Brevard County commissioners and public-works officials debated the material, testing and timeline for reconstructing Satellite Boulevard, an unpaved, heavily trafficked three-mile road in Commissioner Delaney's district, during the Sept. 10 budget hearing.

Why it matters: Residents told the commissioner the washboard and deep ruts on the road had damaged vehicles and limited access to homes; commissioner Delaney raised the issue in the context of capital spending and accountability during the budget discussion.

What staff said: Public-works staff (identified in the meeting as Mark) told commissioners the county is using a stabilized shell product purchased from the SNL pit. Staff said the pit report shows a lime-rock bearing ratio (LBR) value of 113 — well above the county code-required minimum LBR of 40 — and that the county will have a geotechnical consultant test the road every 500 feet after compaction to confirm it meets a 98% density requirement. Staff said approximately 1.5 miles of the road are being addressed in the current budget; the full three-mile corridor will be staged and likely require rehabilitation again in three to five years depending on use.

On materials and testing: Commissioners asked whether invoices saying shell mix mean crushed shell, lime rock or a mix; staff responded the invoices indicate shell and that the LBR report measures relative strength and does not itself change the invoice description. Staff said recent heavy rains have made compaction difficult and that crews paused operations during the wet period; additional graders and operators are scheduled to return when weather allows.

Cost and procurement questions: The meeting included a procurement exchange: staff reported a current cost of $88.70 per ton for shell mix and explained that the county buys aggregate by the ton from local pits, sometimes trucking material from other suppliers if needed. Kathy from procurement described primary and secondary vendor listings used to maintain supply and warned that some out-of-county contractors will not travel for small jobs, which can affect timing and price.

Community and operational options discussed: Staff suggested limiting through traffic (closing an exit) to reduce nonlocal traffic using Satellite Boulevard as a cut-through; they cautioned that enforcement and access impacts would create trade-offs. Commissioners and staff also discussed possible alternatives used elsewhere — for example, recycled asphalt millings — but staff noted environmental and code constraints and said the county would need to review code and environmental issues before adopting that approach.

Ending: Public-works staff said they would provide follow-up details on the pit mix composition and additional testing results after the material dries and compaction testing is completed; commissioners requested continued updates to address resident access and to confirm whether the selected material meets standards once compacted and tested.