Lazaro Aleman
ECB Publishing, Inc.
A large contingent of Aucilla Shores residents crowded last week’s commission meeting to voice concerns about the condition of their private subdivision’s dirt roads and appeal to the commissioners to do something about the situation.
Mike Robinson, an Aucilla Shores resident, ostensibly led the group, although many appeared to have come of their own accord and not all appeared to have been on the same page as to what needed to be done. The overall level of frustration, however, was notable.
Robinson, in his proposal, called for the county to take over about five of the 15 or so miles of dirt roadways in the subdivision.
“We have lost our covenants and restrictions and have no legal means to take care of the roadways anymore other than through donations,” Robinson said in an email to the newspaper and in comments to the commission.
He added that he and a few of the subdivision’s residents had taken it upon themselves to volunteer and maintain the roads until a permanent solution could be found. But it was not a situation that they could maintain indefinitely, he said.
According to different residents’ comments, the subdivision’s homeowners association has either disbanded, or is largely inactive except on a very small scale, collecting dues on a voluntary basis.
Robinson mentioned the possibility of the county getting a Small County Outreach Program (SCOP) grant from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to improve the roads, if the subdivision were to deed the five miles of arterial roadways to the county.
County Coordinator Parrish Barwick, who runs the Road Department as one of his many responsibilities, said the county was well aware of SCOP, which it often made use of. He noted, however, that the program requires a local match. What’s more, he said, it was his understanding that the program was already committed four years out.
But the bigger problem, he said, was that the Jefferson County Land Development Code (LDC) required that roads be brought up to specified standards before the county could accept them.
County Attorney Scott Shirley said the matter warranted exploration with the FDOT. It was true that the county’s policy required that roads meet certain criteria relative to width, drainage, stabilization and the like before the county could accept them, he said. But the question here, he said, was whether the county could apply for the SCOP funding in anticipation of owning the road, or did it have to own them first before applying.
“We’ll have to explore this with the FDOT,” he said.
Barwick reiterated that in the past, when the county accepted roads, they had been brought up to standards, estimating that such improvements could cost between $175,000 and $185,000 per mile if the county did the work, and upwards of $250,000 per mile if contractors did the work.
He added that if the county didn’t enforce the requirement to have roads brought up to standards before accepting them, it would be putting a burden on taxpayers to pay for what developers should rightly do.
He further noted that the county had worked with the Aucilla Shores homeowners association in the past and had graded the roads for a fee. But as of the present, he said, the group still owed about $10,000 or more for work done in the past.
Commissioner Betsy Barfield picked up on the latter point, noting the outstanding debt.
“We’ve gone over and above in helping Aucilla Shores,” Barfield said. “If Aucilla Shores wants to improve their roads, they need to pony up and bring the roads up to county standards and then we can do a special assessments to improve them.”
She cited Valley View as an example of a subdivision that was willing to pay the special assessment to improve its roads.
“This is not the way government can work, dealing with a 100 people,” Barfield said. “I propose to Aucilla Shores that you improve and stabilize your roads and then we’ll help you. Pay your bill and let’s move forward. And create a homeowners association.”
Robinson found Barfield’s comment objectionable.
“We’re not asking you guys for something free,” he said. “We’re asking for a plan. To say help yourselves is a little abrasive.”
Numerous other residents from the Aucilla Shores and a sister community across the river spoke at length on the issue, with the remarks ranging far and wide and sometimes going off topic.
In the end, Shirley recommended that a committee be formed that included Robinson to explore the various options and return to the commission with the definitive recommendation. In other words, present a blueprint for how the commission might proceed on the issue, he said. It was his expectation, Shirley said, that the committee’s work would take a month to six weeks.
Chairman Stephen Walker embraced the recommendation.
“We’re not trying to create barriers,” Walker said. “We’re trying to find a solution.”
Sheriff Mac McNeill’s was the last word. He urged the commission to find a solution, if possible. His and the other emergency services’ concern, he said, was that they be able to reach residences in the event of an emergency.
Aucilla Shores is a large private development in the northeast part of the county dating from the early 1980s, the issue of the subdivision’s dirt roads has been an ongoing issue before the commission from the 90s onward at least, with the issue resurfacing periodically.