Resort receives deadline on bill

Crystal River says if Port Paradise Resort doesn't pay a utility bill that is due July 15, the city will turn off service.

By JOSH ZIMMER

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 6, 2000

CRYSTAL RIVER -- The city is threatening to shut off water and sewer service to a Kings Bay landmark that fell well behind on its utility payments.

Despite paying the city nearly $7,000 two weeks ago, Port Paradise Resort -- a sprawling complex of boat docks, motel rooms, a tiki bar and a swimming pool -- remains $20,000 behind.

City Attorney Clark Stillwell warned the business last month to expect interest and penalty charges if its overdue bills are not paid by Sept. 30. On Wednesday, city finance director Carol Grivetti said Port Paradise owner Jim Dicks would lose utility service this month if he fails to pay the $6,791 that is due July 15.

"July 16 he will have a turnoff notice . . . if he doesn't pay it," she said.

Water use at Port Paradise Resort began skyrocketing last summer, reaching levels beyond normal, records show. The bills increased accordingly and Dicks was charged between $6,240 and $8,087 every month between August and January.

On Wednesday, Dicks said he was unfamiliar with the city's accusation that he reneged on a deal with former city finance director Helene Morris to reimburse the city $1,300 per week for past charges. He also claimed not to have seen Stillwell's letter or know about last month's payment of $6,791.

But after reviewing company documents, he said he will honor the new payment schedule, although he feels the city is treating him unfairly.

"I don't feel I'm under a contractual obligation," Dicks said. "It's my feeling the original agreement is valid because of the accepted payments.

"I'd just as soon not be on the front page of the newspaper," he said. "A proper bill has got to be paid, there's no doubt about that."

In his opinion, the city should have notified him about the discrepancy.

"It shouldn't have gone this far," he said.

Dicks said he plans to run for mayor on a platform to eliminate city government and merge Crystal River with the county. He said it took awhile to figure out the cause of the problem: a broken water line draining right into the bay.

"I just knew my bills were going up and really didn't understand how much water you use," said Dicks, who has owned Port Paradise Resort since the late 1970s. "There was one time we used almost a million gallons a month. It started getting my attention."

Normal water use at the resort is about a quarter of that amount. A water and sewer bill for 250,000 gallons a month would be about $2,960, including base rate charges, utility billing clerk Gayle Cunningham said.

Grivetti was critical of the arrangement that Morris worked out with Dicks.

At a rate of $1,300-per-week, Port Paradise Resort never would have fully compensated the city for past and current bills, she said. In addition, Dicks reneged on his payments, which allowed her to renegotiate the deal.

"He wanted to reinstate the agreement when he realized what a good deal he had," she said.

Although Port Paradise Resort dates to the mid 1950s, the leak started in one of the newer pipes, located below Room 301, Dick said. The leak has been fixed and five water meters, all checked daily, have been installed around the complex to monitor for future breaks, he said.

Dicks said the city reneged on a pledge to have the Southwest Florida Water Management District come in to check his pipes for leaks. He wants the city to credit him for water that did not enter the municipal sewer system.

The city is open to that idea, but Grivetti said the potential rebate will not be known for another two to three months.

"How much less? That won't be clear until we check (the meter)," she said.

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