Manatee Commissioner Vanessa Baugh says road woes 'only going to get worse'

EAST MANATEE -- Without a way to pay for an estimated $1 billion in needed road repairs in Manatee County, transportation is a problem, Commissioner Vanessa Baugh told constituents Wednesday.

"This is a real issue," Baugh said during the District 5 Advisory Council meeting at the Tara Golf & Country Club. "To me, it's also a safety issue because you need good roads that ambulances and fire trucks can also use. It's a problem that is only going to get worse before it gets better."

A group of concerned residents has been formed to study the transportation issues plaguing the county and will tell Baugh what they think, the District 5 commissioner told about 25 people in attendance.

"They realized the county has no fund in place for transportation repairs," Baugh said.

Baugh represents Lakewood Ranch and other parts of East Manatee where transportation and other infrastructure challenges are growing as new homes sprout.

A public-private partnership could be one solution, Baugh said, adding it's a "known fact that just about anyone can build a road faster and cheaper than the county. I am a big proponent that you don't keep doing the same things that you've been doing because you aren't going to get different results."

Cathy Woolley, a Tara resident, said people are going to have to be able to get from one side of the county to the other in less than an hour in order to have economic success in Manatee County.

"If we are going to develop the eastern portion of Manatee County, we are going to have to be able to move people well and quickly," she said.

In addition to unfunded transportation projects, Baugh discussed the Tara Bridge proposal and a recent commission meeting where speed limit changes and golf cart restrictions were discussed.

While the commission tabled the discussion on the golf cart changes at the Oct. 6 meeting, Baugh said perhaps the county "will just drop it and let it be."

"I will be real surprised if that ever passed," she said. "I'm not taking the golf carts off so you need to come up with another solution."

The Tara Bridge proposal, part of the county comprehensive plan since 1989, is not going to happen anytime soon but they can't just stop thinking about it, she said.

"Watch it and listen and when it raises up its cobra head, at that point, we need to stop it," Baugh said. "One thing I know in this district, we know how to stop it. We saw it the other day in the chambers (with golf carts and speed limits)."

Baugh said she's never supported spending $50 million to construct the Tara Bridge over the Braden River.

"I don't think it's needed," she said. "I don't think it's going to help traffic congestion. That's not the answer. ... To put that amount of traffic on Tara Boulevard is not the answer. It wasn't made for that traffic."

Baugh, running for re-election in District 5, said the 2016 elections are extremely important as County Administrator Ed Hunzeker's contract is up in January 2018. Baugh said she suspects several department directors will leave about the same time Hunzeker does.

"We have a lot of important positions that need to be filled in the county," Baugh said. "It means that we need people on the commission that are experienced, understanding what is going on and understand the different departments. ... We have some big, big decisions coming up."

Baugh said she thinks finding the next county administrator needs a national search as looking at existing employees is "too narrow."

"I think we need some new blood," she said.

Myakka City Fire Chief Dan Cacchiotti said it may help to bring in some people from the private sector.

"So they understand what it takes to make a buck," he said. "I just think changing things up a little bit instead of going to the same well. ... To me, I don't see that as working."

Claire Aronson, Manatee County reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7024. Follow her on Twitter@Claire_Aronson.

This story was originally published October 14, 2015 at 7:37 PM with the headline "Manatee Commissioner Vanessa Baugh says road woes 'only going to get worse' ."