Public Works addresses misinformation

WALLACE — Shoshone County Public Works Director Jim Cason is looking to dispel some rumors that have been circulating on social media over the past few weeks.

The area that has been the topic of the misinformation is the 18-mile stretch of road called Old River Road — the road that runs along the north side of the North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River.

Part of the road is paved while the rest of it is a dirt/gravel road.

According to Cason, the false statements came from a current candidate for office who spoke out incorrectly by alleging that the property taxes collected by Shoshone County go toward funding of the County Road Department, and that the money collected for taxes is collected in a generalized capacity that can be used for roads and bridges and not disclosed to the public as to how it is dispersed.

However, that information isn’t accurate.

“The statements and comments made it sound as though the maintenance of Old River Road is not regularly performed,” Cason said. “The Shoshone County Road Department is not funded by property taxes. Our department’s funding comes from Highway User Revenue and SRS (Secure Rural Schools) and grants awarded to fund specific projects. There is no itemized line for County Road & Bridge on property tax statements this year because Shoshone County did not levy its residents for roads.”

Shoshone County Road Department maintains approximately 400 miles of roadway and 78 bridges across the vast county — each of them bringing their own quirks and nuances.

The section of Old River Road that was alleged to not be maintained is the gravel/dirt portion that begins shortly beyond the popular swimming hole known as ‘the Rock’ as it makes its way toward Bumblebee.

This road is usually one of the last sections of rural road to be maintained and graded due to its location and how harsh the elements and weather can be on it during the winter and early spring months.

In the winter months, Old River Road is plowed to the best ability of the county due to its importance for emergency access, but once the snow melts and the spring rains set in it becomes a bit of a mess.

“To smooth the dirt portion of the roadway, the road must be graded,” Cason said. “Grading is performed twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. Conditions for successful grading have much to do with weather and temperature, which is why grading has not been performed on Old River Road this year, as the roadway has been too wet. Grading of this road will be performed in the next few weeks. Springtime fixes for the paved portion of this road are done by cold patching.”

Cold patching is usually done in dryer, warmer weather and is not as successful when done in colder or wet conditions. The repair tends to not last as long in these conditions, so cold patching is usually done in poor conditions only in extreme or emergency situations.

With 400 miles to monitor, county officials can’t sit idly by, waiting and watching for the road conditions to improve — which may cause some folks to get impatient and potentially present false claims about how the county handles situations such as these.

But situations like this one in particular are also very specifically handled due to a series of agreements between Shoshone County and the United States Forest Service.

The road in question isn’t even a county road — so while maintenance can be done on the road, any sort of upgrading or improvement to the road itself is out of question without prior, and separate agreements.

“Old River Road is one of the nine Forest Service Roads that is maintained by Shoshone County through a Cooperative Forest Road Agreement, referred to as the Schedule A Agreement,” said Public Works Administrative Assistant Jessica Stutzke. “This agreement is a 5-year agreement assigning maintenance responsibilities. We are currently in the meeting and discussion process with the Forest Service, ironing out details of the next 5-year agreement. We are responsible for maintenance outlined in the agreement. Capital improvements do not fall under this agreement, and therefore must be negotiated in separate project agreements. Old River Road needs capital improvement, and that has been and will continue to be discussed with the Forest Service during these meetings.”

With zero dollars for the roads department coming from taxpayers, the funds they do receive have to be managed almost even tighter than if they actually did due to the limited nature of funds available.

But, Cason would like anyone who has questions about the Shoshone County Roads Department to contact his office.

“It is important for people to understand where our funding comes from and our department limitations,” Cason said. “We hope people will reach out to us with questions or concerns.”

For more information, contact Shoshone County Public Works at 208-753-5475.