The Punta Gorda herald., 1922-10-27
Volume XXXIN.-Number ~
Will Provide $4,000 q Year for Main.
tenance in Addition 10 $50
900 Promised

day, County Commissioner w. NJ.
Whit,en and R. c. Blount, clerk of
the circuit court, who went to the
lotte county for aid on Road
Number Five, reported that they had
secured definite agreement from
the State Road Department to main
tain this road. $4,000 a year beng
the amount allowed, in addition to
the $4,000 which the department
has agreed to give Charlotte county
"out of the first available funds"
The agreement reached between
the gentlemen named and the State
Road Department, as explained by
Mr.. Blount, is, briefly, as follows:
Charlotte county is to bond FOR
a sum sufficient to clear and grade
the road through the county in ac-
cordance with state requirements and
surface the grade with some LEGAL
material, such as mari, and after be-
ing completed in this manner the
state will take over the road and
maintain it until the department is in
position to finish the road with a per-
manent type of pavng. The amount
that is to be spent by the state for
maintenance is not to exceed $2,5OO
a year, this amount allowing 500 a
mile a year, but this amount is in
addition to $4,000 which the depart
ment promised to give this county
several months ago. The report
contained in the Tampa Tribune yes
terday gave an erroneous impression
as to what the department agreed to
do, the resolution passed reading as
follows, instead of as reported by the
Tribune: That upon condition of the
completion of Road Number Five in
Charlotte county according to the
plans and specifications of the State
Road Department, that the depart
ment will maintain this road, not to
exceed $4,000 per year, until such
time as department can put surface
on same"
The plan of this county as outlined
by its representatives and as agreed
to by the department, is for Char
lotte county to build, according to
state requirements, the portion of
Road Number Five from Clark's Mill
tAcline) to the Lee county line, and
from the Charlotte Harbor approach
to the bridge to the Sarasota county
line, and repair that portion between
Charlotte Harbor and Acline, follow
ing the established road between
these points.
The following letter, written by
Messrs. Whitten and BlOunt to the
State Road Department, under date
OF October 18th, will give the reader
a clear idea of the purpose of the
commissioners in sending these gen
tlemen to Tallahassee:
"At a meeting of the Board of
County Commissioners of Charlotte
county, held on the 7th day of Oc-
tober, 1922, the undersigned were ap-
pointed a committee to confer with |
the State Road Department in regard
to the status of State Road No. !
through this county, and to ascertain
whether or not ii is possible to Sc
cure Federal aid for part, or for all
of said road providing the county
shall issue and turn over to the de -
partment county bonds, or proceeds
thereof, in an amount sufficient to
meet the States so percent of the
cost of Federal aid roads.
In other words. if the county fur
nishes funds to the State with which !
to match Federal aid to this STATE
ROAD, is there any Federal funds to
be matched, or has the Federal ap-
preparation available to this State all
been exhausted?
Ever since the department Con the (
goth of April last) designated this
road part of the primary or inter
state system of Federal aid roads of .
the state, it has been the expressed
policy of the commissioners of this .
county, backed unanimously by pub
lie sentiment of the community, TO
"go the limit" of our bonding ability
in contributing to its completion as a
Federal aid road at the earliest mo-
ment.
with this end in view, at the
Tampa meeting of the department,
the commissioners of Charlotte coun-
ty asked, and were granted the ser
vices of the departments engineers
to make the necessary surveys and
estimates of cost upon which to base
application for Federal aid to this ),
road. Mr.. Cooke, your chief engin-
eer, will doubtless recall that in max \
ing application for this service Com
missioner Whitten EMPHASIZED the
importance OF an examination of our
local material in connection with the
estimate of cost of the work, and we !