Nassau County to seed utility authority with restricted fund as first step toward coordinated utilities

At the strategic workshop, staff proposed beginning a multi-step process to create a coordinated utility authority to manage long-term planning for water, sewer, stormwater, solid waste and related infrastructure.

As a first step, staff recommended establishing a restricted special-revenue fund to consolidate utility-related revenues (roughly $1.5 million cited) and to use those monies to pay for staff time, outside legal counsel and initial interlocal discussions. The county would then draft an ordinance to create a dependent utility authority, with the possibility of moving later to an independent regional authority depending on future policy decisions and interlocal agreements.

Staff characterized this as a deliberate, phased approach: set up the fund, draft roles and responsibilities, and negotiate interlocal agreements with municipalities and existing utility providers. Commissioners asked for additional detail but expressed support for studying the concept further and requested that staff return with draft ordinance language and implementation steps.

No final authority was created at the workshop; staff will bring formal proposals and ordinance drafts for future board consideration.