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Charlotte County approves plan to begin Burnt Store wastewater upgrades amid capacity concerns
Summary
The Board approved moving forward with a construction-manager-at-risk procurement and pre-construction authorization for Burnt Store wastewater plant expansion after staff said the plant is operating at its converted 250,000-gallon daily mode and near capacity; vote was 4–1.
The Charlotte County Board of County Commissioners voted 4–1 March 25 to authorize staff to proceed with procurement of a construction manager-at-risk (CMAR) and related pre-construction services for upgrades to the Burnt Store wastewater treatment plant, after county utilities staff told the board the facility is operating at a reduced, digester-converted 250,000 gallons per day but is “borderline maxed out.”
The action transmits a request to start the CMAR process and move toward a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) amendment later in the project. Utilities Director Dave Watson and Operations Manager Jeremy Frost told commissioners the plant is in compliance with state permit limits but that continued development in the Burnt Store corridor has tightened the timeline for expansion.
County staff and commissioners said an earlier 2.5 million gallon plan proved unaffordable and the county is pursuing a phased approach. Watson said staff and the board have identified a 1 million gallon/day expansion solution with an estimated price “in the $20 million range,” and that package plants or incremental modular systems remain options to keep the facility in compliance while full expansion proceeds. Watson said staff expects to bring a longer-term plan and financing discussion back to the board once final recommendations and cost estimates are complete.
Commissioners asked whether costs will be borne by existing ratepayers or developers. Watson and board members said connection fees apply and developers pay those fees when they take connections; however the county will likely fund expansions in advance of new connections, so growth-driven capital costs will be reflected in future rate- and fee-setting processes. County staff said the consultant Raftelis will present a funding and rate discussion at the board’s May utilities update.
Public commenters and a neighborhood coalition pressed the board for greater transparency and complained developers were allowed to build without sufficiently paying impact fees. Commissioners said staff had regularly briefed the board in quarterly utilities meetings and that the county is working to reconcile growth, regulatory timing and affordability.
Next steps: authorization to start the CMAR procurement and pre-construction services; later GMP amendment(s) will return to the board for formal approval and a May briefing from a financing consultant is planned to show options for paying the expansion.
Votes and immediate outcome: the board approved the staff recommendation to proceed with CMAR procurement and related pre-construction actions by roll-call vote 4–1, Commissioner Constance opposed.
What remains unresolved: final expansion size/costs and whether incremental package plants or phased expansion will be used; financing decisions (rate impacts) are pending a consultant report in May.
Why it matters: The Burnt Store plant serves a fast-growing corridor; staff said the present operational mode (digester conversion) reduces permitted daily throughput to about 250,000 gallons per day even though the facility’s permit is for 500,000 gallons per day. Continued development without matched capacity increases creates regulatory and water-quality risks and forces the county to weigh affordability for ratepayers versus development timing.
