| | | | | | | | CITY OF OAKLAND PARK, FLORIDA
CITY COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM REPORT
AGENDA ITEM NO. 3 | | MEETING DATE: 9/13/2017 |
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| | | | | | | | | PREPARED BY: | Andrew M. Thompson
Director, Financial Services
Rhea Rivera
Budget Manager | DEPARTMENT HEAD APPROVAL: | FINANCIAL SERVICES |
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| | | | | | | | | SUBJECT: Adoption Of Annual Stormwater Assessment Rate Resolution |
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| | | | | | | | | 1. | BACKGROUND/HISTORY
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Issue Statement : A final Stormwater Management Resolution must be adopted by the Commission after a public hearing is held and comments and any objections of all interested parties have been heard and considered as required by the terms of the adopted Stormwater Assessment Ordinance.
Recommended Action: After holding the public hearing, it is recommended the City Commission adopt the final Stormwater Management Assessment Resolution thereby adopting the final Stormwater Assessment Roll and rate to be placed on the tax bill.
For FY 11, based on staff recommendation to facilitate billing and collection, the City Commission directed that most fees for the operation and improvement of the City’s stormwater system be moved from the City’s utility bills and added to the annual property tax bill as an assessment. The City Commission held a public hearing on this issue on December 1, 2010 and the Commission approved the Resolution of Intent for the non-ad valorem assessment to place stormwater fees on the annual tax bill. There were no public comments at this hearing.
On July 20, 2011, the City Commission, on second reading, adopted Ordinance #0-2011-015, amending Chapter 12 (Stormwater) of the City Code of Ordinances authorizing the creation of the stormwater assessment area and authorizing the imposition of assessments to fund the stormwater services to properties within the stormwater assessment area.
In accordance with the ordinance, on July 19, 2017 the City Commission adopted Resolution #R-2017-078 which estimated the citywide stormwater management cost, described the method of assessing the cost of stormwater services against the real property that will be specially benefitted by the services and, on a preliminary basis, adopted a preliminary rate of $7.00 per month ($84.00 per year) per Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU). The resolution adopted the preliminary Assessment Roll and rate required by the Assessment Ordinance which was transmitted to the Broward County Property Appraiser’s Office for inclusion on the TRIM notice.
This method of billing is expressly permitted for stormwater charges in Florida Statutes Section 403.0893. The tax bill collection method provides a highly reliable revenue collection rate to fund ongoing operations, maintenance, debt service and capital improvements.
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| | | | | | | | | 2. | CURRENT ACTIVITY
| | | The ordinance establishing the Stormwater Management Assessment program requires an Annual Resolution be adopted during the budget process each fiscal year to adopt the final Assessment Roll. Each property in the City, other than bodies of water, rights-of-way and similar properties, have been assigned appropriate Equivalent Residential Units (ERUs). All properties, except those specifically exempted and those for which credits have been issued for having qualifying stormwater management facilities, will be charged an annual assessment via the property tax bill. The final Stormwater Management Assessment Roll is on file in the City Clerk’s office.
The recommended Stormwater Management fee remains unchanged from the preliminarily adopted rate at $7.00 per ERU per month, or $84.00 per year, as reflected in the assessment on the property tax bill. This proposed annual rate of $84 per ERU is unchanged from FY 17. |
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| | | | | | | | | 3. | FINANCIAL IMPACT
| | | The stormwater assessment will provide $3.5 million of revenue, which, with other stormwater revenue sources, will be sufficient to fund the FY 18 operations, maintenance, debt service and capital expenditures of the Stormwater Fund. |
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| | | | | | | | | 4. | RECOMMENDATION
| | | Staff recommends the City Commission adopt the final Stormwater Management Assessment Resolution. |
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