Council delays Surfside water shutoff, requires $50,000 monthly repayments

After returning from executive session at 8:45 p.m., the City Council unanimously voted to delay terminating Surfside’s water supply on the condition that Surfside meet a three-part repayment plan.

The council’s motion, moved by an unnamed council member and seconded by Councilman Matamoras, requires Surfside to (1) stay current on all monthly water bills, (2) pay $50,000 per month toward the outstanding water bill, which the motion said totaled $517,000 as of Jan. 31, 2025, and (3) make the first payment under the arrangement on or before Feb. 14, 2025. The motion also authorizes city staff to shut off the water supply immediately if Surfside fails to meet any of the conditions.

The motion was read into the record by a council member after the executive session. That speaker said, “I make a motion that we will not proceed with termination of Surfside water supply if Surfside agrees to the following conditions,” and then listed the three conditions. Councilman Matamoras seconded the motion. When the mayor called the vote, the council approved the motion unanimously.

The action is a formal conditional postponement of termination; the council did not adopt a longer-term repayment plan or specify oversight or monitoring steps beyond the immediate payment conditions stated in the motion. No additional details about how the $50,000 monthly payments will be applied or enforced, nor the identity of any payment trustee or escrow arrangement, were discussed on the record.

The council returned to other closing business and adjourned shortly after the votes.