Smith County officials met with about 60 people from the northern portions of Smith County Thursday evening to listen to their road concerns at the second Road and Bridge Strategic Planning Citizen Input Meeting.

Smith County Judge Nathaniel Moran and Commissioners Terry Phillips and JoAnn Hampton, as well as County Engineer Frank Davis, hosted the second of several citizen input meetings planned throughout the county to gather residents’ opinions to develop a long-term road plan.

About 60 Smith County residents met in the Lindale High School Cafetorium to discuss their road concerns. The meeting was also attended by Lindale Area Chamber of Commerce and Lindale Economic Development Corporation members.

“I think we had a great turnout,” Precinct 3 Commissioner Terry Phillips said. “I had a lot of one-on-one time with my constituents to talk about their concerns about the most important roads around – their roads.”

Phillips said the people who attended felt like they were being listened to and that the Commissioners Court is trying to work on getting their issues settled.

Precinct 4 Commissioner JoAnn Hampton said it is important that they meet with and hear from the community members about their road concerns.

“I thought it was a great meeting,” she said.

On July 11, 2017, more than 75 residents from the southern portions of Smith County attended the first Citizen Input Meeting.

The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, July 27, 2017, at New Harmony Baptist Church, in Precinct 4.

As part of Smith County’s commitment to strategic planning and to ensure that the county road infrastructure remains solid for decades to come, Smith County has undertaken a strategic planning process to develop a plan that identifies specific road and bridge infrastructure improvements needed in the county, sets out a timeline for making those improvements, and identifies the funding source(s) for such improvements.

Smith County citizens are being asked to fill out Citizen Feedback Forms either online, at the meetings or at the Smith County Commissioners Court offices, located at 200 E. Ferguson. They can also be found at any of the Justice of the Peace/Constable offices throughout the county.

So far, 197 forms have been completed. These will help Smith County officials learn where the greatest issues are and will help them in constructing a long-term road plan.

Additional Citizen Input Meetings set around the county include:

5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, July 27, 2017, New Harmony Baptist Church Family Life Center, 10251 Farm-to-Market Road 724, Tyler;

5:30-7 p.m. Tuesday, August 15, 2017, the R.B. Hubbard Center, “The Hub,” 304 E. Ferguson, Tyler.

After a proposed road plan is compiled, additional public meetings will be held. Members of the Commissioners Court also will present the plan to civic organizations around the county.

For more information about the county’s road and bridge plan, or to submit road opinions through an online form, visit https://www.smith-county.com/Commissioners/CommunityInput/RoadImprovement.aspx