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Steamboat Springs — Routt County commissioners lent their ears to Hayden residents at a public forum Monday, hearing mostly concerns about the mudslide eating away Routt County Road 76.

The street, known as Cog Road, slides each year. But the problem is worse than usual this spring, locals said. The slide has eaten into the road toward the middle, narrowing the road to one lane for a stretch. Commissioner Diane Mitsch Bush said the commissioners have visited the road and seen pictures.

About 20 people attended Monday's chat session, and they peppered the commissioners with questions about a plan. A study was done in 1999 on Cog Road, commissioners said. They said they want to get new information and then seek a solution.

"It's our intention to get an updated study," Commissioner Nancy Stahoviak said. County Road and Bridge Director Paul Draper "is putting $1.5 million into the 2009 budget to address the slide."

For now, the county plans to continue filling the slide area with gravel and patch it when the weather dries out. A study would help the county find a long-term solution, Commissioner Doug Monger said.

The county sometimes fixes slides by boring holes underneath and filling them with steel and concrete, Mitsch Bush said. That is just one option, commissioners noted.

Officials said they would consider asking for an energy impact grant to offset the cost of the repair, which Monger estimated at $1.2 million.

Residents above the slide would have to go around on Routt County Road 78 if C.R. 76 were shut. They protested that idea vehemently. Access for emergency vehicles would be another issue if the road closed, one resident said.

Monger assured the audience that the county would try to fix the Cog Road without shutting off access.

"Closure of that road will be our last option," he said. "We know what kind of inconvenience it will be to have the road closed."

Those who attended also questioned the cost of a study and whether the county could pay for it this year. Monger said Tuesday afternoon that commissioners would direct Road and Bridge Department officials to look at the site and research the cost of a study.

"It would require some type of supplemental budget, and I think what we'd do at this time is explore how much it's going to cost and then figure out how we're going to fund it," he said.

After Monday's meeting, Cog Road resident Lynda Vaillancourt said she was satisfied with the three commissioners' response, as long as they follow through and keep residents posted on their actions.

"What we want is a warning," she said. "We want a plan."

Also at the meeting, residents raised concerns about the intersection of C.R. 76 and C.R. 78, the need for more gravel pits in the county, the growth expected as the energy industry booms, phase three improvements for Yampa Valley Regional Airport and promotion of sustainable building practices.

Commissioners told Hayden residents that they frequently remind Front Range residents of the importance of the Western Slope. The trio encouraged residents to write letters singing that tune to Colorado lawmakers. The issue is crucial when legislators try to use energy impact money for unrelated purposes, commissioners said.

"Priority No. 1 is to take care of the impacted communities," Monger said.