Sumter County is expected to spend about $33 million on various road improvement projects over the next decade, according to a capital budget adopted Tuesday night by the county commission.
That spending is in addition to about $31 million spent on those projects during the last fiscal year.
The major project is the County Road 468 interchange with the Florida Turnpike. Last year, the county spent about $4.4 million on the project plus $1.8 million for right-of-way acquisition. This year, the tab will be $3.5 million.
Despite those expenditures, the interchange will not open soon. An additional $8 million to complete the project is slated for 2020-2025.
More than $8 million was spent last year on widening CR 468 to four lanes plus about $8 million in related expenditures including right-of-way acquisition. About $3.5 million is budgeted this year for the project.
Widening County Road 462 to three lanes between U.S. 301 and County Road 466A will cost about $5.3 million this year after $2.9 million was spent during the last fiscal year.
About $4 million is allocated for widening County Road 501 to four lanes between CR 468 and County Road 470, but most of that money is budgeted during 2020-2025.
Commissioners heard a presentation on the project Tuesday night from Amber Gartner of Kimley-Horn & Associates Inc.. She said about 15,000 homes and 16 million square feet of industrial space are planned for the area. Total project cost is estimated at $15 million.
A public hearing on the project will be held at the Dec. 8 commission meeting.
The road projects will be funded with an estimated $28.5 million in road impact fees as well as other revenue sources.
Besides road construction, the capital improvement plan includes an array of building projects.
Construction is expected to begin by early next year on the north and south public safety buildings. Those projects are funded by $25 million in municipal bonds sold last year, so the county’s capital outlay is $70,000 during this fiscal year. The north building near Pinellas Plaza is expected to cost about $17 million while the smaller south building in Bushnell will cost about $6 million.
Judicial building renovation is expected to cost $3.7 million this year after $2.2 million was spent last year. Nearly $3 million will be spent improving the Cow Palace at the Sumter County Fairgrounds after $1.6 million was spent last year. About $2.2 million will be spent on new fire stations after a similar amount was spent last year.
Projects in the distant future include an $8-million courthouse expansion, a $4.4-million fire and EMS training facility and a $2.5-million jail pod expansion.
Total cash available for these projects is estimated at $72.6 million.
Sumter County also has budgeted about $3.3 million in capital expenditures for storm-water and drainage projects through 2020, including about $2.3 million for repair and maintenance.
In other business, commissioners:
· Heard from County Administrator Bradley Arnold that a bus will depart from the Brownwood Town Square on Nov. 21 and riders will experience a mine blast and fish production as part of this year’s Sumter County Farm City Week. The event is mostly for officials but Arnold said the public is invited to help fill the bus.
· Learned from Arnold that Sumter County has received $30 as its share of proceeds from a lawsuit against the United Parcel Service.