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Commission adopts ordinances authorizing water and wastewater rates to be set by resolution
Summary
On second reading commissioners amended city code chapters governing water and sewer to allow rates and fees to be set by resolution and approved technical rate adjustments; both ordinances passed unanimously.
The Oakland Park City Commission adopted two ordinances on Aug. 6 that revise city code language for water and wastewater and move rate-setting to a resolution-based approach.
What the ordinances do: The commission amended Chapter 22 (water) and Chapter 15 (sewers/sewage and drainage) of the city code so that specific rates and fees for water and wastewater can be set by resolution rather than fixed text in the code. The change provides flexibility for the city to update tiered rates and charges through the commission-adopted resolution process.
Staff presentation and rate impact: Public Works Director Albert Carmen explained the city’s water and wastewater system scope and said the department used a conservative rate analysis tied to a 10-year infrastructure assessment. Carmen said city customers are concentrated in low-usage tiers (the city’s lifeline tiers) and that staff designed a rate approach that limits increases on the lowest-use brackets while applying larger adjustments to higher, discretionary tiers. The overall revenue objective approved for planning purposes remains roughly aligned with a previously modeled 4% revenue increase, though specific September resolutions will detail exact rates.
Votes: Both ordinances passed on second reading with unanimous roll call votes (Commissioners Gordon, Newbold, Badu; Vice Mayor Arns; Mayor Lonergan).
Why it matters: The change formalizes a process for future adjustments to water and sewer charges through commission resolutions instead of code amendments, streamlining updates tied to commodity costs and treatment pass-throughs.
What’s next: Staff will present a rate resolution in September that specifies the updated tier thresholds and unit charges for water and wastewater, and will include any pass-through treatment/purchase costs required by Fort Lauderdale or Broward County treatment providers.
