County to get update on mowing program

Sarasota County is third in line for the most expensive maintenance costs in comparison to other communities.

At tomorrow’s meeting, the commissioners will hear an update from county staff about the current state of the right of way mowing and median maintenance.

According to the Powerpoint, the county currently pays $76.62 on average per acre in its 2013 to 2016 contracts with three vendors, Mega Mowers, Jackson and Reynolds; contracts with all three will expire in 2016.

Staff compared this cost to other counties. Sarasota’s expense sat at the high end of seven other counties, ranking third in the most expensive after Pinellas County at $129.41 per acre and Pasco at $81.78.

County staff also did a GIS mapping of the right of ways and compared it to contracted acreage estimates. The results showed a discrepancy between what is maintained and the actual amount of right-of-way for which the county is responsible.

According to a chart in the Powerpoint, the county has seven maintenance zones with a contracted acreage estimate of 2,310. The results from the GIS mapping results in 3,275 acres of county-owned rights of way – leaving 965 acres of rights of way unmaintained.

Spencer Anderson, division manager of field services for the county, said this is in part because some property owners are more particular in how they want their lawns to be maintained, and have asked the county not to mow their rights of ways so they can personally manage it. As long as the area meets county code– growth of no more than 12 inches– it’s not a problem.

Property owners are not, however, obligated to maintain these rights of ways. In most municipalities, however, owners are responsible for maintenance to the curb.

County staff wants to include these more detailed GIS maps in future mowing contracts so vendors are aware of the total area of responsibility.

Staff also wants to brainstorm on reducing costs of maintenance, such as eliminating pavement edging and reducing the frequency of trimming.

IF YOU GO

What: Sarasota County Commission meeting
When: 9 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11.
Where: Commission Chambers, Administration Building, 1660 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota.