Utility fees may be reduced

MANATEE COUNTY — Water and wastewater connection fees for new homes in unincorporated Manatee County may be reduced by about $84.

On Tuesday, the Manatee County Commission and Utilities Department managers discussed adjusting the fees, which are based on water meter sizes and must be paid to get a building permit.

The commissioners met in “work session” mode and did not vote. A public hearing regarding a new ordinance and procedures manual pertaining to the updated fees will be June 18.

The revised charges could take effect Oct. 1, the start of the county’s next fiscal year.

Downward trends in household water use, due to more efficient appliances and personal conservation, are prompting the commissioners to consider adjusting the “facility investment fees” levied on new construction.

Facility investment fees are essentially one-time “impact fees” that go toward pipelines and other costs associated with adding capacity to the water and sewage systems because of additional population.

The county has not adjusted its water connection fees since October 2006 and its wastewater connection fees since October 2015.

Based on a new study for the county by Maitland-based Public Resources Management Group, for a home with a 5/8-by-3/4-inch water meter (which is standard for single-family residences), the fee for a water system connection would decrease from $1,970 to $1,738. The fee for a sewer connection, however, would increase from $3,027 to $3,175.

Overall, facility investment fees for a single-family home — which are paid by the builder and passed on to the buyer — would be reduced by $84.

The fees are based on projections that the utility system, which now has $1.1 billion in capital assets, will need $550.5 million in new infrastructure to add capacity for an expanding population. Those upcoming projects are in the county’s five-year capital improvements plan.

Rob Ori, president of PRMG, suggested the county start reviewing its utility capacity needs and adjusting the fees accordingly every three years. If household water demand increases, the connection fees could be increased. Ori predicted that, most likely, household demand is more likely to stabilize than continue dropping.

“I can see the water usage going up because of something we haven’t considered” in calculating the fees, such as a prolonged drought, Commissioner Priscilla Whisenant Trace said.

Unlike residential customers, new commercial developments will see varying increases in their utility connection fees depending on their meter sizes.

County Water Division Manager Mark Simpson explained that meter sizes are determined by the number of fixtures, such as faucets, in a new structure.