Utility board backs forgiving lien interest for 629 East Charlotte Ave., asks council to consider three‑year repayment plan for principal

The Punta Gorda City Utility Advisory Board voted unanimously April 28 to recommend that the City Council forgive accrued lien interest tied to the utility account for 629 East Charlotte Avenue and allow the property owner up to three years to repay the remaining principal balance.

The recommendation follows a public hearing in which Darryl Gadsden, who said he recently completed ownership paperwork after seven years of possession, described plans to rehabilitate the two‑story building at the corner of East Charlotte and Cooper Street into two three‑bedroom, two‑bath units and asked the board to either remove the entire outstanding balance or at least forgive $13,275.03 in interest and allow a three‑year repayment for the remaining charge.

Board members said the proposal would help return a long‑vacant structure to productive use in the city and noted limited local precedent for forgiving lien interest.

Gadsden told the board the building had been unused for more than a decade, that the water meter had not been used since about February 2009, and that the prior property records and mail had been routed to deceased owners. “Our preferred option is to, of course, completely eliminate the bill and pay the impact fees necessary for the building to be remodeled,” Gadsden said during his presentation. He also offered a fallback: waiver of the accrued interest and a three‑year repayment schedule for the principal.

Finance staff presented the account history and impact‑fee estimates. Finance Director Kristen Simeon said the total liens on the property in the city record were about $27,000, split roughly between unpaid service charges and lien interest, and she provided current impact fee figures to illustrate alternative paths to bringing the property back on line. "I do recall maybe one time, and it was under a previous finance director... where they did forgive just the lien interest, and I think it was for an affordable housing project," Simeon said, noting that forgiving interest has precedents but is uncommon.

Board members asked about property condition, code enforcement and zoning; Gadsden said he is a state‑licensed general contractor, that he had secured the roof and opened preliminary architectural plans to create upstairs and downstairs dwelling units, and that he has paid some back taxes. Finance staff confirmed current impact fees for a two‑unit conversion would be roughly $1,004.97 per water ERU and $2,760 per sewer ERU, with a two‑unit example calculating to about $8,514 plus meter and hookup costs.

After discussion the board voted to recommend that the City Council forgive the lien interest and allow a three‑year repayment schedule for the remaining principal balance, and to forward the request to council for final action. The vote was recorded as unanimous; no roll‑call tallies by name were stated on the record.

The board clarified that annexation of the small parcel of city property that provides access to the site is a separate planning process and not under the utility board’s jurisdiction. The board’s recommendation was limited to the utility lien and related water/sewer financial remedies.

The board’s recommendation will be placed on a future City Council agenda for final action; city staff will supply council with the account history, recommended language, and the applicant’s proposed repayment timeline.