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Politics

Waive fees, commissioners told

By RITA FARLOW
Published March 15, 2007

Largo residents may soon have extra incentive to get connected to the city's reclaimed water system.

City officials are considering a request by their environmental services department to waive the current $125 permit fee, provide free system components and offer free installation.

The purpose is to get an additional 103 residential units in five targeted areas to connect to the system by June 30, so the department can request more than $600,000 in unclaimed grant funds from the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

Environmental Services director Irvin Kety said waiving the fee should encourage more people to request the system, allowing the department to reach its initial goal.

But several commissioners expressed concern about how they would explain the removal of the fee to residents who previously had to pay for their permits, buy their own parts and pay for installation.

"I can see people saying, 'Alright, a lesson to be learned, if you wait long enough, government will run out of patience and they will do this for you and you will not have to spend any money," Commissioner Gay Gentry said. "I really have trouble with the message we're sending."

The project is a collaboration between the city and Swiftmud, which offered $1-million in matching funds if the city could offset the use of about 23,000 gallons of potable water each day.

To do so, the city needs to expand the reclaimed water system to an additional 680 units.

In order to collect $609,145 from Swiftmud, 340 of the connections must be made by June 30.

The city has connected 237 residential units, but still has 103 more to go.

Other residents would also be eligible for the fee waiver, but the five areas targeted in the original proposal would have priority on installation.

Commissioners also were undecided on whether they would reinstate the permit fee once the connection goal had been met.

Kety contended that even with all the discomfort and adaptation reclaimed water programs have undergone since incarnation, the benefits still outweigh the negatives.

"It's still a very good product and deal for the customer, and if we could go back in time and start from the beginning of time, would we do things differently? I think every reclaimed water program in the state would," Kety said.

Commissioners have requested input from the Public Works/Environmental Services Advisory Board, which meets Wednesday.

Commissioners will reconsider the issue at a special meeting on March 27.

Fast Facts:

Priority areas

Priority areas targeted for reclaimed water connection:

- Park View Estates

- Southern Oaks Circle

- McKay Creek

- Lake Judy Lee

- Oakbrook

Priority areas targeted for reclaimed water connection:

Park View Estates

Southern Oaks Circle

McKay Creek

Lake Judy Lee

Oakbrook

[Last modified March 14, 2007, 23:58:17]