Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Special Assessments topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Serena Park special assessment moves toward April hearing as replat and utility pricing finish
Summary
Staff and outside counsel reported progress on the Serena Park special assessment: replat finalization, contract for construction in place and outstanding electric distribution and street lighting pricing expected from FPL before the initial resolution is presented to council in April.
City staff and outside counsel updated the council Monday on the Serena Park special assessment process, reporting progress toward an initial special‑assessment resolution they hope to bring to council by April.
Amanda Browning Richardson and outside counsel Bob Pritt said the city is waiting for final replat submittal from the developer's engineer; once the replat is filed the city intends to present an initial resolution and hold the statutorily required notification and hearing process. Pritt said the city expects to rely on the uniform method of collection (assessment on the tax bill) if timing permits, because tax‑bill collection materially increases collection rates compared with in‑house collection.
Staff reported that the primary outstanding cost element is electric distribution and street lighting pricing; the city is seeking assistance from FPL to finalize those figures. A preliminary cost estimate discussed during the briefing put the total project around $13 million, although counsel and staff said that figure is preliminary and must be refined once utility pricing is finalized. Pritt said the assessment cannot exceed 20 years under state rules, and staff indicated they might recommend a term shorter than 20 years.
Pritt outlined notice and procedural requirements the city must meet, including replat on file and required statutory notice regimes, and said the city intends to rely on state Chapter 197 uniform method requirements where feasible. He also noted the city has acquired property necessary for infrastructure that will be part of the project and that the developer wants to proceed quickly.
Council members asked about the method of allocating costs (per‑lot basis was suggested) and whether larger parcels would be handled differently; counsel said a per‑lot method is most likely for the current plat. Staff said notices will go to property owners and that a final hearing would follow at least 30 days after the initial resolution. No assessment was adopted at the workshop; staff said they intend to return with the initial resolution once replat and utility pricing issues are resolved.
