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Bell Isle seeks formal dispute process with Orange County over Jetport Drive maintenance
Summary
After years of interchange and maintenance uncertainty, the council unanimously approved Resolution 2601 to initiate Florida Statute Chapter 164 conflict‑resolution procedures with Orange County to determine which government is responsible for maintaining Jetport Drive.
The council voted unanimously to initiate a formal governmental‑conflict resolution with Orange County over maintenance jurisdiction for Jetport Drive, a high‑traffic link that connects to regional roads and the expressway. City Attorney Dan Langley laid out the city’s position that annexation alone did not transfer operational maintenance jurisdiction and that no interlocal agreement exists transferring road maintenance from the county to the city.
Dan Langley described the dispute as longstanding: county records show periodic maintenance by Orange County while the county’s current position is that annexation automatically made the road the city’s responsibility. Langley said the statute governing transfers requires an agreement and that staff found no written transfer or an acceptance resolution by the city council documenting a handoff.
"The only way to do this at this point is either we accept what the county says or we go to the next level," Langley told the council. He recommended initiating the Chapter 164 process to convene senior officials and, if necessary, a joint public meeting with the county commission; litigation remained a last resort.
Council members described frequent potholes and ongoing maintenance complaints and said the issue risks liability as roadway conditions worsen. The council directed the city manager to prepare the certified resolution packet and authorized staff to meet informally with county staff before escalating to a joint public meeting. Resolution 2601 passed unanimously.
