County staff told commissioners on Oct. 1 that recent growth in South Hillsborough County has contributed most of the new roadway and related infrastructure the county must maintain and that maintenance capacity has not kept pace. Staff recommended further evaluation and the board voted 7‑0 to direct the county administrator and Public Works to report back with options and costs.

Josh Belotti, engineering and operations, summarized the county’s stormwater and floodplain standards and a case study of flooding on West Lake Drive. “The base requirement is for the post development peak discharge from a site to not exceed the pre development discharge for the 25‑year, 24‑hour rainfall event,” Belotti told the board, adding that Hillsborough County imposes stricter local standards that include compensatory floodplain storage and 72‑hour pond recovery requirements.

Belotti said an analysis of contributed assets shows 447 lane miles of roadway accepted from new development in the last 10 years, and that about 400 miles (approximately 90%) were in South County. He also said roughly 41% of development across South County predates the county’s 1982 stormwater regulations; properties built earlier were never required to provide modern runoff controls.

Staff described a 2024 incident in the Waimama area where high‑intensity rains and construction activity deposited silt in culverts along West Lake Drive, contributing to temporary flooding. The county performed remedial work, cleared silt and regraded drainage conveyances and required construction sites to secure sediment controls.

Commissioner Christine Miller moved that the board direct the county administrator and Public Works to evaluate options for addressing growth‑related burdens in South County and to return costed recommendations; the motion, seconded by Commissioner Wolstol, passed 7‑0. Commissioners emphasized that the county must weigh legacy stormwater deficiencies in older neighborhoods alongside new development and consider staffing, contract maintenance and possible funding changes such as results from the planned stormwater rate study.

Belotti said the county has increased contracted maintenance to supplement in‑house crews but recommended examining level‑of‑service expectations, long‑term staffing and funding strategies as growth continues.