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CR 9/7/17 B Good afternoon commissioners, I requested this time before you to speak of the need for a significant county-wide budget increase for sidewalks and a request to continue the installation of sidewalks in the Palm River community. I am Ken Oehler, president of the Palm River Homeowners Civic Association. Our association is a voluntary membership organization created in 1978 and dedicated to serving the best interests of the residents of the community. I had initially intended to make this request to the full Commissioners' meeting on September 12th but was advised that this forum may be preferable. The area in which we wish to have sidewalks installed is the older part of the community, built in the early 70s at a time when the importance of sidewalks was perhaps not recognized or unaffordable. We were immensely pleased last year when the county installed sidewalks on one side of a section of Cypress Way East. I'll show that photo in a minute. Now here is a picture of the type of street on which we would like to have the sidewalks continued. (Photograph of Viking way) I am asking you to greatly increase the $250,000 amount budgeted annually to $3 Million annually for sidewalks in older communities and to demonstrate that commitment by completing the sidewalk loop in Palm River that we have requested and which I'm about to show and describe to you. (Show and describe the loop.) This is a good overhead view from County Project Manager Dan Schumacher. The streets are color coded. Blue or Green have sidewalks. The Yellow coded streets are those we are requesting to have sidewalks installed now. The Red indicates streets we are not requesting have sidewalks installed at this time. Several of our residents recently circulated a petition requesting that the county continue this loop that was begun last year. So far there have been about 200 positive responses to that petition. The prospect of a millage increase through an MSTU, however, was not part of the petition they signed. The petition was presented to the county Pathways Advisory Committee. We were advised at that meeting that the sidewalk installation last year used up the county's entire budget for the year and that we cannot expect the county to provide additional sidewalks in Palm River for at least the next 8 to 10 years, if then. We were also advised that the county budgets only$250,000 per year toward construction of sidewalks in older communities in the entire county. This is out of a budget of over one billion dollars. Twenty- five thousandths of one percent. 0.025%. Using the cost of the recent installation in Palm River as a base, that budgeted amount would cover only about six tenths of a mile of sidewalks per year. About five blocks. At that rate, it may be fifty years before our older communities achieve a safety level that fits 2017 traffic conditions. There is a heavy public emphasis on walking to promote good health, the need to protect the safety of those pedestrians and improve the security of our neighborhoods. We know the county supports those efforts. However the small amount committed for sidewalks, $250,000 eke. amicaer Ken `x ( 7117 in a budget of over$1 billion, does not support that commitment. At the presentation to the Pathways Committee, we were actually advised that sidewalks are preferentially installed in communities with speed limits of 45mph and higher and where people have been killed. I sincerely hope that event is not what brings sidewalks to Palm River. Given the unavailability of funds it was suggested we form an MSTU to have the homeowners pay for the sidewalks. In effect, pay for the sidewalks ourselves on top of the property taxes we already pay. In discussions with many of our residents, they believe they are already paying sufficient taxes to justify the county installing sidewalks. We have examined the MSTU option carefully and thoughtfully. It is a huge task and, I think, beyond the capability of a voluntary membership association like ours. Most of the area needing the sidewalks is composed of single-family homes with only our voluntary membership Palm River Civic Association for communication. The rest is occupied by condominiums, many with out-of-state owners who are difficult to reach. Please understand we are talking of a community with about 600 single-family homes and nearly 1000 condominiums. To form a successful MSTU we would need over 800 signatures, some from Maine, Texas and California - a mind-boggling effort. And, we are not asking for sidewalks on all of the streets, just the major thoroughfares. So, of necessity, we would be asking residents to vote for a millage increase when their street may not be getting the sidewalks. And, if we limit the MSTU petition to just the residents whose street will get the sidewalk, the cost per home would be exorbitant and voted down. Now, to the security issue inherent in sidewalks. The installation of the sidewalks on Cypress Way East proves the adage: "If you build it they will come." Prior to the sidewalks, you rarely saw pedestrians along that strip as the vehicular traffic made it so unsafe. Now any time of the day you will see walkers, joggers, parents with baby strollers there. All those eyes on the street act as deterrents to criminal activity. They are potential eye witnesses. The bad guys simply don't want to be seen doing bad things. Let's do this same thing on the other streets I've shown you on this photo. And in all the older neighborhoods in the county that don't have sidewalks. I fear if you, the county commissioners, will not increase the amount budgeted for sidewalks in older communities, we will continue with our narrow, unsafe streets for many years. Repeating my request, I ask that you consider two things: 1. an increase in the amount budgeted for sidewalks in older communities to $3,000,000 per year (0.3% -three tenths of a percent) and 2. speedily complete the approximately 2 mile loop I described in Palm River. A recent Naples Daily News article stated that you were considering a storm water drainage tax increase and that its passage was doubtful due to the many other issues you face. I would think that the recent serious street flooding throughout the county would encourage you to consider that in a more positive view. I'm sure you've all heard from your constituents about the street flooding in your districts. In Palm River, we had motorists driving up on residents' lawns because the water in the streets was too high. And while the rains were a little heavier than usual, I think we can count on the same in the future. If that type of infrastructure tax would result in sidewalk installation, as well, then I would encourage you to pass that millage increase. If sidewalk installation would not be part of that effort, then while I would support your effort to alleviate the flooding, I would also ask that you increase the budgeted amount for sidewalk installation in our older communities. With Palm River sidewalks near or at the top of the list. Thank you very much for allowing me the time to bring this to your attention. I Il I 1416 4 1. CIlft moi, w, "� °P4,--t-t ' 2 tzt � -1,','-' '�� L6ry+ �� tt��� 5� ' a� .....,, t,.;.. � . 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