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Commissioners hear district updates on cemetery hiring, broadband tower, Helms Road paving, lighting and garbage contract concerns
Summary
At the Jan. 14 meeting commissioners received staff and district reports covering cemetery hiring, progress on a broadband tower site in Felda, Helms Road paving timelines, FP&L lighting schedules, speed-hump quote delays, bus-stop turnout reviews and complaints about roll-off service in the county garbage contract.
During district reports at the Hendry County Board of County Commissioners meeting on Jan. 14, staff and commissioners reviewed several operational items affecting neighborhoods across the county.
County Administrator Jennifer Davis reported that interviews were held for a new cemetery employee and that staff expect to make a recommendation soon. Chair Emma Bird identified cemetery work as a top priority.
On broadband, staff said the county and a private partner will begin work at the Felda tower site first; survey and legal-description work is nearly complete and the county expects construction to begin after final documentation. Shane Parker said the project team switched local engineering consultants to address prior delays and that some survey work was underway.
Paving on Helms Road was discussed: staff said paving will start at Birchwood and proceed west but will not extend the full planned distance in the initial mobilization. A prepave meeting to coordinate contractor mobilization was scheduled for the day after the meeting.
Commissioners were updated on lighting and speed-hump work. Lighting agreements with the utility were executed last year; Florida Power & Light (FP&L) had ordered materials with a staff estimate of delivery around the end of February and installation possibly starting in early March. Speed-hump bids were rejected at a December meeting and staff are seeking quotes; a contractor delay (illness) briefly postponed quoting, and staff said they are meeting with additional contractors to obtain bids.
Commissioners also asked staff to examine potential bus-stop turnouts to create safer pickup areas for students, and staff said they would coordinate with school-district records and perform site visits. Several commissioners raised repeated constituent complaints about roll-off containers and slow pickup under the county’s current garbage contract; staff said they would circulate the current contract to the board for review and that they had instructed vendors to cover loads to prevent debris during storms.
Ending: Several items noted during district reports (paving schedule, cemetery hire, roll-off performance, lighting installation) will return to board agenda items or staff follow-up reports at upcoming meetings.
