Charlotte County Utilities
Expansion Projects - Municipal Service Benefit Units
Charlotte Harbor wastewater expansion MSBU
UPDATED: October 2008
What is the Charlotte Harbor CRA? In 1992, the Charlotte County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) designated Charlotte Harbor a Community Redevelopment Area (CRA). A seven-member advisory board, the Community Redevelopment Agency Advisory Committee (CRAAC), was created to work directly with residents, merchants and government officials. The CRAAC meets monthly to discuss redevelopment activities, and those meetings are open to the public. The Charlotte Harbor Community Redevelopment Plan, adopted in 1994 and amended in 2006, provides a framework to guide redevelopment activities in the CRA community. One of the primary goals of the Community Redevelopment Plan is to construct the necessary infrastructure systems to encourage investment in the area. One of these is the wastewater collection system.
What is a Municipal Service Benefit Unit (MSBU)? Municipal Service Benefit Units, or MSBUs, are created by County ordinance to fund specific services for defined areas, thus costs are evenly assessed on each property within the benefit unit. Revenue is derived from non-ad valorem assessments (literally, “no value,” meaning the assessment is not based on the value of the individual properties). The assessment is certified to the tax collector and appears on your tax bill as a separate line item. Funds collected must be spent only within that MSBU. The annual cost of the projects in each MSBU is divided by the total number of Equivalent Residential Units (ERUs) within that MSBU, resulting in a per-ERU assessment. The method used for each MSBU is defined in its resolution. More information on MSBUs.
Who approves the creation of MSBUs? At the request of property owners and County staff, the BCC approves the establishment of new MSBUs. Charlotte Harbor property owners were notified in writing in June 2007 and had the opportunity to address the BCC at a public hearing in July 2007. Final approval was issued at the final budget hearing in September 2007.
What is the status of the Charlotte Harbor CRA wastewater expansion? The Charlotte Harbor CRA Wastewater Expansion MSBU was approved by the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) in September 2007. Construction of the wastewater collection system began in April 2008 and is currently ahead of schedule. The system is expected to be ready for connections by early 2009.
What happens next? Once the wastewater collection system is installed and certified by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), all property owners will be notified in writing that connection to the wastewater collection system is available. Existing home and business owners will receive a mandatory connection notice via certified mail and will then have one year to request connection, pay the standard connection fees and connect to the wastewater collection system, as directed by County Ordinance #2001-034. Undeveloped lots will be required to connect at the time the property is developed.
What will the Charlotte Harbor wastewater MSBU fund? In the case of the Charlotte Harbor CRA, an MSBU was created specifically to fund the installation of wastewater collection infrastructure in this area. The MSBU will fund the design and installation of all necessary infrastructures up to the connection point for each property. Each property owner will also be responsible for the separate costs of connecting to the collection system.
What are the costs associated with the MSBU? Costs associated with the MSBUs include design, engineering, surveying, construction, land purchases if necessary, interest on borrowing and other indirect costs. The current cost to individual property owners, including interest, is $199.82 per Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU), per year for 20 years. Each year, the MSBU is reconciled and adjustments to the rate are computed. The assessment cannot be raised without public notification and BCC approval.
Beginning in the second year of the assessment, property owners have the option of paying the remaining amount in full, without incurring interest charges for any project loans not yet taken. Once construction is completed, the lump sum amount will include all interest charges associated with project loans. Find the current pre-payment amount on a property.
What other costs can I expect? At the time of individual connection to the wastewater collection system, additional costs will be incurred by each homeowner for the installation of the onsite individual low pressure sewer (LPS) system, as well as standard CCU connection fees and Accrued Guaranteed Revenue Fees. These fees are defined and described in CCU’s Rate Resolution and are subject to change by the Board of County Commissioners. View the current Rate Resolution. Each homeowner is also responsible for contracting an electrician to create a dedicated electrical circuit for the LPS control panel.
Connection fees are based on the number of Equivalent Residential Connections (ERCs) which, for commercial/multi-family properties, will be calculated using additional information provided during the connection request process. CCU Engineering staff will be pleased to provide additional clarification on this process on an individual basis.
Is financial assistance available? Grant funds from the Florida Small Cities Growth Management Block Grant (CDBG) were provided to help defray the costs of this wastewater expansion project; approximately $1,780,000 has been allocated directly to offset the MSBU costs, and $100,000 is available to eligible, low-income residents to pay for non-impact fee related costs, including special assessments. An infrastructure grant, funded by Charlotte Harbor Tax Increment dollars, is also available to assist eligible low-income residents with the connection fees.
Why am I being assessed for more than one ERU? The number of ERUs per tax account is determined based upon criteria outlined in the resolution creating this MSBU (#2007-064). Generally, the number of ERUs per tax account is based upon zoning, current development and acreage within each tax parcel.
What is Low Pressure Sewer (LPS)? An LPS system consists of a holding tank and a small, submersible pump. Generally, the tank is installed in the front yard, below the ground surface, opposite the driveway, at least five feet from the building. Wastewater is pumped automatically through a low-pressure line that transports it to a lift station, which, in turn, pumps it to a County facility for treatment. More information on low pressure sewer.
How will I connect to the collection system? For new construction, CCU will provide a list of approved LPS contractors and will inspect and approve all work once the installation is complete.
For existing homes/businesses, CCU will work with property owners to convert the existing septic system to an LPS system. Once the property owner requests service and pays the CCU wastewater connection fees, CCU staff will make an appointment to locate and inspect the existing septic system and deliver the LPS control panel. The homeowner is responsible for contracting a licensed electrician to create a dedicated electrical circuit and install the control panel. Once CCU is notified that the panel has been installed, CCU staff will return to perform the LPS installation, which, in most cases, should take no more than a few hours.
Who is responsible for maintenance? Once an individual LPS system is installed and accepted, CCU will maintain it as part of its collection system. Each LPS system includes an audible and visual alarm to alert the customer if there is a problem. If the alarm sounds, the resident is asked to push the alarm silence button and call the number on the control panel. A CCU LPS technician will immediately be dispatched to investigate the cause of the alarm and make any necessary repairs.
What if there’s a power failure? In the event of an area-wide power failure, the LPS pump will not operate, however, there is a built-in amount of reserve capacity in the holding tank, which allows limited water usage (toilets and limited showering; no laundering or other excessive use) until the power is back on line. During an extended power failure or outage, such as we experienced after Hurricane Charley, CCU will try to provide a manual pump out of each individual LPS tank once every three days.
Will the LPS system have an odor? The LPS system is a closed system which normally doesn’t allow sewer fumes to escape to the atmosphere. Fumes could migrate to a building if there is a problem with the internal plumbing, such as a clogged or malfunctioning P-trap, which should be addressed by a private plumbing service.
Will the County replace my landscaping? Will the roads be re-paved? The County will do its best to replace any landscaping disturbed by this project to its original or better condition. Roadways that are impacted by this project will be patched or repaved as needed.For more information: If you have further questions about the Charlotte Harbor CRA wastewater expansion, please contact Customer Service at 941.764.4300.
