- April 28, 2024
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Ormond Beach water and wastewater customers will see a 1.8% rate increase come Oct. 1.
The City Commission approved the increase in a 3-2 vote at its meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 8. The rate increase will translate to about 46-cent for water and 58 cent for wastewater, based on the average household usage of 5,000 gallons a month, according to a city memo. The commission also approved a later 3.5% rate increase which will be effective on Sept. 30, 2022. Customers outside of the city limits will be charged 150% of the rate for residents.
The city states that the increase will “provide the necessary financial resources to make critical improvements to the city’s water and sewer systems, pipes, pumps, treatment, etc., to ensure for efficient and effective service delivery.”
City Commissioners Dwight Selby and Rob Littleton voted against.
Selby argued that he didn’t like the fact the city was using $4.6 million from the American Rescue Plan Act funds for infrastructure projects that the rate increase should cover. Instead, he believed the city should use the ARPA funds for “extraordinary”projects and proposed an immediate 3.5% rate increase.
“We’re getting $4.9 million of federal money under the American Rescue Plan, and that’s really a windfall to Ormond Beach,” Selby said.
The ARPA funds, he argued, could be used for reclaim water storage to reduce the amount of effluent in the Halifax River. Last year, Selby said the city pumped 536 million gallons of reclaim water into the river, averaging 1.47 million gallons a day. The city is permitted to pump 6 million gallons a day.
Mayor Bill Partington agreed with staff’s decision to use ARPA funds to offset a higher rate increase. The city will be tasked to reduce all discharge into river by 2030, per Senate Bill 64; However, Partington hopes that the state provides funds for future projects.
“This is the best decision for where we are right now,” Partington said. “Certainly, all the other issues can be looked at in future workshops and next year’s budget.”
The City Commission approved at its meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 8, a work authorization for the exterior renovation of the north side of the MacDonald House.
The $70,000 contract to A.M. Weigel Construction Inc., of Daytona Beach, includes the replacement of the porch, porch roof and handicap accesible ramp. The total cost of the renovation to the north side of the house is over $181,000, according to a city memo, but the contractor had unspent funds from the prior work on the east, west and south sides of the house, as the restoration work progressed better than expected.
The renovation is coming in 41% under budget, at $519,184, instead of $890,000.
Ormond Beach resident Thomas McCall, chief operating officer of ICI Homes, was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to the Halifax Health Board of Commissioners.
On Thursday, Sept. 16, facilities in AdventHealth’s Central Florida Division transitioned to “green status,” meaning normal operations will resume at most of its facilities.
The hospital system reported 890 COVID-19 inpatients across Central Florida.
