Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
After heated public comment, North Port pauses mandatory water hookup and directs staff to draft voluntary code change
Summary
Facing widespread resident opposition, the commission voted 5-0 to pause mandatory city-water connection notices sent to roughly 400-500 properties, to notify affected homeowners the project is paused, to eliminate a $10 administrative fee, and to draft code language making hookups voluntary for existing homes while requiring hookups for new construction.
The North Port City Commission voted unanimously April 21 to pause the city's mandatory potable-water connection rollout and instruct staff to prepare code changes that would make hookups optional for existing homes while keeping mandatory connection for new construction where city water is available.
City Manager Fletcher opened the discussion with an apology for a communication breakdown, saying staff'issued mandatory-connection letters before commission briefing and outreach were completed. "I want to apologize to the commission for our memo dated March 26 that did not reach you from my office prior to the community receiving their notifications," he said, acknowledging the timing exacerbated residents' frustrations.
Staff told the…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
