Exh 9AAGENDA ITEM #9A
JUNE 27, 2005
June 20, 2005
.~
MEMORANDUM
TO: The Honorable Mayor
and Members of the Commission
FROM: Jim Hanso
C' anager '-"
SUBJECT: City Manage 's Report
Septic to Sewer Conversions; The City Commission's recently revised policies requiring the
conversion of septic tanks to the city sewer system, `as well as revisions to the financing policy,
has been tremendously successful in the elimination of septic tanks. Septic tank owners were
originally put in four categories when the present policies were adopted in May 2000, depending
on whether they were currently paying assessments for installation of sewer lines and, if so,
when those assessments would be paid out. The first group of customers to encounter the
mandatory conversion date are those for which no assessments were outstanding when the policy
was adopted. At that time there were just under 300 septic tank owners identified in Atlantic
Beach where city sewer service was available. Through voluntary cooperation and the city's
finance policies, almost half of those converted during the first five years of the policy before the
first mandatory conversion date approached.
About six months ago, there were approximately 60 septic tank owners that had yet to convert to
the city's sewer system and has a conversion date in May of 2005. At that time, and in
subsequent discussions with various septic tank owners, the City Commission amended the
policies for financing and tap costs. Since that time, 23 of the septic tanks have been converted to
the city sewer system, 11 of which have utilized the regular city financing program and one
additional one has used CDBG funds. There are also another 14 conversions that are currently
underway, five of which are using the regular city financing, and three using block grant funds.
Staff has determined that ten of the list from six months ago did not have city sewer service
available and another 12 had already converted to the city's system and. are now being billed.
There are only five septic tank owners in the current deadline that have taken no actions toward
the elimination of their septic tanks. However, staff has talked with each of these owners and are
hopeful that each will make arrangements for the elimination of their septic tank prior to a time
when the Code Enforcement Board would have to make a decision on issuing fines for non-
compliance.
With a list of septic tank owners coming up for mandatory.conversion in May of 2005 being
reduced from approximately 60 down to five at this point, there can be no question that the
program has thus far been a tremendous success. While the remaining five owners will be
notified ofnon-compliance by the Code Enforcement Officer, hopefully they will all make plans
to convert in the near future.