Homeowners say county plowing damaged private Duthie Road; county says Search and Rescue was contacted

Nancy and David Stafford, homeowners on Aspen Springs, told the Board of Lincoln County Commissioners that Duthie Road is a private road with public access that they do not expect the county to maintain. The couple said they have done snow removal on the road for 24 years. They said county plowing on April 6 caused severe rutting and damage that will cost thousands to repair and that, to their knowledge, there was no emergency that day prompting county action. They cited the county’s "Code of the West" guidance on private roads and asked whether the status of Duthie Road had changed.

Matt McCloud, Road and Bridge Superintendent, responded that landowners had contacted Search and Rescue for help getting in and out of the property, and that was the reason county equipment was on the road. The Stafford family said they do not want county crews plowing their private road in the future and requested clarification of county policy.

What happened next: The minutes record the exchange and the Stafford complaint; the transcript does not show the board adopting any formal policy or vote on Duthie Road at this meeting.

Next steps: The Stafford request for clarification of the road’s status and future county maintenance was left as a matter for follow-up; the minutes do not record a definitive policy change.