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Offer to buy utilities won't list Lindrick
By SAUNDRA AMRHEIN, Times Staff Writer Pasco County's offer to buy private utilities has been narrowed to three small companies and does not include Lindrick Service Corp., which prompted the proposed buying spree. The three companies recommended for purchase out of a list of 15 include: East Pasco Utilities near Zephyrhills, offering to sell its 1,690 connections for $4.5-million; Forest Hills Utilities Inc. near Holiday, offering to sell 2,361 connections for $5.5-million; and Sky Acres Enterprises near Zephyrhills, offering to sell its 136 sewage connections for $60,000. Some of the factors considered in the ranking by consultants Hartman & Associates Inc. were the offered price compared to the income of the company, the report states. The study will be presented to the County Commission at its meeting at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Historic Pasco County Courthouse in Dade City. More than 18 months ago, the commission decided to pursue the purchase of the private utilities, thanks in part to customer complaints about Lindrick's service and rates. But Lindrick's offering price of $16.8-million for its 3,096 connections was not considered feasible, according to the study. Likewise for the other companies on the list. In compiling the report, the consultants examined financial records provided by the companies, the Florida Public Service Commission and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. If the County Commission approves the recommendation on Tuesday, Pasco County Utilities Service can move ahead with a physical examination of the companies' facilities. The county would then hold public hearings before closing on the purchases.
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From today's Pasco Times |
