Title:
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Adopt an Ordinance to create the Twin Lakes Lake Management Municipal Services Benefit Unit [MSBU]; Adopt the associated initial variable rate assessment roll required for funding the requested public services and approve the Interlocal Agreement with the City of Longwood. District 3 - Constantine (Michael A. Eason Jr., MSBU Program Manager)
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Division:
division
Resource Management - MSBU
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Authorized By:
Lorie Bailey Brown, CFO/Resource Management Director
Contact/Phone Number:
Michael A. Eason Jr./(407) 665-7164
Background:
Twin Lakes is a 5-acre lake located in the SW quadrant of Seminole County in Commission District 3 and is abutted by properties in unincorporated Seminole County and the City of Longwood taxing districts. Twin Lakes has a proposed initial restoration with ongoing maintenance for lake management services. 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 submitted an application in April 2023 for assistance with securing restoration and ongoing lake management public services by establishing an MSBU assessment district for funding. The essential need for these public services was confirmed through the County's Watershed Division evaluation of Twin Lakes and subsequent recommendations of essential service components.
The required petitioning process coordinated by the MSBU Program demonstrated a 69.2% response in favor of the BCC creating the requested MSBU. An Interlocal Agreement between the City of Longwood and the Seminole County Board of County Commissioners is prepared for establishing service coordination and authority for the Seminole County Board of County Commissioners to levy assessment for service costs to the benefited properties located within the City taxing district.
The proposed governing ordinance sets forth the necessary provisions to establish the municipal services for Twin Lakes whereby each specially benefited property shares equitably in the cost of services. The assessment boundary of the MSBU includes 26 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 Watershed Division 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 the MSBU Program administrative cost calculated at 7% of the assessment revenue. The cost for monitoring conditions and managing services is funded in the General Fund utilizing Watershed Division budgeted resources.
There is no Phase I construction project recommended for the MSBU. Phase II services are identified as ongoing lake management activities that will begin after October 01, 2024. The fund budget for PHASE II services is estimated to average $6,000 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 for the 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 of $260.76 and maximum allowable annual increase of 15% 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.
Notice of the public hearing for the ordinance was advertised on June 18 in the Orlando Sentinel.
Requested Action:
Staff requests the Board adopt and authorize the Chairman to execute: (1) the Ordinance creating the Twin Lakes Lake Management Municipal Services Benefit Unit [MSBU]; (2) the initial Variable Rate Assessment roll for Phase II MSBU services; and (3) the Interlocal Agreement with the City of Longwood.