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Consent Item Indian River County, Florida Department of Utility Services Board Memorandum Date: March 25, 2024 To: Indian River County Board of County Commissioners Through: John A. Titkanich, Jr., County Administrator From: Sean C Lieske, Director, Department of Utility Services Subject: Easement for Florida City Gas Background: The Solid Waste Disposal District (SWDD) has entered into a contract with NoPetro Eco District, LLC (NED) to provide NED with landfill gas for the production of renewable natural gas (RNG) that can be distributed through the natural gas pipeline for use and distribution throughout the county. To secure the sale of the RNG on the open market, NED entered into a contract with Florida City Gas (FCG), a subsidiary of Chesapeake Utilities District, to purchase the RNG and distribute as necessary. While Florida City Gas currently has distribution lines in various locations within Indian River County (IRC), they are interested in expanding their services to include other areas within IRC. The expansion will include additional lines in the northern part of IRC to eventually allow distribution from the southern part to the northern part of the county. The RNG produced at the NED facility will be distributed through this new infrastructure and will hopefully enable additional residential communities to connect to the system. To accommodate this expansion, FCG must build additional infrastructure, including additional regulator stations, throughout the County to enable the gas to be distributed across the County. The regulator stations reduce the pressure of the natural gas to an appropriate operating pressure to accommodate delivery through smaller distribution lines needed to deliver the gas to residential communities. One such station is to be located on 77th Street east of 58th Avenue. Original plans had the regulator station being located adjacent to the ball fields at the corner of 77th and 58th; however, the Department of Utility Services (DUS) owns property further east on 77th, which seemed to be a better fit for locating the station. The station will be tied into an existing transmission line that is located along 77th Street, which is what makes the location an important component to the infrastructure needs within IRC. FCG is requesting an easement of approximately 0.069 acres (50 feet by 60 feet) just outside the right-of- way for 77th Street within the property owned by DUS (See attached Legal Sketch and Description). Analysis: There is a building on the property that was previously occupied by the County's Park and Recreation Department, but the building has since been vacated and is no longer in use. As a result, the location should not interfere with any services being provided by the county. FCG is expanding the natural gas infrastructure within the County and the regulator station will enable the Page 1 of 2 220