On August 24, 2020, the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC), established the American Beach Water and Sewer District by Ordinance No. 2020-26. The American Beach Water and Sewer District purpose is to construct and maintain water and sewer systems in the unincorporated area of the county within the boundaries of the District.
The American Beach Water and Sewer District is the best means of establishing the construct and maintain assets of water and sewer systems within the District. Nassau County BOCC has contracted with the Florida Governmental Utility Authority to carry out all professional engineering and capital project administration services during the design and bidding phases of the improvement project.
On May 15, 2021, Affected Property Owners were sent survey ballots to determine the level of support for the Board of County Commissioners to create a special assessment program and assess each of the affected property owners in the District an annual non-ad valorem special assessment for the proposed water and wastewater capital improvements. This assessment will fund the costs of these improvements within the project areas that are not covered by grant proceeds.
Sealed survey ballots were counted by an independent consultant on June 22nd and 23rd, 2021. Of the 280 ballots mailed, 172 valid ballots were returned and counted. Of the 172 valid votes, 148 votes were in favor of the annual non-ad valorem assessment to fund water and wastewater facilities to serve the District.
A Readiness to Proceed packet was submitted to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection on June 25, 2021, which will be used to determine the availability of grant funding for the construction portion of the project.
As the project has received favorable results from survey ballots, the Board must now consider an Initial Assessment Resolution relating to the construction and funding of the water and sewer expansion within the District. This Resolution would establish the terms and conditions of the proposed special assessment, establish a public hearing to consider imposition of the proposed assessment and the method of their collection.
As presented in this Resolution, the special assessments on each parcel of property will be based on the number of Equivalent Residential Connections (“ERCs”) attributable to that property, based upon the property's expected water demand and/or wastewater generation as compared to the expected, average service demand of a Single-Family Residential Unit of 350 gallons per day for water and 200 gallons per day for wastewater. Each property will be separately assigned ERCs for water and wastewater, as follows:
- Residential Property shall be assigned one (1) ERC for each dwelling unit or Lot assigned to the Tax Parcel, whichever is greater.
- Non-Residential Property that is improved shall be assigned ERCs in accordance with Section 8 of Nassau County Ordinance No. 2016-08.
- Non-Residential Property that is vacant shall be assigned a minimum of 1.0 ERC, which is the lowest ERC assignment to Non-Residential Property that is Improved Property in the Assessment Area; however, any additional ERCs that would be assigned to such Tax Parcel of Non-Residential Property based on such properties actual development shall be collected at the time of connection to the utility.
Based on existing grant and loan assumptions, the maximum annual assessment is estimated to be $234 per ERC for water for a 20 year period and $515 per ERC for wastewater for a 20 year period. If property owners choose to prepay their full amount, those amounts are estimated to be $2,620 per ERC for water and $6,405 per ERC for wastewater. |