect documents and include them in follow‑up discussions.
At the Nov. 17 Dolores County Board of Commissioners meeting, Matt Shiff and Christina (presenting as property owners) asked the board to clarify the county's position on County Road N where it crosses their mining claim near Rico. “Our main objective is just to discuss a path forward towards making a fully legal road through our property,” Matt said while sharing maps and survey excerpts.
Shiff asked the county for the historical record and said he wanted to wait for the town of Rico's survey results and documentation from a reclamation company before proposing specific actions. County staff said they are working with Chanty in Rico and the reclamation company to obtain the road history and survey information. “I can touch base with Chanty and get an update on how,” a county staffer said.
A Forest Service representative participating in the remote meeting told the board that the road “doesn't show up on our [maps]” and that Rico is a complicated location for road history; the Forest Service said it has no formalized agreements with the county for road segments that pass through National Forest parcels and recommended formalized agreements and paperwork for clarity going forward.
The presenters said they want documentation before undertaking any building on the parcel, noting that building now could leave them in a “gray zone.” County staff committed to include the presenters in follow‑up conversations once survey and reclamation records are compiled.
No formal county action (ordinance, vacation or acceptance of right‑of‑way) was taken at the meeting; the parties agreed to continue fact‑finding and discussions.
