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Note 1
The Dede County last-Vest hpreesvsy use nsde possible by your having the
political fortitude to develop and implant a prinary mods escrow program so that the
State need Depertaent could contribute 1.0 million dollars toward construction of this
expressway. Ii'hil: was never done before, which use probebe due to the fact thst nobody in
the prior ethinistretianl caned shout sttenpting to attack the financing 0: large con-plea:
urban propane tr:- the mrage or 50 million dollars wailsble for regular prinszy ma
conetructim (excluding interstate) in each of the lest ten years. In fairness to the
Collins' sdninistretion, records indicate that they did begin the construction of the
Paulette kprsssvag in rural Dade County. The right of way, design, and construction prob-
lens on this expresqu were Inch easier and they did not use the escrow fund technique but
merely cmtinued to let proncts without remind to the ability to meet progress pearl-ante.
Ii'his situetion appears to hen be the udor cause for the 9 zillion dollar deficit which
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your ministration inherited fr!- the CoJline administration.
Note 2
Your decisim to love ahead with the Rut-Vest Expressway in Dade County by
coubinina the escroving or print-y funds with Dade County secondary fund toll bonds nade
possible the piecing or the eastern leg beginning at the north-South kpressuq (coating 15
nillion dollnre) of this expresqu on the Interstate systsn (1-395). You can see that it
you had not saved ahead with the East-West Expresz we would have had no basis for the
Bureau of nablic Roads to piece the 1-595 section or the Best-Vest kprcaswsy on the Inter-
state Byetsn. This leans that this section would have had to have been placed under tolls ,
for florida would have been too late, had the Best-West Expressway decision been studied
through lsck of financing, to get smr of the retaining unassigned interstate mileage assigned
to this critical need in ilorids.
am;
When we look into decieione your ministration node on the North-South
inn-elem (1-95), we nee thet your noninietretion increeeed the futility cine by one-
thind. This wee done by redening the teciiity to more menced trerric projections.
thereby providing Dede County, eepeoinuy "downtown Mimi" with en expreeevey thet will.
meet both the existing trettie needs, when opened to trefiic, end future needs for e tenem-
eble period into the Muse. I cen't begin to eetinete the edditionel cost thet thie one-
third increese in i'ecility eepeoity coet but it nee more then one-third of the previmely
planned coet due to store mien interchencee, etc.
Note 6
It wee your decision to neeune construction reeponeibility or the "Downturn
Distributor" o the North-South kpreuwey leaned in Dede County, thne loving the county
over 6 million damn end related bond interest coete. This in due to the feet at when
you took office the county had elreedy executed on egreuent vith the Btete Roed Depertnent,
end in teeth-d eothorieed e looel generel ohligetion bond ieene to w for the cost or
constructing the Downtown Dietributor. It would eppeer thet hen the Collins administration
eeemed {We end cut down ear of their ottur yrojeete thet they could hove finenced thin
without it having been neceeeery for Dede County to tell e bend ieeue to build e print-y
reed which wee end now in the reeponeibility of the Btete Boed Depertnent.
M
It one your decieion to cerry over to the Burne' administration some 22 nil-
iion donors in interetete tund- end 10 million done." in exeeu funds made: interetete
right or vey eyeemente to meet contract end right of trey needs on the North-South Expressw-
weyinnedecounty. (m ehoveZZnillionenlenilliondouere cenheconrimedby
writing to the harem of name needs, Telleheeeee, name, Attention: 'Adninietretive
Manager.) These tnnde could hen wily been put under egreenent for construction end right
rage a
of wq on other interstate projects. In fact, you sent Interstate Ruiniatrntor Mayo and
Cuptroller July to lace-bin County the latter part or your administration to meet with the
Chamber of Canerce and highway cuittee of that county for the purpose of announcing that
you could not keep your continents in lscambia County on the 10 million dollar 1-10 bridge
a and other local interstate rioat of way because of your hiynr priority col-itnent on the
north-South kpraeewlw in Dade Conny. Here, again, is an example of the non-political
approach to roadhuilding of your administration. The Escambia County mating above referred
to cap he continued through newspaper reports and editorials published in the Escawia
County newspapers "blasting" this decision on your part.
Note 8
You also should be reminded that your administration expended millions of
dollars in primary funds for the four laning of an extremely dangerous portion of SR 27
adJacent to Lake Okeechobee. Prcn an! recollection, I believe The Niani Herald and all the
newspapera'on the last Coast continually editorialized the need for four laning this section
of Si 21 to Moe the enormous death toll on this bad section of 8B 27. It seemed that no
administration could afford to spend homey in such an area in the Fourth Road District.
Also you shonld keep in nind the fact that your administration was the first and the last
to adopt in any consecnzence the 50 million dollar off-the-top fouryear fourolaning program
for the development of a. state-wide arterial road system to ccnplenent the interstate system.
(I believe that the above an 27 four Inning was in this program.) I believe you are more
funnier with this program than I an but in my thinking, again, we find roads being con-
structed to meet a state-wide concept rm which all of the citizens of Florida are pres-
ently benefiting when they travel throughout the state and when goods and services are
moved into their areas at reduced costs. Everyone with an brains should realize that good
truck transportation is essential to the econaaic development of all of the State of Florida.
Note 7
The uajor iaprovenente in the organization of the State Road Department
chm." not be forgotten. You appointed an Engineer and Contractor to be Chaiman of the
State Road Board. You reorganized the financial Operation which was in chaotic condition
when you came into office. The improvement in the financial operation of the department
made possible the elimination of the use of the 60 million dollars of Dade County General
Obligation Bond tunds tor the construction of 1-95 in Dade County, thus saving the tax-
payers of that county between 15 and 17 million dollars to acct interest costs on these
bonds. Also your financial improvements made possible the escraving (discussed in Note 1
above) of much to nest county urban projects (Dede East-West Expressway $10,000,000;
Downtown Distributor $5,000,000; and Interns $3,000,000) to be let in future years. You
also nade possible the development of a cash-flow financing system for federal-state con-
struction projects, thus making it possible, after letting all or the large Dada projects
on the worth-South Expressway and lest-West Expressway, to increase the construction poten-
tial of the department some 30 million dollars beginning July 1, 1987, when the system can
be mm inplenented. (Because of the large cash demands for right of way on the North-
South hpreagway and Bast-Vest Expressway, the implementation of this concept (cash-now
financing) had to be delayed until July 1, 1967.)
Note 8
You should also renuber that the State Road Department left 10 million
dollars free and clear in construction funds for use by the Burns' administration no that
the contract letting program 0! the Department would have continuity, thus assuring better
bids in our over-all construction program. This 10 million dollars was over and above the
16 million dollars in regular primary funds escroved for Dade County and the over 32 nillion
dollars in interstate obligation authority left to the Burns' administration for the North-
South Expressway contract and right or vay needs. Incidentally, the Burns' administration
intended to leave 7 million dollars but obligated it during the last twovmonths which made
it necessary to suspend primary contract lettings for approxinately 6 months.
not. I
To date your manual: is the only mustmtion to putt. aide hands
($3,000,000) tor rout construction prodectl It. the Inter-u an... (Beginning July 1, 1967,
the present mantratim v1.1.1 allocate $1,000,000 to this program)
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expressway.~~~~~~~~~~~~~ T..... .a ee oebfr hc a rbal ~et h atta ooy
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Aeri we look into decisions yor way (I-95), we find that your nuntinistr This was done by redesigning the facil providing Dede County, especially ''doi. 1.h T.he existing traftie needs, when ope riod into the future, I can't begin te ncrease in facility capacity cost but i east due to more complex lhterchmises, It was your Acision to assus.e utor" off the North-Sauth Expressway le niillion dollars and rela.ted tend winter k africa the crismay harl already rxecute feet ,$ad authorized a local gerseral at cting the Daimtawn Dist:'itutor. It wou d funde end eut down some of their a'.he it hav.ing been necessary for Dede Coim
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.f .a ..... .t .nesaeprjcs.l at yusn nes
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projects, thus making it possible -t'n-South ExpresswAy sad East-Wes te department some 30 million dol implemented .( Because of the la -essway and East4~eat Expressway, had to be delayed until July 1, You should also rememiger th 'ee end clear in construction fun .ct letting program of the Depar.r over-all conerruction program. .dollars in regular prinary rad imers:.ate obliptien authorlty essway nontract and right of way a leave 7 million do].lare out ob. ry to suspend. primary cortzract 1.
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