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Residents of Habitat-built Rock Island Oaks press Fort Lauderdale for help with master-meter water debt
Summary
Homeowners in the Rock Island Oaks development told the City Commission their master-meter water and trash bills have ballooned (resident estimates ranged from $3,000 up to $10,000 monthly) and that the homeowners association lacks capacity to resolve delinquencies; staff said the infrastructure is private, estimated the outstanding master-meter balance at over $36,000, and said Habitat for Humanity has offered to contribute toward capital costs.
Residents of the Rock Island Oaks development told the Fort Lauderdale City Commission on Sept. 3 that a master-meter arrangement established when the subdivision was built by Habitat for Humanity has left households liable for rapidly rising water and trash bills.
Tamara Heil, the homeowners association president, said the community of about 30 homes is served by a single master meter with submeters routed through a third‑party billing contractor. "If someone has a leak and they don't address the leak, it comes down onto the other homeowners," Heil said, describing bills that started around $3,000 per month and rose to figures residents now describe as high as $10,000 per month. She warned that a continuing large past‑due balance puts the community at risk of service shutoffs and displacement.
Assistant City Manager Chris Cooper explained that the development's utility infrastructure was built without rights-of-way and easements that would allow the city to assume individual meter servicing. Director of Finance Linda Short said the city has been working with the association for roughly 18 months and that the outstanding balance currently owed through the master meter is "over $36,000." Short said the city has a state order not to shut off water while the matter is being addressed.
Commissioners and staff discussed possible paths: the homeowners association can pursue collection and assessment options under its governing documents, Habitat for Humanity has proffered a capital contribution (no dollar amount identified), and city staff can analyze the capital costs and easement requirements needed for city utility takeover. Commissioners asked staff to quantify the cost and feasibility of bringing the neighborhood onto city utilities and to continue working with the association and Habitat to find a solution.
The City Commission encouraged the residents to work with their district commissioner and directed staff to return with a more detailed financial and technical assessment of options and likely timelines.
