WARREN — Trumbull County commissioners are grappling with the issue of maintaining private roads after a resident raised concerns about a nondedicated section of Johnson Plank Road during their weekly workshop on Wednesday.

The discussion, sparked by an email from a resident, highlighted confusion over responsibility for maintaining roads not officially part of the county or township systems.

Trumbull County Engineer David DeChristofaro confirmed that the section of Johnson Plank Road in Bazetta is a private road, not included in the county’s road inventory, and thus not maintained by public funds.

“We wouldn’t plow it, and the township doesn’t either,” DeChristofaro said, adding that private roads pose ongoing challenges because of liability concerns and the high cost of bringing them up to county standards for dedication.

Commissioner Denny Malloy expressed frustration with the lack of clarity, urging action to address the issue for residents who rely on these roads.

“There’s got to be some way we can get involved and fix this problem,” Malloy said, citing safety concerns, such as emergency vehicle access. He suggested collaboration between the county engineer’s office and commissioners to identify and address private roads countywide.

Commissioner Rick Hernandez cautioned that taking on private road maintenance could open “floodgates” for similar requests, potentially straining public resources.

“If you do one, you’re going to have to do all these other roads,” Hernandez said, emphasizing the need to assess the scope and cost of such an initiative.

Bill Danso from the Trumbull County Prosecutor’s Office noted that dedicating private roads to the county system involves significant costs for residents to upgrade roads to meet county standards. He suggested exploring assessment districts — where property owners adjacent to the road share improvement costs — as a potential solution.

DeChristofaro agreed to investigate the number of private roads in Trumbull County by working with township trustees and reviewing county records.

“I’ll have them address it to me to report to you,” he told the commissioners, promising to provide clarity on the issue.

Malloy stressed the urgency of resolving the confusion, citing multiple resident complaints.

“It’s 2025, let’s make an initiative to get this done,” he said, advocating for better communication with residents about their responsibilities and options.