ESCANABA - Questions were raised concerning the Delta County Board of Commissioners adoption of an ORV ordinance Monday during a meeting of the Delta County Road Commission.

Road Commissioner Rory Mattson questioned which board had the authority to restrict 30 percent of the roads to ORV use.

"I see a conflict as none of the road commissioners were present for the public hearing held Sept. 24 concerning the ORV ordinance," said Mattson.

He reminded the assembled commissioners they had decided to restrict four roads within the county to ORV use using a criteria established by Road Commission Supervising Manager Rob VanEffen.

The criteria selected by VanEffen included amount of traffic, speed and road width.

"I thought at our last meeting we had approved restricting four roads, I guess it's actually four county roads," said Mattson.

The roads referred to by Mattson - approved by the road commission during a meeting held Sept. 11 - include: Sheridan Road, from the Escanaba city limits to the Buck Inn; County Road 426 to the top of Groos Hill; County Road 414 (18th Road) to County Road 426 and Danforth Road.

During a public hearing on Sept. 24, different groups justified for the county board only restricting County Road 426 from the city limits to the top of Groos hill.

"There were different reasons why they did it at the hearing, and different individuals spoke. I was hoping Tim Kobasic from SORVA would have been present for this meeting," said Mattson. Mattson said he had spoken with Delta County Undersheriff Ed Oswald who had also spoken out during the public hearing Sept. 24 in favor of not restricting County Road 426 or 18th Road from ORV use.

"If you look at the law, it's actually the road commission which can restrict up to 30 percent of the roads, not the county board," said Mattson.

VanEffen expressed some safety concerns during the meeting, including volume of traffic and the speed limit on Danforth Road.

"While the undersheriff and SORVA do not have those same concerns, I said at the meeting where we restricted these roads the selection was made using a criteria with three key factors - road width, traffic volume and speed."

According to VanEffen, Danforth Road had the highest volume of traffic of any county road.

"Its speed limit is 45, but people drive 50 and the slopes (distance between road pavement and ditch) were not the best. In some places slopes are non existent" he said.

VanEffen said he had the same concern for 18th Road noting high volume traffic, along with areas where the slopes could be considered dangerous.

"I agree with your criteria and recommendations," said Road Commission Chairman Mike Larrabee.

He asked how the county, or commission would address the criteria when there was an accident on another county road that did not have as much volume as the restricted roads?

VanEffen said the issue could apply to any road where an accident occurred, regardless of any action taken by the road commission.

"It's a catch 22," added VanEffen.

Larrabee asked VanEffen if he would meet with Kobasic and County Board Chairman Tom Elegeert to try and work something out, bringing a solution to the road commission for its next meeting.

The Road Commission will meet again at 5:15 p.m. on Oct. 9.