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Resident questions driveway citation as commissioners defend warning system
Summary
A resident challenged a Sept. 13 warning for dirt washing onto Massey Road; county officials said warnings are a formal notification step and that crews prioritize making roads passable after storms before completing repairs.
A Cusseta resident raised concerns at the Oct. 1 meeting of the Unified Government of Cusseta–Chattahoochee County after receiving a code-enforcement warning for dirt washing onto a public road.
Teresa Parrish did not speak directly; JD Abercrombie, who identified himself as speaking on her behalf and gave a Patterson Road address, said Parrish received a warning for “dirt coming out into the road” and questioned why inspectors had issued the citation on Sept. 13, a day when two to three inches of rain fell. Abercrombie asked how many other driveways received warnings and said cleanup of Patterson Road took longer than expected after he submitted a work order on Sept. 20.
County Manager Thomas Weaver told the commission that roughly 10 driveways were cited that day and that some were on State Route 137 rather than Massey Road. Weaver said the county issues warnings to inform residents when runoff creates hazards and that crews first make roads passable after storms and return later to complete work.
Chairman Charles Coffey summarized the county’s approach, saying that a warning “is a courtesy and we do not have to give them,” and emphasized that staff work with the resources available. Commissioner Jason Frost noted the county’s motor grader had been out for repairs, limiting immediate roadwork.
Why it matters: The exchange highlights how small counties balance limited equipment and crews with public-safety risks from dirt and runoff on rural roads. Residents said timing and follow-up on work orders left them frustrated; county officials described warnings as part of a formal system that flags problems for later action.
What happens next: Commissioners did not take formal action on the matter at the Oct. 1 meeting. Residents may re-raise the problem during future public-comment periods or submit additional work orders to public works.
