Reimbursement sought for maintaining roads

For many years, Jackson County road and bridge crews have maintained an estimated 50 miles of roads on the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation reservation on behalf of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and county commissioners are now seeking reimbursement for that work.

Since 2008, the county has spent an estimated $3,657,626.52 on labor, materials and equipment to maintain those roads, according to Scott Kieffaber, county public works director.

Kieffaber recently presented county commissioners with a list of road work and repairs completed on those roads since 2008, along with their associated costs. 

While working with BIA officials to identify which bridges in the county were being maintained by the Tribe, Kieffaber received a map from the BIA showing which roads within the reservation boundaries were designated as BIA routes and which were county routes.

After reviewing the map, Kieffaber determined that about 50 miles of BIA routes were being maintained by the county’s road and bridge department.

County counselor Todd Luckman reported that BIA routes should be funded by the federal government.

During a recent county commission meeting, Denison resident Diana Keith addressed commissioners and Kieffaber about the condition of several county roads. She said she did not want her tax dollars used to maintain Tribal roads.

Commissioner Keith Kelly clarified that all the roads in the county are Jackson County roads and that the rights-of-way belong to the county. 

“The county set up the roadways. We developed them. Then, 25 or 30 years ago, when the Tribe had enough money to start blading and building their own road and bridge department, the county allowed them to take over some of those roads,” Commissioner Kelly said. “We believe that there’s a possibility that the Tribe has been getting funding from the BIA to maintain roads that the county has been maintaining. That’s what we’re trying to check into. If that’s the case, then we believe we should be reimbursed and that the Tribe should be the one to maintain those roads.”

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