Editor, First, I want to thank the Liberty County Board of Commissioners for allowing me to speak to them at a recent meeting regarding the dangerous conditions of Beulah Road. 
Second, I would like to make a few additional remarks regarding the meeting and the Courier article that ran Jan. 7:
1. A road should have been put in by developers before any homes were allowed to be placed along the road. No road was ever constructed by the developers. What does not exist cannot be maintained!
2. Although, legally speaking, this is now a “private” road, this designation is erroneous as there are 26 homes in close proximity and numerous commercial vehicles travel on this sand path that is called a road — there is nothing “private” about it. This is a subdivision, not a country road with a few houses spaced at great distances. 
3. It was mentioned at the recent meeting with commissioners, if I clearly understood remarks, that a strong argument was made by the developers that drainage was not needed as the soil could handle any water issues. This is why the developers were permitted to forego drainage and the road allowed to be designated as “private.” What?
There is marshland off the back of many properties. My property became a swamp for many days last summer after several days of rain. I have been told that my neighbor’s property has had up to three feet of water in the yard for days at a time! 
4. No residents of Liberty County who pay taxes should have to deal with living along a “road” in such deplorable condition so as to make traveling along it impossible, especially when no road was ever constructed in the first place. 
Residents did not vote for the “private” designation, which allows developers to unfairly force residents to pay for road maintenance. There isn’t even any method for residents to collect funds for maintenance other than knocking on doors and begging for them.
5. Some of our tax dollars should be used for our road as they have been (for many years) and continue to be used to maintain other roads in front of other peoples’ homes.
6. It is my most fervent hope that a road is put in — at no cost to the residents — before some disaster befalls one or more residents. Emergency vehicles either can’t travel on Beulah Road or must take considerable extra time to do so, especially after it rains. This situation never should have been allowed to exist. 
 Thank you for allowing me to voice my opinions.
 
Ronda Durney
Midway