Senate Bill 2561

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 65-7-121, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE THE COPIAH COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO ENTER AN ORDER ABANDONING "BOBBITT ROAD" AND SPREAD THAT ORDER ON ITS MINUTES; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 65-7-121, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

65-7-121. (1) The board of supervisors of any county may, upon its own motion or upon the petition of any interested resident of the county, by resolution spread upon its minutes, declare any section of the county road system abandoned upon its finding that one or more of the following circumstances are applicable to the section in question:

(a) The section does not provide primary access to occupied properties;

(b) Traffic on the section has for a period of at least ten (10) consecutive years been intermittent and of such low volume that no substantial public purpose is being served thereby;

(c) The board of supervisors has, for a period of at least the previous five (5) consecutive years, not maintained such section as part of the county road system; or

(d) For any reason, the public interest or convenience does not require the section to remain open to the public or that it is in the public interest or convenience to close, vacate and abandon the section.

(2) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, before any section of the county road system may be abandoned as provided in this section, the board of supervisors shall hold a public hearing on the question of such abandonment and shall publish notice of such hearing at least two (2) times, not less than two (2) weeks prior to the date of the hearing, in a newspaper having general circulation in the county.

(3) If any section of the county road system intersects with a roadway that has been closed to the public by the board of supervisors, and the section has no other destination, such section of the county road system shall be declared abandoned by the board of supervisors, without the necessity of notice and a hearing, immediately upon the written request of all owners of the property through which the section extends. This subsection (3) shall be repealed from and after July 1, 1993.

(4) The resolution of the board of supervisors abandoning any section of the county road system will abrogate the easement theretofore owned, held, claimed or used by or on behalf of the general public but will not affect any private easements.

(5) Upon the abandonment of any section of the county road system, the board of supervisors shall post clearly visible signs at any intersection of the abandoned roadway with the county road system indicating that the abandoned section is no longer part of the county road system and is not maintained by the county. Once the required signs are posted, the county shall not be liable for the death of or injury to a vehicle owner, operator or passenger, or for damage to a vehicle or its contents, resulting from a dangerous condition on the abandoned section. If there exists a public railroad grade crossing or railroad bridge on the section of county road so abandoned, the county shall furnish the railroad or individual owning such railroad trackage with a copy of the resolution authorizing the abandonment and thereupon, the railroad company or individual owning such trackage may barricade the crossing or remove the bridge.

(6) From and after July 1, 2000, any proceedings under this section shall be documented in the official record of the county road system in accordance with the requirements of Section 65-7-4.

(7) The Copiah County Board of Supervisors shall enter an order abandoning the road termed "Bobbitt Road" located in Sections 10, 11 and 15, Township 1 North, Range 4 West, Copiah County, Mississippi, and shall spread that order on its minutes. The Legislature finds that the abandonment of Bobbitt Road shall not result in damage or harm to any other party and would benefit the county by eliminating any liability on the part of the county for the maintenance of the road and for the general public traveling over and across the road. Abandonment of the road would also remove any question regarding the obligation of the county to fence the margins of the road.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.