Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/341318
A $1.65 million request for improvements at the Sarasota County Fairgrounds, including lobby renovations of the arena and replace- ment of the fixed seating, was shot down altogether. "We're putting Band-Aids and duct tape on a building that's way beyond its useful life. Way beyond," Commissioner Joe Barbetta said. Board members also voiced frustration over the fact that the county will have to pick up the approximately $5 million tab for a new 9,100-square-foot Mid-County Tax Collector's Office with a driving test range because the Florida Legislature mandated that county tax collector offices "assume all driver's license issuance services" by June 30, 2015, as a county graphic put it. The renovations the commissioners approved on June 30 for the Terrace and Anderson buildings also are nec- essary because of the state action. Isaac Brownman, the county's public works director, explained that all the contractual items related to the purchase of the 6.5-acre site and construction of the new mid-county facilities will come before the board at its July 8 meeting in Venice. THE ROADS On the first of several votes on June 30, the commissioners unanimously agreed to a motion by Vice Chairwoman Christine Robinson to add $1,725,000 to the $8,275,000 already allotted for road resurfacing in the 2015 fiscal year. Chief County Engineer James K. Harriott Jr. told the board on June 27 — as he had last year during budget workshops A chart shows projected spending for county road resurfacing for fiscal years 2015 through 2019. The County Commission voted to allocate an extra $1,725,000 to the work for the next fiscal year. Image courtesy Sarasota County Sarasota News Leader July 4, 2014 Page 53