TITUSVILLE, Fla. — The Titusville City Council on Aug. 26 directed staff to expand homeowner repayment options for impact fees tied to sewer connections and discussed other steps to help residents transition from septic tanks to the city system.

Council approved extending the allowable spread of the city’s sewer impact fee beyond the current 24-month payment plan; members agreed to a longer repayment term during which the fee can be collected through the utility bill, and council directed staff to prepare an ordinance change and implement the new schedule. The motion passed unanimously.

Public works staff told council the city currently estimates about 1,200 septic systems inside city limits, including 485 within the BMAP area that drains to the inner Indian River Lagoon. Staff supplied cost estimates based on a recent Echo Drive connection: a typical gravity connection requires a homeowner plumbing contract of roughly $10,000–$15,000 plus an impact fee of about $2,000; pressure connections that require a small home grinder/lift station range from about $20,000–$40,000 to complete.

The council discussed, and did not adopt at this meeting, proposals to directly pay or front the full private-side connection cost for homeowners. Instead members approved a time-limited repayment program (council indicated it would be available for a set period after a sewer main extension) and encouraged staff to continue pursuing state and nonprofit grants that partially offset private connection costs. Staff told council SORL grants typically cover a portion of the private connection depending on the site’s nitrogen-removal score, while some DEP grant programs require the city to own private-side infrastructure in order to be eligible.

Why it matters: State BMAP rules and recent DEP guidance are pushing communities to reduce septic-system nutrient loads in the Indian River Lagoon. The council’s decision to lengthen impact-fee repayment options is intended to reduce immediate cash barriers for homeowners without obligating the city to pay tens of thousands of dollars per property.

Next steps and context: Council asked staff to prepare required ordinance language to allow extended impact-fee payment schedules, explore SORL and DEP grant opportunities, hold public outreach in neighborhoods slated for upcoming sewer extensions (council members indicated Gibson Street will be an early outreach site) and to report back on program details and likely costs.

Public comment during the meeting ranged from strong support for city help to calls for caution about new regulations and costs. Resident Stan Johnson urged moderation in treating septic systems as uniformly problematic, while others stressed public-health and lagoon-quality concerns.