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Keystone council weighs taking over private roads; staff warns costs could nearly double
Summary
Staff told council it could accept roughly 11 additional miles of roads—doubling town-maintained mileage—but warned that combined plowing and maintenance could rise from about $350'$400K now toward $800'$900K annually under conservative estimates; council discussed standards, escrow/bonding, and phased acceptance.
Keystone staff outlined options for the town to accept additional public-right-of-way and maintenance responsibilities for roads currently privately maintained, telling council that accepting roughly another 11 miles into town control could substantially increase annual snow-plowing and maintenance costs.
At the June 17 work session the town manager summarized the inventory and the staff estimate: the town area contains about 25.9 miles of roadway; the town currently maintains about 11 miles and has budgeted roughly $168,000 for plowing those roads. Staff said bringing an additional 11 miles into the town's maintenance program could increase combined annual snow-plow and maintenance costs conservatively toward $800,000 to $900,000 a year, compared with the town's current roughly $350,000 to $400,000 outlay.
"We're a town. We're taxing everyone as an equal responsibility share of our tax revenue. Let's treat everyone equally," the town manager said, framing the policy question as one of equity among residents. Staff proposed a three-criteria approach before accepting a road: the road be constructed to the county's chapter-5 standards (or equivalent), the road be in good condition verified by the town engineer, and the adoption be found by council to be in the town's best interest.
Council members debated exceptions and protections for the town. Some members favored requiring owners to bring roads up to standard before acceptance; others suggested escrow or bond arrangements for roads in "fair" condition to cover near-term repairs. Staff noted that some private roads (identified in the packet) are narrower or otherwise physically nonconforming and may not meet construction standards without significant investment.
Council asked staff to draft a formal policy/resolution that sets out acceptance criteria, includes options for escrow or bonding where appropriate, and identifies what upgrades would be required for substandard roads. No formal vote was taken at the work session.
