Roberts Mobile Home Park residents say enforced water-billing rule will bill seasonal residents year-round; city says ordinance long-standing
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Summary
Residents of Roberts Mobile Home Park told the Pinellas Park City Council that a newly enforced water-billing ordinance will require seasonal residents to pay roughly $85 per month year-round; city staff said the ordinance existed previously, the city is now enforcing master-meter billing and invited affected residents to meet with staff to discuss options.
Several residents of Roberts Mobile Home Park told the Pinellas Park City Council on Feb. 13 that a recently enforced water-billing practice will force seasonal residents to pay about $85 a month year-round even when they are away.
Tim Dempsey, who identified himself as president of the Roberts Mobile Home Park homeowners association, said the park notified residents that beginning April 1 the park owner will collect residents’ monthly water payments and remit a single payment to Pinellas Park. "They're gonna have to pay year round even though they're not there," Dempsey said, asking whether the city could provide any accommodation for people who leave the area for six months.
City staff responded that the city is enforcing an ordinance that had been on the books but not uniformly applied. "We did change — we're enforcing an ordinance we had not enforced in the past," a city staff member said, explaining that the city bills to the master meter and charges are apportioned to "available units," and that Roberts had previously been given a special deal.
Paul Johnson, another resident who said he is a seasonal occupant, said the park owner is dividing the single-meter bill using a formula that assumes four people per residence even though many units have only two occupants. "There's only 2," Johnson said, and added that residents have no clear way to see how the owner is allocating the monthly total. He said the change felt "unfair" and could drive some residents to leave the park.
The staff member said some parks charge a minimum to cover infrastructure and potential future repairs and suggested the homeowners association gather public records showing summer and winter usage to compare bills. City staff invited affected residents to meet in person to review details and to speak with Don Vaughn, a city staff member named during the exchange.
No formal action or vote was taken at the meeting on the ordinance or on requests for relief. City staff encouraged residents to pursue a follow-up meeting at City Hall to review past billing records and options.
The council opened the public-comment period at the meeting and took testimony from Roberts Mobile Home Park residents; staff said they would discuss possible accommodations and provide contact information for follow-up.
