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County Administrator's Report 11. 3.

BCC Regular Meeting

Discussion

Meeting Date:	01/18/2018
Issue: Innerarity Island Development Corporation Water System Transition (IIDC)
From:	Joy D. Blackmon, P.E.
Department:	Public Works
CAO Approval:

RECOMMENDATION:

Discussion Concerning the Innerarity Island Development Corporation Water System Transition - Joy D. Blackmon, P.E., Public Works Department Director

That the Board discuss the transition of the Innerarity Island Development Corporation Water System (IIDC).

BACKGROUND:

On March 21, 2014, a Court Order required Escambia County to become the Receiver of Innerarity Island Development Corporation Water System (IIDC), an abandoned wastewater and water utility on Innerarity Island. Escambia County assumed responsibility for maintenance of the water and sewer infrastructure on an interim basis.

On June 2, 2016, the Board of County Commissioners approved the Interlocal Agreement between Escambia County, Florida, and Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) relating to a Potable Water System Improvement Project on Innerarity Island.

Water System
- Interlocal with ECUA (attached)
- $1.5M via a Congressional Appropriation Grant by FDEP (attached)
- Initial construction cost - $445,819.52
- Construction time frame - February 2017 through February 2018
- Substantial Completion - January 22, 2018 (on track)
- Final Completion - February 21, 2018 (on track)
- Overall estimated cost Including design and CEI - $810K
- Contractor - Southern Utilities, Inc.

Transition Items
- Transition date after final acceptance - April 1, 2018 (there are some discrepancies with ECUA as they are seeking March 1st, but all approvals [BCC, ECUA, Court] will not be met before March 1st)
- Order of Events Leading up to Transition Date:
  - Final acceptance, as-builts, list of appurtenances (presumed last week in February, according to ECUA)
  - Escambia County BCC transition approval (prepared to go to March 1st BCC meeting)
  - ECUA transition approval (presumed approved by mid-March)
  - Court approval to transition ownership from County to ECUA (presumed approved end of March)

Items to be Addressed Prior to Transition
- Transition document preparation (ECUA and County Attorney) January
- BCC recommendation preparation - (County staff) February
- ECUA Board recommendation preparation - (ECUA/staff) February
- Gulf Breeze to mail out returned deposit (Gulf Breeze deposit amount minus the ECUA deposit amount) - (Gulf Breeze staff) end of March
- Gulf Breeze to send their electronic water customer data to ECUA for billing preparation - (Gulf Breeze staff to coordinate with ECUA staff) - end of February
- Gulf Breeze / ECUA - setting up customer accounts for water service
- Gulf Breeze to begin notifying water customers of the changes - (Gulf Breeze staff) - First of February
  - Deposit Status - Gulf Breeze returning and when
  - How ECUA billing will take place
  - How Gulf Breeze sewer billing will be handled
  - ECUA costs structure
  - ECUA / Gulf Breeze customer service contact information
  - Setting up ECUA accounts, if needed
  - Etc.
- ECUA/ Gulf Breeze to perform final water meter readings (ECUA meter readers) - last reading as close to March 31st as possible.

Items to be Addressed after Transition
- ECUA to transmit the water meter readings to Gulf Breeze beginning April 1st for sewer billing purposes

Sewer System Status
- County still responsible to operate and maintain according to court order
- County Attorney currently working on Interlocal Agreement (ILA) with ECUA
- ILA will allow ECUA to begin management and oversight of the design and construction of sewer system with the County funding
- Funding in Place
  - $141K for design in FDEP grant
  - $80K for Construction Engineering Inspection (CEI) and as-builts in FDEP grant
  - Approximately $4M for construction to be funded via established MSBU

All of the above dates are dependent upon the February 21, 2018, final project completion.

BUDGETARY IMPACT:

N/A

LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS/SIGN-OFF:

N/A

PERSONNEL:

No additional personnel required.

POLICY/REQUIREMENT FOR BOARD ACTION:

N/A

IMPLEMENTATION/COORDINATION:

Public Works staff will continue to work with ECUA and City of Gulf Breeze staff.

Attachments
ILA
Agreement
Draft ECUA Ltr
Draft Utility Service Agrmnt
Grant Overview
Transition Ltr to ECUA
Transition Ltr to County Attorney
Order Appointing County Receiver