Grant County held a meeting Wednesday afternoon to inform the public of the process to get a road county-maintained.

“We will discuss the potential of getting a road into the county-maintained system,” Anthony Gutierrez said. “There may be a misconception about how much the county receives for roads. The excise tax on gasoline goes to the state. We receive a portion of the tax depending on the number of miles of road in the county.”

He explained that the state Road Fund pays for state highways and roads, and some is allotted for capital projects.

“It's the same with local government,” Gutierrez said. “We have arterials, school-bus routes, and structural items, such as bridges and signage to pay for with our Road Fund. Most of our funding is spent on maintenance. “

Joe Nadworny, county resident, asked if county taxes go into the road fund.

“Yes, because state funds are not enough for our needs,” Gutierrez said. “Money is transferred from the General Fund, which receives county property taxes.”

The county uses the fund for maintenance of county roads.

“Most counties in the state don't do their own road construction,” Gutierrez said. “We use our own labor and equipment to match state funds for building roads. The Road Fund pays for maintenance, employees, materials, equipment and fuel. We have almost 700 miles of roadway.”

County Manager Jon Paul Saari said the General Fund is made up of property taxes, federal payment in lieu of taxes (PILT), and ad valorem taxes on the value of copper in the ground.

“The General Fund is the main holder of funds,” Saari said. “We transfer money to the Road Fund only if needed.”

He explained that for the past three years, the Secure Rural Schools federal program has been fully funded through the stimulus funding.

“That went straight to the Road Department,” Saari said. “This is the last year of that funding. It is used for school-bus routes, and we bought needed equipment with the funding.”

Mark Standard, Santa Rita Volunteer Fire Department chief, said the Santa Rita subdivision is one area where the residents want the road county-maintained.

“It is difficult for me, as the fire chief, to get in and out,” Standard said. “The road base is gone and the road is badly eroded.”

Lonnie Bauerenfeind, a resident of the subdivision, said the subdivision is 30 years old and more than 24 residents live on the road. He pointed out that the roadway is 60-feet wide. He asked who owned the 1½ miles of road.

Gutierrez said the road may have been dedicated to the public, and the developer might have constructed the road.

“Maintenance is different,” Gutierrez said. “Subdivision regulations allow for the developer or the homeowners association to maintain the road or they can request the county for maintenance. Some people don't want maintenance because they feel once the road is county-maintained, anyone can use the road.”

Commissioner Christy Miller asked who the developer was.

Standard said he believed it was the Bounds family.

“I asked a contractor friend how much it would cost to maintain it,” Standard said. “I was told that a lot of dirt would have to be brought in. A half dozen of us are in the VFD.”

Saari said the county has packets that show how the road can be brought into the county system and maintained by the county.

“We have to have 100 percent of the residents along the road petition the county to have it dedicated to us,” Gutierrez said. “After that, there are two ways to petition for maintenance. The homeowners can pay to bring it up to county standards or a county committee will assess the condition of the road and estimate what it would cost to bring it up to standards. If the latter is chosen, the county will assess the property and put a lien on every property until the work is paid for.”

Dolores Dominguez, county ordinance officer, said the state has given the power to counties to set up assessment districts.

Craig Pfeifer, former Silver City fire marshal, asked if the assessment requires 100 percent of the residents to agree.

Saari said two-thirds of the residents can petition, but everyone who benefits will be assessed. If the commission imposes an assessment district, and 51 percent object, then another process is followed.

Dominguez said some subdivisions assess equally and others based on acreage.

Gutierrez pointed out that before the review committee makes any recommendation on maintenance to the commissioners, the road has to be brought to current county standards, which are based on state standards.

“Most of the time the roads need to be brought to standards because the drainage is bad,” he said. “Construction costs have gone up 110 percent. The cost of asphalt has increased 60 percent in the past two years.

Gutierrez pointed out that the latest ordinance is what is used  in reply to a question about using the standards of when the subdivision was created.

“We'll do research to find how the road came to be and why it is not maintained,” he said. “Anyone who wants to sit down with me or Earl Moore, the road superintendent, we'll sit down and talk about your road.”

He also pointed out that maintenance does not necessarily mean the road currently meets standards.

“Doesn't a developer have to build roads?” a county resident asked.

Since 1987, the county has required a bond for roads from the subdivision developer, Dominguez said.

“We're still trying to get the Wind Canyon roads completed, but we are working well with the developer,” Saari said.

Nadworny asked about washboard roads.

Gutierrez explained that without moisture the graders just fill in the grooves. When moisture comes, the graders can take the tops off the washboard. He also said placing gravel on a roadway generally makes the washboard worse. Driving more slowly helps prevent washboard roads.

Pfeifer pointed out to the volunteer fire fighters that they do not have to travel on roads that are not up to standard if it would likely tear up equipment. “That's according to National Fire Code standards for fire protection,” he said.

Gutierrez encouraged those with road questions to call him at 574-0007 or his assistant Alicia Esquivel at 574-0066 or with questions about subdivisions to call Dominguez at 574-0018.

“The packet has a sample petition,” Gutierrez said.