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Board of County Commissioners Meeting Minutes - Final November 13, 2018 Attachments: Staff Report A key element of the Raftelis Consultants Comprehensive Water, Wastewater, and Reclaimed Water Rate Study was the recommendation to create a uniform Septic to Sewer (S2S) policy. The goals of the S2S policy include standardizing cost structures for construction and impact fees, finding alternative funding sources, and creating incentives to maximize connections. Using a PowerPoint presentation, Director of Utilities Services Vincent Burke recapped current S2S projects, outlined next steps, provided an overview of local and state funding sources, and displayed a list of his department's recommendations. The Commissioners entered into a discussion with Director Burke and covered the following topics: whether costs are tied to a property, what qualifies as a benefiting property, and clarification of potential funding sources. The Board agreed on the need for cormnunity outreach and education to maximize participation in S2S conversions. Each of the Commissioners stated their opinion on the policy item that required mandatory connection to a sewer conversion project. While the requirement has benefits and is mandatory for most govermnent grants, there was concern for the affordability of impact fees. Director Burke and Utilities Finance Director Cindy Corrente expanded on the incentive program that would waive impact fees for early adopters, and noted that there are State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) program funds available for qualifying households. The Board agreed to modify the incentive structure by increasing the credits offered. A motion was made by Vice Chairman Solari, seconded by Commissioner Flescher, to approve staffs recommendations one (1) through five (5). Recommendation number six (6) was approved with the following modification: Offer a Septic to Sewer impact fee credit of 100% for those property owners who commit to connect to the sewer system before sewer is available to the property. For those property owners that connect within one year from service availability, provide a credit of 75% of the impact fee. For those property owners that connect within two years from service availability, provide a credit of 50% of the impact fee. There would be no credit (0%) for property owners who connect after the second year of availability, with mandatory hookup required by year three. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: 5- Chairman O'Bryan, Vice Chairman Solari, Commissioner Adams, Commissioner Flescher, and Commissioner Zorc 12.6.6. 18-2488 Reserve Accounts Recommended Action: A summary of the recommendations contained herein is listed below: 1. Modify County Code to allow for the refund of impact fees paid, if such request is made within twenty-four months of the purchase of the ERU(s). It is recommended that this Indian River County Florida Page 13