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Public Works requests $500,000 for pavement preservation as staff warns of rising costs
Summary
Public Works Director Missy Barletto told the commission the department is understaffed and operating lean; she recommended funding a $500,000 pavement preservation program to prolong recently paved roads and avoid higher future repair costs.
Missy Barletto, Director of Public Works, told the Delray Beach City Commission on May 19 that her department is operating with 70 employees across 11 divisions and is running budgets 'extremely lean.' She urged commissioners to consider funding a pavement preservation program estimated at about $500,000 to extend roadway lifespans and avoid larger costs later.
"One of the things that we're asking to do is to fund the pavement preservation program, which we have not funded for the last couple of years. So at a cost of about $500,000, that would give us the ability to increase the lifespan of those roadways that we have recently paved," Barletto said.
Barletto reviewed department funding: many core divisions are paid from the general fund, fleet operates through an internal garage fund, and the Beach Management Fund relies on grants, state and federal appropriations, and county bed‑tax interlocal contributions for renourishment projects. She said fleet maintenance costs for heavy equipment and rising fuel prices are pressuring the budget.
Commissioners asked whether cutting service lines to hold the line on budgets would simply increase future costs. Commissioner Cassell said deferring pavement work could result in much higher costs down the line and urged the commission to prioritize the preservation program now.
Barletto also summarized parking and transportation metrics: the parking program projects about $9,000,000 in revenue next year and the city's contracted free ride service currently costs about $510,000 annually, with expansion options under consideration.
Why it matters: Pavement preservation is preventative spending that can lower lifecycle costs for city streets. Commissioners asked staff for detailed line‑item backup and asked that the Finance Office include paving scenarios in the June 9 workshop materials so the commission can weigh short‑term savings against long‑term infrastructure risk.
Next steps: Staff will include the pavement preservation funding option and related backup in the scenario packages for the June 9 workshop.
