Residents press commissioners on contractor insurance, road paving and airport packet transparency during public comment

During the public comment period at the Bradford County commission meeting, three residents raised safety and transparency concerns ranging from contractor insurance to airport proposals involving foreign investment.

An unidentified resident urged the board to verify contractor insurance before and after work and pressed for approval of a fire department tanker, citing recent deaths and saying she pays a fire assessment and wants the department to be able to respond. The comment echoed later discussion by Chief Carter and commissioners about fleet reliability and mutual-aid limits.

Tom Germano, a Keystone Heights resident, spoke about Cordova Street and Jackson Street, which were platted but never improved. He said paperwork to finalize an earlier 2024 action had not been filed correctly and urged the board to address the street abandonment; he also reported neighborhood debate after a neighbor offered to pay to improve half of Southeast 50th Street and asked whether other roads had been funded by private payments in the past.

Ms. Bowhay Steen told commissioners she had not received a packet promised by a presenter regarding airport proposals (including discussion of a UAE interest and a referenced $10 billion figure), urged the board to provide commissioners and residents with briefing materials before decisions and asked for clearer disclosure about claims such as a “100% funded” highway connectivity assertion that county staff later said was not accurate.

Commissioners responded: several praised the youth sports presentation earlier in the meeting and thanked residents for comments; staff and the chair said airport and procurement items would be returned to the board with supporting materials and that the board would follow state statutes in the purchasing policy update.