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Commissioners question CDOT MOU that lists county as Bradfield Bridge owner, seek inspection copies instead of new ownership pledge
Summary
CDOT's MOU appeared to list Dolores County as owner of Bradfield Bridge; commissioners and the county attorney said the historical record is unclear and urged responding that the county is not prepared to accept sole responsibility now but requests copies of CDOT inspections.
Staff reported that CDOT had submitted an MOU stating that Dolores (Townley phrasing) would be the owner of Bradfield Bridge. Some commissioners said the county's historical records do not clearly show sole ownership and that accepting an MoU now could expose the county to substantial repair costs.
Why it matters: Accepting responsibility for a bridge can create large financial obligations if the structure requires significant repairs or replacement. The county attorney recommended caution and proposed a response that asks CDOT to continue inspections and copy the county while the ownership question is resolved.
The county attorney suggested phrasing such a response to decline entering into an allocation of responsibility at the present time while remaining open to discussion and asking CDOT to copy the county on inspection reports. "You could respond to them and say, you know, the county is not willing to enter into allocation of responsibility at the present time... We are always open to discussion as issues arise, and we would appreciate you copying us on your regular bridge inspections," Dennis said.
The board supported sending a cautious reply and asked staff to draft suggested language for review by the commissioners and the county attorney.
