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INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA MEMORANDUM YA TO. Joseph A. Baird, County Administrator THROUGH: Dylan Reingold, County Attorney FROM: Richard B. Szpyrka, P.E., Public Works Director SUBJECT: Fellsmere Road Maintenance — Unincorporated Indian River County DATE: June 20, 2016 DESCRIPTION AND CONDITIONS On May 17, 2016 the Indian River County Board of County Commissioners (the "Board") directed staff to review and provide information and alternatives for adding Fellsmere Roads to the current grading schedule. On June 14, 2016 the Board noticed a public workshop regarding Fellsmere Road Maintenance that would be held on June 27, 2016 at 6:00 pm at the Clarence F. Korker Center for the Performing Arts (Old Fellsmere School Auditorium) Community Room, 22 S. Orange Street, Fellsmere, Florida. In August of 2004, Staff presented to the Board an Unmaintained Road Study that provided the Board with information regarding unmaintained roads county wide. The 2004 study addressed the need to provide safe, two-way roadways and to obtain the necessary right-of-way to provide safe roadways to the public. In 2016, Staff recognizes that the 2004 Unmaintained Road Study brought to the forefront ` issues regarding right-of-way acquisition and public safety issues that are still valid issues that need to be addressed. The Executive Summary for the 2004 Study is attached. i Public Works performs routine grading on approximately 30 miles of unpaved roads in the { unincorporated areas around Fellsmere. This maintenance is performed under a 1975 agreement between Indian River County and the Fellsmere Water Control District. Additionally, Public Works performs routine grading on an additional 220 miles of unpaved roads within the entire County. On average, the cost of grading a mile of an unpaved roadway is approximately $2,700 00 per mile This i does not include the addition of unpaved roadways that have not been maintained by the County j (approximately 140 miles countywide). These roadways will need to be prepared by additional material and grading work to meet the minimum requirements in the FDOT Manual of Uniform Minimum Standards for Design, Construction, and Maintenance for Streets and Highways (Green Book Standards) There are approximately 70 miles of unpaved roadways within Fellsmere Water Control Drainage District (FWCD) drainage and road right-of-way that are utilized by approximately 1,254 parcels of property for access. Of the 70 miles of unpaved roadways, 40 miles of unpaved roads are not maintained by the County or the Fellsmere Water Control District as the Fellsmere Water Control District has stated that per Chapter 298, Florida Statutes and guidance from the Florida Attorney General, the FWCD is not allowed to perform maintenance on the roadways within their right-of-ways. The Florida Attorney General has also opined that a county may furnish road grading of private roads so long as payment for actual costs of such service is borne by the owners of the private roads. In the alternative, the Florida Attorney General has stated that the public must be granted the right to utilize such roads. C'1Useulrs'rpyrkaUhskurplFellsmerr \mater Comm] District RoadwaysWellsmere Unpaved Road Maintenance Agenda for lune 27, 2016.dtx