Charlotte County Utilities
Expansion Projects - Municipal Service Benefit Units
Charlotte Harbor wastewater expansion MSBU
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 Committee (CRAC), was created to work directly with residents, merchants and government officials. The CRAC 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 community.
One of the primary goals of the Community Redevelopment Plan is to complete the necessary infrastructure systems to encourage investment in the area. At this time, the entire CRA is not included in the Charlotte Harbor Wastewater MSBU due to budget constraints. The goal is to complete the wastewater system as funds become available to assist in the engineering costs.
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. Click here for more information on MSBUs.
Who approves the creation of MSBUs? At the request of 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. Final approval was issued at the final budget hearing in September 2007.
What will the Charlotte Harbor wastewater MSBU fund? In the case of the Charlotte Harbor CRA, an MSBU has been 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 be responsible for making the individual connection 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 will be reconciled and adjustments to the rate will be computed. The assessment cannot be raised without public notification and BCC approval. In the second year of the assessment and beyond, property owners will have the option of paying the remaining amount in full without interest on loans not yet taken.
What other costs can I expect? At the time of connection, additional costs associated with the installation of, or conversion to, an LPS system, as well as CCU connection fees will be the responsibility of the property owner.
Is financial assistance available? Grant funds from the Florida Small Cities Growth Management Block Grant (CDBG) are available to help defray the costs of this wastewater expansion project; $2,400,000 has been allocated directly to offset the MSBU costs, and $300,000 is available to eligible, low-income residents to pay for non-impact fee related costs, including special assessments. CDBG dollars not used for eligible low-income residents will be applied to the overall cost of the project and would lower the estimated MSBU rate. 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 happens next? The next step is to retain an engineering consultant to complete the final project design, to be followed by bidding and construction services. Based on timelines for similar projects, design and construction should take approximately two years to complete.
When will I have to connect to the system? Once the infrastructure is installed, the County will notify existing homeowners by certified mail. At that time, you will have one year to connect to the system, as directed by County Ordinance #2001-034. Undeveloped lots will be required to connect at the time a home is built.
Why Low Pressure Sewer (LPS)? Charlotte County selected low pressure sewer (LPS) over gravity sewer in an effort to reduce costs. Because each LPS unit includes its own small pump, this minimizes the number of large lift stations required, reducing overall project costs. 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 house. 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. Click here for 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 developed properties, CCU will work with homeowners to convert the existing septic system to an LPS system. Once the homeowner pays the CCU wastewater connection fees, CCU staff will make an appointment to inspect the existing septic system. The actual conversion should take no more than a few hours and there should be no system downtime unless the existing tank requires replacement. As part of the retrofit, the homeowner will also be responsible for contracting an electrician to create a dedicated electrical circuit for the LPS control panel.
Who is responsible for maintenance? Once the 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 small 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 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 wastewater expansion, please contact Leigh Sprimont, CCU Community Relations Manager, at 941.764.4520 or via e-mail at Leigh.Sprimont@CharlotteFL.com.
