Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/101651
Sarasota News Leader January 4, 2013 Page 19 FY 2012, he noted, the percentage of county heard from many residents that good road roads with an OCI of 60 or below would drop conditions needed to be a top priority for the County Commission. to 30.2 percent. During the Siesta Beach discussion last month, she also pointed to a statement by Steve Botelho, the county���s chief financial planning officer, that the combination of bond sales for the Siesta Beach plans and the replacement of the county���s emergency communications inFUTURE FUNDING WORRIES frastructure and radios would leave the county in a ���lean situation��� until probably Fiscal When the County Commission voted on Dec. Year 2017 or 2018, meaning the board would 11 to authorize a bond issue to pay for ren- not have sufficient funds to cover any other, ovations to Siesta Key Public Beach over a major expenses that might arise. period of about two years, Robinson cast the However, Barbetta told the News Leader he lone ���No��� vote. was not convinced the replacement of the ���We have dire needs for our roads in our com- emergency communications system would munity,��� she said then, pointing to informa- cost as much as the $30 million staff has estition Harriott had provided during the meeting mated. about the loss of surtax revenue for resurfac���We need a little more backup data and reing. search,��� he added. Commissioners often have noted the impact of the Great Recession on the surtax funds, Likewise, he has said he thinks the Siesta Beach project will come in under the $16.7 leaving the county million limit the with far less moncommission has ey than it had budimposed. geted for projects. Regardless of During the months those projects, Robinson traveled Barbetta agrees the county while with Robinson campaigning for about the imporelection to the tance of the road board (she had resurfacing issue, been appointed he said. ���I think in in late 2010 to fill the end we can���t out an unexpired ignore this anyA May 2012 presentation to the County Commisterm), she told the more. We need to sion shows the value of various types of roads in Sarasota County. Chart courtesy Sarasota County News Leader, she address it.��� % In an earlier email on Dec. 21, Harriott pointed out to Robinson that the county maintains 2,328 miles of roadways. Of those, he continued, 449 lane miles are arterial roads, 208 are collectors and 1,671 are local lane miles.