FAQ

Why is the road so bumpy?

When the road was first paved in 19xx, a thin layer of asphalt was put down atop the existing dirt road. This was inexpensive, but made for a bumpy road that shifts every winter. It would have been a better design to first grade the road and then layer it with a roadbed of crushed rock and hot asphalt. But that is prohibitively expensive, so we just make patches to the problem spots.

Why don't we get a line down the middle? And speed bumps too!

The county sets the safety standards, and putting a line down the middle is not an option for us. The county reasons that a line on a narrow road like ours gives a false sense of security to a driver. Going slow and staying to the right are what's needed for safety. The county also doesn't want speed bumps. They see thses as inappropriate for a road and it disrupts fire truck traffic also.

Why can't we just put some cold-patch on the potholes like we did in the old days?

If it's a small patch, we do just that. Clearing culverts, removing down trees etc. are also done by resident volunteers and it saves the road association quite a bit of money. If you see a clogged culvert please help out and clear it.

How is the road funded?

All the parcels served by Hutchinson Road pay $500 annually. This raises about $90,000 annually. This money is collected by the county as part of County Service Area (CSA) 13. When we need repairs, we advise the county and solicit bids. For big ticket items, the county has to approve the expenditure and pays the contractor from the CSA 13 funds.

Why is the county involved if it's a private road?

Technically it's not a private road, it's a non-county maintained public road. We're a County Service Area (CSA) which means the county collects tax revenue from us to pay for the road and the county ensures that the contractors who work on the road have appropriate insurance coverage and that large projects are designed and bid according to State regulations. Any claims/litigation resulting from work performed by those contractors are tendered to the contractor.

Besides, it's a lot easier for the county to collect the money than for the HRUA to collect from neighbors.

HRUA Private Fund

The HRUA also maintains a private fund to pay for volunteer expenses such as cold-patch, reflectors and paint.  The fund is fully paid for by HRUA member donations and does not get any property tax money.  We need the fund because the county won't reimburse residents for road related expenses.  The county will only reimburse approved contractors that bid on and received a county purchase order.  The private fund pays only for actual road expenses and never reimburses the labor spent on the project.  Steve Heymann tracks the cash flow in the fund and can provide a spreadsheet showing all transactions.  Please donate to the fund.  We can only accept cash as modern banking rules don't allow a volunteer group like the HRUA to open a checking account.  Contact Steve@HutchinsonRoad.org if you'd like to donate.

How can I help too?

Clean out a culvert. Pick up trash. Watch out for problems. Move debris off the road. This sort of stuff gets done by volunteers. Help out and do some too.  Donate to the Hutchinson Road Users Association private fund.  If you can't work on the road, help share the cost of the reflectors or paint or whatever that we're using. Contact Steve@HutchinsonRoad.org if you'd like to donate.