Summary The City provides water and wastewater utility services throughout its corporate limits. The City Commission adopted the FY 2018 Strategic Plan on October 9, 2017. The Strategic Plan includes Strategic Initiatives 1.1 and 1.2, which relate to upgrading critical bottlenecking issues in the water and wastewater infrastructure, respectively.
During the July 23, 2018 City Commission meeting, the City Commission directed staff to develop an infrastructure improvement mechanism with identified funding sources to address the infrastructure needs. Ordinance 18-23 provides for such mechanism and funding sources with the creation of Infrastructure Improvement Areas. The creation of these areas is beneficial for economic development to occur in an organized, planned and cost-effective manner via master planning. By implementing a master planning approach, the City is able to ensure infrastructure improvements are made in a manner consistent with this purpose. Without a master planning approach, infrastructure development would occur in a piecemeal manner, which is not in the best interest of the City.
Three (3) Areas are proposed to be created via Ordinance 18-23.
Alachua East Wastewater Collection Infrastructure Improvement Area
This area is located north of U.S. Hwy 441 and south of CSX Railroad near NW 89th Street. The City has wastewater infrastructure south of U.S. Hwy 441 in the area. There is no wastewater service north of U.S. Hwy 441 in the area.
Alachua West Wastewater Collection Infrastructure Improvement Area
This area is located near the intersection of I-75 and U.S. Hwy. 441. The City has wastewater infrastructure in the area; however, infrastructure improvements are necessary to accommodate future development.
Alachua West Water Distribution Infrastructure Improvement Area
This area is located near the intersection of I-75 and U.S. Hwy. 441. The City has water infrastructure in the area; however, infrastructure improvements are necessary to accommodate future development.
Ordinance 18-23 establishes that infrastructure improvements be paid for by developments or initially funded by the City and reimbursed by developments and users. The three (3) specific Areas created by Ordinance 18-23 authorize the City to initially fund the improvements and be reimbursed by developments through infrastructure improvement area fees, which are specific to each Area.
Infrastructure improvement area fees are broken into two (2) categories - those for non-residential establishments and those for residential establishments. Fees for non-residential establishments are based on the square footage of the gross building area that will connect to the City infrastructure. Fees for residential establishments are based on a flat amount per residential unit that will connect to the City infrastructure.
The fees for each Area have been developed based on the estimated total costs to complete construction of the improvements established in the master plan for each Area, factoring the anticipated future development in each Area.
Ordinance 18-23 does not authorize specific allocation of funds for any infrastructure improvements. Such allocation would require authorization by the City Commission through its annual budget adoption or specific City Commission action.
If Ordinance 18-23 is adopted, staff will seek City Commission approval for funding of improvements in the Areas. |