[HISTORY: Adopted by the County Commissioners of Kent County 4-3-1990 as Ch. 8, Art. I, Div. 1, Sections 8-1, 8-2, 8-3 and 8-10 through 8-14, of the 1989 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Roads Superintendent — See Ch. 50.
Identification of roads and properties — See Ch. 130.
Subdivision of land — See Ch. 215.
Zoning — See Ch. 222.
The County Commissioners of Kent County are authorized and empowered to control and regulate the public roads and bridges in said county, subject to the provisions of this chapter and of the Public General Laws of the state.
The County Roads Superintendent shall have the general supervision of the public roads in Kent County, and the work done thereon.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code; see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I.
The County Commissioners of Kent County may appropriate or levy from time to time such sum or sums of money as they may deem necessary for the building of new bridges and opening of new roads and for constructing, reconstructing, repairing and maintaining public roads and bridges in the county.
Whenever any person or persons shall desire to improve any public road in said county to an extent beyond that contemplated by the County Roads Superintendent, he or they may make application to the County Commissioners by petition, setting forth the location of the road to be improved, the extent and character of the improvement and the probable cost thereof, and said County Commissioners shall thereupon order the County Roads Superintendent to examine the location and purpose set forth in the petition, and if he shall be of the opinion that the public interest will be promoted thereby he shall report his determination to the County Commissioners, setting forth his reasons for such determination and an estimate of the cost of such improvement, and if the County Commissioners shall approve the report of said County Roads Superintendent, they shall direct the expenditure of any amount, not to exceed one-half (1/2) the total of said estimates, to be paid out of the road levy or of other moneys belonging to the county, provided that the petitioners for such improvements shall first pay into the treasury of the county an amount not less than one-half (1/2) of said estimate, all of said money to be expended under the direction of the County Roads Superintendent.
It shall not be lawful for the County Commissioners to open any new public road in Kent County until they shall have such proposed road surveyed and platted by the County Roads Superintendent and an estimate, in writing, made by him of the cost of building such proposed road, including necessary bridges on the same, and any such new public roads which the County Commissioners may hereafter decide to open shall be built under control and direction of the County Roads Superintendent and shall not be accepted and paid for by the County Commissioners until the County Roads Superintendent has certified to said Commissioners that said road has been built according to the contract and specifications signed by the contractor, if such road is built by contract.
Whenever the County Roads Superintendent finds it necessary to open an outlet or watercourse through private property in Kent County to secure proper drainage of any public road therein, he shall forthwith so inform the County Commissioners of the county, and if the owners of such property consent to the opening of such outlet or watercourses and if such owners and the County Commissioners agree upon the value and price to be paid for the same, then such consent and agreement shall be entered on the books of the Commissioners, and such outlet or watercourse shall be opened by the County Roads Superintendent. If the owners and the County Commissioners shall fail to agree, then the County Commissioners shall have such power and authority to condemn the land for such outlet or watercourse as is now or hereafter may be conferred by the Code of Public General Laws of the State of Maryland for condemning public highways and shall appoint three (3) examiners to go over such proposed outlet or watercourse for such drainage who, or a majority of whom, shall estimate the damage to the owner or owners of the land through which said outlet or watercourse may be opened, and the County Commissioners shall tender to the owner or owners of said land the amount of damages so estimated or ascertained by said examiners or a majority of them, and, so soon as the same is tendered to the owner or owners of said property, the County Roads Superintendent shall immediately cause such outlet or watercourse to be opened. The County Roads Superintendent shall furnish said examiners with a plat showing the proposed location and profile of such outlet or watercourse, and for the purpose of making the plat and profile the County Roads Superintendent is authorized to go upon any private property through which said proposed outlet or watercourse shall pass and to make whatever survey or surveys he may deem necessary for such purpose, provided that any such outlet or watercourse shall not be opened so as to pass through the buildings, gardens, yard or burial grounds of any person without the consent of the owner in writing. The County Commissioners are authorized and directed to provide reasonable compensation for any injury or damage resulting from any such survey on private property.
No person or corporation shall place any obstructions of any kind whatsoever upon the public highways or bridges, roads, lanes, streets, avenues or alleys of Kent County or interfere with or obstruct any of the ditches or drains thereof or encroach upon the same with fences or other obstructions, nor shall any person or corporation, its agents or employees exercising the business of a common carrier permit his or its vehicles, steam or other engines or cars to obstruct any crossing for more than five (5) minutes for any one (1) time.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code; see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Section 8-13.1 was deleted at time of adoption of Code; see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I.
A. 
Upon conviction, any person violating the provisions of this chapter shall be deemed guilty of a civil infraction, subject to a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100.) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500.).
B. 
Any person arrested under this section shall have the right to appeal to the Circuit Court for said Kent County for trial, and all fines collected under this section shall be paid to the County Commissioners and by them applied to the general road fund of the county.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code; see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I.
[Amended 11-10-1992 by Bill No. 6-92]
All public utilities, private persons or corporations are hereby required to obtain a permit from the County Roads Superintendent prior to performing any installation of new conduit and/or cable facilities within the county rights-of-way or maintenance and repairs to any existing facilities within paved sections of county roadways.
The following shall be the procedures to be followed for this permit:
A. 
Submit a complete permit application with appropriate drawings depicting the work requested.
B. 
The County Roads Superintendent shall review the application for the permit and respond within thirty (30) days of receiving the application, and, if approved, a utility permit will be issued.
C. 
If the application is rejected, the County Roads Superintendent will issue a response letter which will outline the basis for rejection.
D. 
The permittee shall perform all work in conformance with the approved submittal and shall be liable for all damages to road surfaces, rights-of-way and bridges, if any, in performing the construction authorized.
E. 
In the event that future county road, storm drain or water or sewer improvements require removal and/or adjustment of the permitted installation, the full cost of removing or adjusting the same shall be borne by the permittee.
F. 
The County Commissioners may, by resolution, from time to time, establish a fee for the processing, review and evaluation of the application for a permit.
Any person, utility or corporation who or which shall damage, alter, change, obstruct or encroach upon any county road, right-of-way or bridge without first having obtained a permit therefor shall, in addition to being liable for all of the costs of the repairs for damages, be subject to one (1) or both of the following penalties:
A. 
A citation for commission of a civil infraction and a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000.) for each violation.
B. 
Charged with a misdemeanor and, upon conviction for each violation, a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000.) for each day the violation exists.