Administrative Regulations 11.02

This one will be revised by DPW in 2003 or 2004
ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION:   AR: 11.02 DATE APPROVED: June 25, 1985
SUBJECT:
Road Construction Policy		 ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT:
Department of Public Works

POLICY:

The following is intended to outline the policy of the Citrus County Board of Commissioners with respect to the construction, re-construction and upgrading of County Roads.

PROCEDURE:
  1. New Roads (Subdivision, Developments, Roadside Developments)
    1. Any roads constructed by others may be accepted by the Board of County 
      Commissioners, provided the following stipulations are met:
      1. Minimum right-of-way (or greater), as defined by the Board's approved. 
        Subdivision Specifications, is dedicated to the public use. 
        Road is constructed to at least the minimum standards prescribed by the Board's approved Subdivision Specifications. 
      2. Drainage is in accordance with the Board's approved Stormwater Management Policy and has been approved by the Director of Public Works. 
    2. Existing roads, in fully developed areas, may be accepted by the Board of County Commissioners, provided the following stipulations are met: 
      1. The criteria outlined in 1., above, are met. 
      2. Construction to upgrade the roads and drainage is carried out at no cost to the County. 
    3. New construction designed to upgrade existing residential roads to meet County standards may be accomplished by either one of three means: 
      1. 
      (A) Special Assessment District, where residents fronting the street or road petition the Board to establish a special property assessment for the purpose of constructing streets, drainage and roads to County standards. The details of this method are described in Resolution 79-83, but are outlined for convenience as follows: 

      Residents along a street, or in a Subdivision, who wish to upgrade the street or streets involved must apply to the Board of County Commissioners by means of a petition. Any special assessment request shall only be handled by the Commissioner whose District the request is in. The Commissioner from that District and County Staff shall be the only representatives involved in the initial meeting with the residents. The petition shall be obtained from the Citrus County Land Division. The Land Division will outline for the petitioners the procedure to be followed in petitioning the Board to create a Special 

      Assessment District. 

      The petition shall bear the signatures of 50% plus I of the resident lot owners of a district with at least 60% of the lots developed. The 50% requirement will be calculated by dividing the number of resident lot owners signatures on the petition by the total number of developed lots.

      Or the petition shall bear the signatures of 50% plus 1 of the lot owners of a district with less than 60% of the lots developed. Calculation of the 50% plus 1 of lot owners. Requirement will be determined by dividing the number of signatures on the petition by the total numbers of lots in the proposed district. A lot owner may sign the petition one time for each lot that they own in the district. That is, if a person owns 10 lots in the district he may sign the petition 10 times.

      In order to cover the expense of engineering the proposed Special Assessment District, the Board requires that an escrow deposit be submitted with each petition, unless the County Engineer certifies that only a standard engineering design is required. In such cases, no escrow deposit would be required. The amount of the escrow deposit will be calculated according to the following chart: 

      LINEAL FOOTAGE
      FROM TO   Required Escrow Deposit  
      1 500   $500.00  
      500 1000   $1,000.00  
      1000 1500   $1,500.00  
      1500 2000   $2,000.00  
      2000 3000   $3,000.00  
      3000 4000   $4,000.00  
      4000 5000   $5,000.00  
      5000 7500   $7,500.00  
      7500 10000   $10,000.00  

      Over 10,000 - Direct Petition to Board

      Escrow deposits are not refundable but will be credited against the appropriate landowner if the project is approved. The Petitioners must submit a list of property owners making the escrow deposits, including, name, amount, lot and block numbers

      (B) Involuntary Assessment. If the Board of County Commissioners determines it is in the best interests of the County and the General Public to improve a residential street by pavement, improvement of drainage or other similar upgrading, the Board may, at its discretion, order Engineering to prepare preliminary plans and construction estimates, including all costs involved in providing a facility which meets County Standards. The Board shall then inform each property owner involved of the preliminary front foot assessment for the project and establish the date for the first Public Hearing on the project.  

      The project shall be subject to the requirements of Section a.3 (A) above, after the completion of the first Public Hearing. 
    4. Upgrading roads to a condition less than that designated as minimum County 
      Standards. If residents living on a dirt, rock or paved road that by reason of insufficient right-of-way, insufficient drainage wishes to upgrade the road, creating a reasonably good riding surface and dust pallative, the Board will consider the following criteria as presented by petition:
      1. Work contemplated.
      2. Traffic using or apt to use road.
      3. Lots of parcels on road still undeveloped
      4. Method of paying. The County will not be a party to compensating the contractor.
It is recognized there are certain streets and roads in Citrus County that are and will continue to be, low volume roads. In addition, where the neighborhood is fully, or near fully, developed, heavy trucks will not be using those streets. The Board may agree to permit those low volume roads to be brought to a reasonable standard, at no cost to the County. This method may not be considered, however, where lots served by the road are not fully, or near fully, developed or where the possibility of high volume traffic exists. Certain legal requirements will be imposed on the owners and contractors.

 b. Minimum Standards -- Drawings PWM-1 through PWM-17 and the Summary of Standards Attached hereto describe, in detail, the minimum standards, which shall apply for either new construction or for upgrading existing roads.

c) Construction by County Forces -- The Road Construction Division of the Department of Public Works is the only Agency, County or otherwise, that is authorized to perform construction on any Citrus County Road Right-of-way, except as otherwise authorized by the Board of County Commissioners as a result of construction contract bids or by authorized connections to existing roads by developers or by authorized connection to County Roads by Driveway Permit. 

Construction by County Forces shall be generally limited to improvements to

Thoroughfares and Collector Roads with same attention to drainage improvements on residential roads. Basically, those roadway improvements shall consist of shoulder and ditch widening, construction of drainage facilities, removal and replacement of culverts to improve roadside safety and drainage, addition of inlets, lengthening of culverts, major pavement patches, major drainage repairs and work of a similar nature.

Each project undertaken by the division of Road Construction shall be assigned a Project Number, to be used in keeping cost records as well as for identification. It is imperative that factual costs records be kept on each element of construction and that some value be given to materials salvaged in order to assign costs to that material when reused, as well as crediting the project from which it is salvaged. In all cases, the costs shall be as near exact as possible. Materials salvaged by construction activities shall remain in the care and inventory of the Road Construction Division and may only be used by other Divisions on authority of the Department of Public Works Director.

 In establishing the actual costs involved, the following factors, based on unit costs, which reflect current market conditions and approved by the Director of Public Works annually, shall be used: 

1. MANPOWER - Includes direct payroll plus contributions made by the County for FICA, Retirement, Insurance and other direct costs. To this sum shall be added an amount equal to 25% to cover the cost of indirect supervision and overhead.  

2. EQUIPMENT -- Hourly Equipment Rates shall include an amount predetermined annually to cover the cost of equipment replacement, maintenance and operations. 

3. MATERIALS -- Unless otherwise covered by 1 and 2 above, material costs shall include all costs of hauling, storing, handling and rehandling, as well as direct cost of the material itself. The cost of salvaged materials shall be the cost of salvage plus hauling, storage and handling.

The Procedure will include the following steps:

1. The Property owners shall submit the Petition with required escrow deposit to the land division. 

2. Land Division will verify that the signatures listed on the petition are proper and that they meet the criteria established. 

3. Land Division will forward verified copies of the petition to the County Attorney. the County Attorney will prepare a resolution initiating the program. 

4. If the Board adopts the resolution initiating the program, the Land Division will prepare a preliminary assessment plat and submit it to Engineering.

5. Engineering Department will either per-form or contract for appropriate 
engineering.

After the project is Engineered, the Engineering Department will prepare a report of estimated costs of construction and submit it to the Land Division. 

6. Land acquisition cost will be determined by Land Division. 

7. Land Division will forward the completed cost sheets to Finance. Finance will calculate the financing costs, legal costs and amount to be reserved for contingency. Legal costs are to be 2% of land acquisition,

8. The County Attorney will establish an estimated cost per front foot and set public hearing. 

9. Land Division will notify effected property owners of date and time of public hearing and estimated front foot costs. 

10. Hold Public Hearing 
If Approved:

a) Land Division will notify the Engineering Department to bid the project through normal bid procedures.
b) The Board will authorize Land Division to begin acquisition of appropriate land. It is possible that the land may need to be purchased by the Board and reimbursed when the project budget is established. 
c) County Attorney and Finance Director will arrange finance. 

11.  Engineering will submit the final engineering and construction costs to the Land Division. County Attorney and Finance Director will submit final financing amounts to the Land Division. 

12. Land Division will calculate final front foot assessment and submit final role to the County Attorney. 

13. The County Attorney will prepare a resolution setting final public hearing. 

14. Land Division will submit final assessment role to the Clerk of the Courts. The Clerk of Courts will mail notice to affected property owners. 

15. Hold Final Public Hearing

(B) Private funding. If residents so desire, they may, with concurrence by the Board, elect to contract and pay for the upgrading out of funds collected by donations or such other means as; the residents can employ. Certain legal restrictions are necessarily imposed and the work is subject to the approval of the. Board of County Commissioners through inspection by its Staff. Plans will be submitted to the Board for  approval prior to construction.

(C) Involuntary Assessment. If the Board of County Commissioners determines it is in the best interests of the County and the general Public to improve a residential street by pavement, improvement of drainage or other similar upgrading, the Board may, at its discretion, order Engineering to prepare preliminary plank; and construction estimates, including all costs involved in providing a facility which meets County Standards. The Board shall then inform each property owner involved of the preliminary front foot 
assessment for the project and establish the date for the first Public Hearing on the project. 
The project shall be subject to the requirements of Section a.3(A) above, after the completion of the first Public Hearing. 

4. Upgrading roads to a condition less than that designated as minimum County Standards.

If residents living on a dirt, rock or paved road that by reason of insufficient right-of-way, insufficient width or insufficient drainage wishes to upgrade the road, creating a reasonably good riding surface and dust pallative, the Board will consider the following criteria as presented by petition: 

(A) Work contemplated.
(B) Traffic using or apt to use road.
(C) Lots or parcels on road still undeveloped.
(D) Method of paying. The County will not be a party to compensating the 
contractor.

It is recognized there are certain streets and roads in Citrus County that are, and will continue to be, low volume roads. In addition, where the neighborhood is fully, or near fully, developed, heavy trucks will not be using those streets. The Board may agree to permit those low volume roads to be brought to a reasonable standard, at no cost to the County. This method may not be, considered, however, where lots served by the road are not fully, or near fully, developed or where the possibility of high-volume traffic exists. Certain legal requirements will be impo@3ed on the owners and contractors.

b. Minimum Standards - Drawings PWM-1 through PWM-17, and the Siimilii3ry of Standards attached hereto describe, in detail, the minimum standards which shall apply for either new construction or for upgrading existing roads. 

c. Construction by County Forces-- The Road Construction Division of the 
Department of Public Works is the only Agency, County or otherwise, that is authorized to perform construction on any (Citrus County Road Right-of-way, except as otherwise authorized by the Board of County Commissioners as a result of construction contract bids or by authorized connections to County Roads by Driveway Permit. 

Construction by County Forces shall be generally limited to improvements to Thoroughfares and Collector Roads with some attention to drainage improvements on residential roads. Basically, those roadway improvements shall consist of shoulder and ditch widening, construction of drainage facilities, removal and replacement of culverts to improve roadside safety and drainage, addition of inlets, lengthening of culverts, major pavement patches, major drainage repairs and work of similar nature. 

Each project undertaken by the Division of Road Construction shall be assigned a Project Number, to be used in keeping cost records as well as for identification. It is imperative that factual cost records be kept on each element of construction and that some value be given to materials salvaged in order to assign costs to that material when reused, as well as crediting the project from which it is salvaged. In all cases, the costs 5;liiill be as near exact as possible. Materials salvaged by construction activities shall remain in the care and inventory of the Road Construction Division and may only be used by other Divisions on authority of the Department of Public Works Director.

 In establishing the actual costs involved, the following factors, based on unit costs which reflect current market conditions and approved by the Director of Public Works annually, shall be used:

1. MANPOWER: Includes direct payroll plus contributions made by the County for PICA, Retirement, Insurance and other directcosts. To this sum shall be added an amount equal to 25% to cover the cost of indirect supervision and overhead. 
2. EQUIPMENT: Hourly Equipment Rates shall include an amount predetermined annually to cover the cost of equipment replacement, maintenance and operation. 
3. MATERIALS: Unless otherwise covered by 1 and 2 above, materials costs shall include all costs of hauling, storing, handling and rehandling, as well as direct cost of the material itself. The cost of salvaged materials shall be the cost of salvage plus hauling, storage and handling.