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Residents irate about extra cost for sewer
By LEON M. TUCKER, Times Staff Writer DUNEDIN -- When the 138 homeowners in the Spanish Trails subdivision found out last year what they would have to pay to have sewers installed in their neighborhood, some were reluctant. Forking over $5,500 to the city seemed like a lot to many residents. But in the end, they agreed to do it. The figure came from a Tampa firm the city hired to determine how much the homes' value would increase once the subdivision switches from septic tanks to a sewer system. But now the homeowners may have to pay more. The city is considering asking residents to pay an additional $1,492 in impact fees to receive reclaimed water the city wants to install with the sewer system. Residents insist they had a deal capping what they would have to pay at $5,500. "It's definitely not fair," said Wanda Sharpe, a Spanish Trails resident for 29 years. "We didn't have that information, and we have been working on this since 1998." The city originally estimated that $2-million would pay for the job. But recently the city discovered that the project requires another $1.3-million in road construction and $763,000 for the subdivision's underdrain. An underdrain is a pipe with holes that is buried in a bed of rock under roads to keep water away from the surface. This prevents the road from sinking. Public Works Director Bob Brotherton said the city could not determine if underdrain work was needed at the time preliminary cost estimates were made. He said he assumed no work would be needed. Because of the underdrain work, roads above will have to be repaired, to the tune of $1.3-million. "We didn't think we would have to pay anything on that because we didn't know what the soil conditions were," Brotherton said. "We have a lot of roads that have no underdrains under them so there was no reason to think that you need to have underdrains in (Spanish Trails') road." Sharpe and dozens of her neighbors packed the City Commission meeting Thursday night and broke into into applause when objections were made to the possibility that they could have to pay more money. "They had a lot of questions; and we have some questions, as well," Mayor Tom Anderson said. "I think they realize if we are going to put in a sewer system, they are going to have to help pay for it; and if they want reclaimed water, like everyone else in the city, they are going to have to pay for it." But some say they already have. "Virtually every lot owner has been paying taxes for 25 to 35 years, based on the value of their home," said Joe Sorota who lives on Paddock Circle. "We have paid for the sewer plant that will be used, so I see no basis upon which an impact fee should be imposed." Commissioners last month approved spending $2-million to install sewers in the subdivision. Now they will have to decide how to pay for the rest of the work. "We told these people $5,500; and I think it was wrong on our part to not show them that there was going to be any other costs," vice Mayor Deborah Kynes said. "I think we erred." Commissioners also want to know how much the total project will cost and who will pay to remove the existing septic tanks. "I have always assumed that they would have to pay for discontinuing the use of their septic tanks because that is on private property," said John Lawrence, city manager. "We just don't do work on private property because it is such a liability." According to Brotherton, there is enough money coming from gas tax, Pennies for Pinellas, grants and past impact fee money to do the work. "When the bids come back, (commissioners) will look at the budget and determine what they want to do," Brotherton said. "We budgeted based on engineering cost estimates, and we tried to estimate conservatively; but we'll just have to see." Bids on the sewer lines and underdrain are expected Dec. 18.
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From the Times North Pinellas desks |
