The current proposal came after months of meetings from a working group -- including county staffers and residents -- as well as public meetings, a study session with the county commissioners and a May resident survey.
The county also was considering fixing all the roads within five years, asking residents to pay $407 a year for five years or $219 a year for 10 years to cover the costs.
But Gerstle said property owners asked to keep the annual cost low. Spreading the cost over 15 years allows the county to rehabilitate roads when it's most cost effective and also allows the county to do more of the work instead of relying on contractors, he said.
The first phase of the proposed repairs would be to resurface the roads in the worst shape. Next would be chip-seal coating the roads in fair and good condition, extending their life by five to seven years.
In the second phase, roads that were initially resurfaced would receive a chip-seal coat, while those roads that were chip-sealed would be resurfaced.
County officials said the proposal isn't a permanent solution, but would allow the county to quickly address the problem before roads get worse -- and require more expensive repairs. At some point, officials said, an improvement district would need to be created that provides perpetual road care.
Critics of the plan say the county has neglected to adequately fund the transportation department over the years and should pay some or all of the project's cost.
Unincorporated Boulder County resident Greg Klinkel said he's glad to see the county making an effort to address the deteriorating roads, but he doesn't think residents should foot the bill.
"It's fiscal irresponsibility on the part of the county," he said. "Property owners should reject this plan and ask the county commission to cover the cost out of our of normal property-tax revenues."
Affected residents who don't receive a ballot by the end of the week can call the county transportation department at 303-441-3900 or send an e-mail to transportation@bouldercounty.org.
Read more: Residents to vote on Boulder County rural subdivision paving - Boulder Daily Camera http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_15663385?source=most_viewed#ixzz0vYTzxlAn
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