Marion County approves limited maintenance program for unaccepted local access roads

The Marion County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 6 approved an order allowing the Public Works director to establish a continuing local access road limited-maintenance program to perform pothole repair, grading, placement of rock and millings, ditching, culvert flushing and other basic work on a subset of county-area roads not formally accepted for county maintenance.

The program, presented by Max Hepburn, Marion County Public Works land development engineering and permit supervisor, is intended to “prevent public safety hazards on local access roads” and to keep frequently used private-access roads in a safe, traversable condition, the county said. The Board voted to adopt the order after a motion and second; commissioners voiced support and the motion passed.

Under the program’s draft terms, “limited maintenance” includes pothole repair; grading and placement of rock or millings on gravel segments; ditching and culvert flushing; asphalt preservation where appropriate; structural overlays only when less-costly alternatives are not feasible; paving a gravel road where long-term county savings would result; and ancillary work such as stormwater facility management, pavement markings, signage and roadside vegetation trimming. Hepburn said the program would be ongoing until dissolved by the Board.

Public Works staff identified 24 road segments for inclusion in the program, totaling about 7.25 miles and an estimated average annual cost of roughly $80,000. Roads listed by staff include the county segment of Fourth Street (near Hubbard); portions of Ash Lane; Bong Court (East Salem); Eldon Avenue; the gravel segment of Elma; Greenlee Way; Hoffman Road; Husky Lane; Julia Road; Keene Lane; Kennewood Avenue; Larusa Court; Letikan Way; Lewis Drive; Lilac Lane; county portions of Milton Street; Sandringham Drive; Saniam Park Road and Saniam Way (access to Saniam Park); Shafer Road; Shipman Lane; Shirley Avenue and Shirley Court; and Sunnybrook Lane. Hepburn said staff provided aerial images for the identified segments.

Commissioners discussed the county’s discretionary choice to maintain roads that were originally developed and intended to remain private. One commissioner said the county has no legal obligation to maintain these roads but that, as development and public use increased, the county decided it was in the public interest to provide limited maintenance so residents can travel safely. Commissioners cited Kennewood Avenue as an example where full urbanization to county standards would have required widening that would significantly alter neighbors’ front yards and parking; limited maintenance was presented as an alternative that preserves neighborhood character while improving safety.

The Board adopted the order on a motion to allow Marion County Public Works to establish the program and to maintain the roads identified in the staff exhibit. The motion was seconded and approved with an affirmative vote; no roll-call names were recorded in the meeting minutes excerpt.

The order directs Public Works to administer the program in accordance with the exhibit and the definitions presented, and to report back to the Board as stipulated under county practice. Implementation details such as prioritization, scheduling and whether any of the identified gravel roads will be paved for long-term savings were described as matters for operations staff and future Board oversight.