Council adopts standardized utility service agreement application to clarify payments and reservations

The Brooksville City Council voted unanimously to adopt a standardized utility service agreement (USA) application and direct staff to use the revised form going forward.

Staff described the new application as a consolidation of multiple historical formats into a single, clearer form. The presenter said prior practice left the city with “11 or 12 different formats” for agreements and that a single form will better identify payment timing and reservation rules.

Key clarifications discussed include: a sentence clarifying that when developments are phased, connection fees may be paid in full or by phase, but the city will reserve capacity only for the ERUs (equivalent residential units) actually paid for; a requirement that wastewater-connection facilities be located in easements or platted/dedicated right-of-way rather than under private or unclear parcels; and a provision allowing transfer of prepaid fees from a developer to a home builder so fees are not collected twice.

Staff indicated they would produce a clean version of the form after some late edits and that the updated application would be used for all future USA submissions. The council voted 5-0 to adopt the application form as revised and to direct staff to use it for subsequent utility service agreements.

The adoption is recorded as informational in packet materials but the council explicitly approved staff using the new form going forward. The council did not attach a fee schedule change to this item; fee amounts were considered separately under Resolution 2025-02 earlier in the meeting.