By JENNIFER RAYMOND

jraymond@thewakullanews.net

The county commission accepted $459,261 in grant funds to be used to stabilize roads in Wakulla Gardens.

The funds are through the Florida Department of Community Affairs Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Grant Program.

The county will use those funds for the gravel surfacing of 21.17 miles of roads. The gravel surfacing will take place in Wakulla Gardens and will stabilize the roads to help with problems with flooding in the area. During disasters and heavy rainfall, roads in this area become impassable.

Fifteen-percent of the funds will be used toward affordable housing replacement, rehabilitation and flood mitigation through the housing department.

The use of the funds is restricted to disaster recovery activities for events specifically related to hurricanes Gustav, Ike and Tropical Storm Fay.

This project will enable the County to provide a workable mitigation solution to the road flooding situation at this historic subdivision while continuing to seek other ways and means to identify the necessary funds to eventually pay for a permanent stormwater solution and paved roads, according to county administration.

It is anticipated that this project will start in late June.

In other matters before the county commission:

• Mark Lundberg was hired as the administrator for the Wakulla County Health Department. Lundberg was serving as the acting administrator since September 2009.

• The commission agreed to consider the Rock Landing boat slip lease agreement and authorized the installation of 11 pilings.

The Rock Landing Dock was dedicated and opened to the public in October 2009.

The area for boat slips needs an additional piling at each slip to be able to accommodate for the size of boats used by fishermen. It will allow the boats to be securely tie off their boats at the dock. The cost is under $10,000 and boat improvement funds will be used to pay for the installation.

Under the lease agreement, 10 boat owners will be allowed to lease the slips per month or on a yearly basis. The cost is $125 per month or $1,200 for the year. The initial occupants of the slips will be determined by a lottery type drawing.

The hope is that the lease agreements will help to pay for the installation of the pilings.

"It will allow commercial and charter fishermen to pursue their craft," said Doug Jones, public services director.

Commissioner Mike Stewart said, "We've dragged this out too long already. We should have done this months ago."

The final agreement will be presented to the commission at meeting on June 7.

• The commission also voted to move forward with the solid waste disposal assessment and will vote on this resolution at the June 7 meeting.

The current assessment includes the building of a new transfer station at the existing Lower Bridge Landfill facility.

This facility does not meet Florida Department of Environmental Protection requirements and would have to be updated.

Under this program, it would require all solid waste be disposed at the county transfer station, which would cost $112 per year, or $9.33 a month per household.

It would also require all haulers to obtain an annual license for hauling waste within the county, require offset from monthly contracts for the disposal assessment and optional license fee set at a percentage of gross revenue.

The building of the transfer station would qualify for a federal grant of $713,500 and a low interest loan of $1.495 million.