Transportation

Joe Flescher will continue to propose the best possible transportation improvements for Indian River County at the least tax payer expense possible, and to fight All Aboard Florida (AAF), and any Brightline High-Speed Rail issues in regard to them creating safety issues for all schools, businesses, vehicles, passengers, all residents, and our animals of Indian River County.

The All-Aboard Florida issue is a long and complicated one. Therefore, we have provided a lengthy history of this issue as it pertains to IRC if you click on this link on our website: ALL-ABOARD FLORIDA Details from 2013 to Present!

What began in 2013 as a proposal from AAF that they were a completely private enterprise that intended to operate a completely private passenger rail system from Miami to Orlando- quickly became a trail of untruths & misrepresentations about their intentions for public funding, and their attempts to steer our county into agreements that would have put us all in financial danger.

AAF has continued to seek funding- first through a process overseen by the Federal Railroad Administration, and when that process fell through, they switched to another funding option that is being overseen by The United States Department of Transportation. The USDOT has chosen to not hold the AAF to its need to pass the National Environmental Protection Act process. Indian River County has fought hard to hold their feet to the fire on this, and so far IRC's pleas have been upheld. But, continued pressure on the FDOT will be necessary along with legislation to try to insure public safety from all trains!

Another big THANK YOU to our State Senator, Debbie Mayfield, and our State Representative, Erin Grall, for their efforts to refocus attention on this issue by trying to pass The High-Speed Passenger Rail Act again in the latest session of Florida's State Government. Although it did not pass this time, they, along with other area lawmakers, have pledged to keep working toward its passage!

*- Go Line Bus Hub Grand Opening

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*- Transportation Projects

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- Coordinating with FDOT on largest 5 year transportation funding
plan within Indian River County - TOTAL $200M

* I-95/Oslo Road Interchange

* Oslo Road Widening

* US 1 Widening

* Improvements to 66th Avenue

*- Public Works – Roads

-22 miles of roadway resurfaced

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*- Public Works – Roads(Future)

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- Road Improvements

* 43rd Avenue expansion (18th to 26th Street)

* 66th Avenue improvements

* 58th Avenue

- Resurfacing

* 45th Street

* CR512 (Myrtle – 125th)

- Intersections

* Old Dixie/Highland

* 1st Street SW & 27th Avenue

*- Pedestrian Improvements

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- Sidewalks

* 8th Street

* 43rd Avenue

* 64th Avenue in West Wabasso

* 87th Street & 91st Avenue in VLE

*- FY 2016/17 Revenue

- Ad Valorem Tax Roll - up approximately 6.2% from last year; still 18.3% below peak

- Optional Sales Tax up 3.5% YTD May 2017

- 15 year extension of 1 cent sales tax approved in November 2016; to remain in effect
through Dec 2034

- One-Half Cent Sales Tax up 2.9% YTD May 2017

- Gas Tax Revenue up 0.67% YTD May 2017

- Tourist Tax up 5.14% YTD April 2017

*- Housing

- 13,277 Building Permits June 2016 to May 2017

- 16% Increase over 12 month period

- Single Family Permits

* 2017 – 563 YTD

* 2016 – 850

* 2015 – 576

- 5.9% increase in Building Revenues

*- FY 2017/18 Budget Highlights

- Total Budget $327.6M – up from $308M this year

* 30.7% below $472.4M budget in FY 2006/07

- Tax Roll Increase – 7.6% Countywide, still well below peak

- Sheriff Funding – Requested $4.6M increase (all funds); recommended increase of
$2.6M or 5.84%

- Other Outside Agencies up $1.4M

- Fire Rescue Station 14 - $1.9M in additional operating costs for new station

- Continue catch-up on deferred maintenance, Renewal and Replacement and
capital replacement

*- FY 2017/18 Personnel

- Employee Changes

* Full-time Position Increase - $2,220,217

** 32 BCC positions (19 for Fire Rescue)

** 33.92 FT Constitutional

** Total of 65.92 FT

* Addition of 5 positions to address building and plan review response times

* Addition of 3 positions to eliminate single source dependencies in key operational units

Transportation Progress from 2011 through 2014:

Here are just a few of the Indian River County improvements, including transportation projects that have been completed or are in process, within the past 4 years:

Public Works Projects Completed:

*- Indian River Boulevard Sidewalk (12th Street to 17th Street)

*- 43rd Avenue Resurfacing (Oslo Road to State Road 60)

*- 82nd Avenue Bridge Replacement (Lateral D Canal/4th Street)

*- Old Dixie Highway Resurfacing (38th Lane to 53rd Street)

*- Indian River Boulevard/17th Street Intersection Improvements

*- 4-Laning Oslo Road (27th Avenue to 43rd Avenue)

*- Resurfacing Indian River Boulevard (41st Street to 53rd Street- 1.3 miles)

*- Resurfacing 27th Avenue (Oslo Road to State Road 60)

*- Dick Bird South County Regional Park (Multi-Purpose Fields)

*- C.R. 512 Eastbound Resurfacing (Roseland Road to Easy Street)

*- Oslo Road Culvert Replacement (East of 15th Avenue)

*- Paving- Pine Tree Park Subdivision

*- 53rd Street new construction 4-lane roadway (From U.S. 1 to 58th Avenue.)

Transportation & Public Works Ongoing Projects:

*- Beach Renourishment Projects

- Hurricane Sandy Beach Repairs (Construction set for winter 2014-15)

*- Roads

- 4-Laning Oslo Road (43rd Avenue to 58th Avenue)

- Paving 66th Avenue (16th Street to 4th Street)

- 4-Laning 66th Avenue (State Road 60 to 49th Street- to be completed 2015)

- Paving (Pine Tree Park Subdivision)

- Paving (Vero Lake Estates)

- Paving (Vero Lake Estates)

- 12th Street & 27th Avenue Intersection (Improvements under construction)

*- FDOT Road Projects

- I-95 between State Road 70 and State Road 60 (Project to widen 20 miles
of I-95 from 4 to 6 lanes- Construction ongoing)

- U.S. Highway One between Oslo Road and State Road 713/Turnpike
Feeder Road (Project to widen U.S. 1 from 4 to 6 lanes- beginning in

2013 to be completed in 2015)

*- Parks

- South County Intergenerational Recreation Facility

- Addition to IRC Gun Range (Skeet & Trap Facility and Hunter Training
Building and Masters Shooting Tournament improvements)

*- Sheriff’s Department

- Crime Scene/Evidence Storage Facility