There is a plan coming on Thursday morning's BCC agenda which will greatly accelerate multiple desperately needed infrastructure projects that will help multiple districts, are ready for movement, require additional funding and are vital safety projects.
The project to improve and modernize Longleaf Drive will be awarded withing two weeks, and this roadway improvement will include a new bridge at Wymart road, pedestrian sidewalks on the north and south of the roadway, stormwater improvements, and a signal improvement at Pine Forest Road and Longleaf. This important corridor is also the site of four public schools, so the addition of the sidewalks will be a tremendous safety improvement for students.
Now here's the really good news:
With the economy's recent retreat due to disastrous monetary and energy policy in Washington DC, combined with supply chain issues that have slowed many projects down, combined with a commonsense downsizing of this local Longleaf Drive project based upon 2007 traffic projections compared to 2020 actual traffic counts --the cost of this project came in significantly lower than what was originally programmed, leaving an excess of funds of around $5.6 Million. (see breakdown, below)
So now comes the bold, brass balls approach to accelerating and supercharging some lingering, desperately needed infrastructure projects utilizing this excess LOST money. Any time it is difficult and strenuous and requires a lot of thought, planning, and teamwork---it requires something else. Alec Baldwin said it best in Glengarry Glen Ross--it takes brass balls.... this plan coming Thursday is aggressive, intelligent, and ballsy.
Here's the setup:
Because it has been the standing practice of the board on numerous occassions--when a bid comes in low on a district project--the commissioner of such a district has typically been shown deference in re-
