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Water assessment decision postponed

Action on the controversial plan may be delayed even longer to better acquaint affected property owners about fees to fund future pipeline needs.

By JIM ROSS
Published July 16, 2005

INVERNESS - The Florida Governmental Utility Authority agreed Friday to delay action - for a while, anyway - on what's left of its controversial assessment plan.

The plan underwent significant changes in the past week. Pine Ridge properties originally included were taken out, and Citrus Springs landowners who requested and paid for service before June 24 were made exempt from the assessment.

FGUA's staff still recommends that many other Citrus Springs property owners pay $2,082 per lot to help fund future pipeline needs.

FGUA's three-member board, meeting Friday morning at the Citrus County Courthouse, agreed to postpone a public hearing and a vote on the plan until the board's meeting at 10 a.m. Aug. 19 at the courthouse.

The delay will give the Citrus County Water and Wastewater Authority time to review the proposal. But County Commission Chairwoman Vicki Phillips doesn't think the delay is long enough.

Phillips asked FGUA to "take a step back" and wait a year. Such a schedule would give the public adequate time to learn about the plan and voice objections, she said.

Mike Twomey, a lawyer who represents the Pine Ridge Property Owners Association, joined in that request. The Citrus County Water and Wastewater Authority is set to discuss the matter during the first week of August, and he said that doesn't leave nearly enough time for the affected property owners to prepare.

The FGUA board didn't respond specifically to the request for the yearlong delay.

The authority was created in 1999. It is an independent government entity that enables some Florida counties, including Citrus, to team resources and provide water and wastewater to residents. It's run by its own board of directors.

FGUA acquired the Citrus Springs and Pine Ridge water systems in 2003, pledging to keep water rates stable for five years. But its assessment plan for Pine Ridge and Citrus Springs met harsh resistance from residents.

FGUA revised the plan, but that wasn't enough to stop the County Commission from blasting the utility's staff during Tuesday's commission meeting.

The commission asked county staff to investigate a buyout of Citrus utilities now under FGUA. Those systems were valued at $16-million in 2003; FGUA has said the county can buy them at that price plus the cost of improvements.

County Administrator Richard Wesch took in all of that discussion Tuesday. He is one of the three FGUA board members.

On Friday, Wesch made a motion to delay action unless and until the county authority has reviewed the plan. The two other board members agreed. The board also declined to hear a staff presentation.

"I don't want to create the impression ... that we're moving forward," Wesch said.

The board did hear from Phillips, Twomey and some residents.

Phillips noted that this has been a "very difficult issue in Citrus County." But she said any assessment proposal would be better received if the FGUA waited a year, discussed the issue with the public, and gave people time to determine whether the plan is fair and equitable.

The FGUA board has been discussing this for some time, she said. But the affected residents just learned in June.

Phillips said the County Commission has experience imposing assessments. Most people don't mind, so long as they get the facts and a chance to express themselves.

"It's just that they want to be involved in the process," she said.

Twomey, meantime, has threatened to take legal action against FGUA for alleged breach of contract. He has sent letters to the FGUA and to its member counties. Twomey also has filed a public records request with the counties, seeking to inspect their communications with FGUA.

[Last modified July 16, 2005, 00:24:14]