Title:
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Adopt Ordinance to create the Bear Gully Lake Management Municipal Services Benefit Unit [MSBU]; Adopt the associated initial variable rate assessment roll required for funding the requested public services. District1 - Dallari (Tameka Morton, MSBU Program Manager)
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Division:
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Resource Management - MSBU
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Authorized By:
Lorie Bailey Brown, CFO/Resource Management Director
Contact/Phone Number:
Tameka Morton/(407) 665-7179
Background:
Bear Gully Lake, as related to the proposed MSBU, is a 137-acre lake located in the SW quadrant of Seminole County in Commission District 1. Bear Gully Lake has a proposed initial restoration with ongoing maintenance for lake management services over time. Due to natural lake deterioration over time and a need for lake management services aimed at managing aquatic plant communities as deemed beneficial and/or critical to restoring and enhancing the water quality and overall health of the waterbody; representatives of the waterfront community applied in May 2024 for assistance with securing restoration and ongoing lake management public services by establishing a MSBU assessment district for funding. The essential need for these public services was confirmed through the County's evaluation of Bear Gully Lake and subsequent recommendations of essential service components. The MSBU Program with Watershed Division held a Community Meeting on September 19, 2024, to provide information to the homeowners within the proposed assessment boundary and the petition process. The required petitioning process demonstrated a 68.3% response in favor of the BCC creating the requested MSBU.
The proposed governing ordinance sets forth the necessary provisions to establish the municipal services for Bear Gully Lake in a manner whereby each specially benefited property shares equitably in the cost of services. The assessment boundary of the MSBU includes 101 assessable properties which have all been designated as waterfront residential. The assessment allocation is based on one benefit-cost component: (1) Waterfront Residential. The assessment allocations and cost allocation per cost-benefit component are defined in the ordinance exhibits.
Creation of this MSBU includes approval of essential public services that will be conducted in one phase as directed by the County and funded through non-ad valorem assessments levied against specially benefited property. County resources are required in support of the MSBU administration and for determining and managing the lake management services. The assessment calculation for each phase of service includes coverage of MSBU Program administrative costs.
Phase II services are identified as ongoing lake management activities that will begin after March 01, 2025. The fund budget for PHASE II services is estimated to average $30,000 annually based on a 5-year projected budget that is inclusive of contracted service cost, administration, and reserve contingency planning. The contracted services and products acquired in conjunction with County recommended lake management services will be funded by non-ad valorem assessments that may vary annually based on actual cost. The assessments for Phase II services will be levied annually and collected by the Seminole County Tax Collector via annual property tax bills beginning with tax year 2025. The governing ordinance includes a maximum allowable assessment and maximum allowable annual increase for Phase II. Future year assessments will vary according to site conditions, responsiveness to treatments, and lake management requirements. Future year Phase II assessments will be determined annually and subject to Board approval.
Requested Action:
Staff requests the Board adopt and authorize the Chairman to execute (1) the Ordinance creating the Bear Gully Lake Management Municipal Services Benefit Unit [MSBU] and (2) the initial Variable Rate Assessment roll for Phase II MSBU services.