Board Reviews Private Road Repair Proposal and Requests Attorney General Opinion

The Board considered an item related to the maintenance and repair of private roads. As part of Phase I of a proposed repair plan, nearly 20 miles of private roads were determined to be impassable for emergency vehicles. Bids received estimated the cost to repair the roads using Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Grade Limerock at approximately $1.2 million. The agenda item also proposed a $1.5 million loan from the countywide capital projects fund, to be repaid at $100,000 per year over a 15-year period. However, there has been no clear determination of the useful life of the proposed improvements, and the proposed repayment period may exceed that useful life. There are numerous Attorney General opinions (AGO) addressing statutory limitations on the use of public funds for improvements to private roadways. The Board voted to request an AGO specific to the proposal to determine legality.