Board of County Commissioners - Work Session - 2026-03-05
Meeting Intelligence Preview
Meeting Summary
The Board of County Commissioners work session focused on reclaimed water rate framework updates, enterprise asset management program review, and electric vehicle charging station policy. Key outcomes included direction to explore tiered seasonal reclaimed water rates, revisit golf course water agreements, and discontinue publicly-facing EV charging stations (Option 2). The board also discussed beach renourishment efforts requiring customary use ordinances from Indian Shores and Reddington Shores.
Key Decisions (4)
Direction on Reclaimed Water Rate Study Framework
Board provided guidance for upcoming rate study starting summer 2025: explore separate North/South County rate structures, tiered volumetric rates with seasonal variations, and revisit golf course reclaimed water agreements. Current system serves approximately 14,700 customers with rates covering about half of $21 million annual operating expenses.
Discontinue Publicly-Facing EV Charging Stations
Board directed staff to implement Option 2 - discontinuing the 20 publicly-facing EV charging stations originally provided through Duke Energy partnership. Stations cost approximately $56,000 annually to operate and four of 20 are currently non-functional. Analysis showed usage concentrated among very few users (e.g., 2 people account for 45% of Palm Harbor Library sessions).
Beach Renourishment Letter to Municipalities
Board agreed to send letter signed by all seven commissioners to Indian Shores and Reddington Shores city councils encouraging adoption of customary use ordinances to facilitate Army Corps beach renourishment projects. Army Corps indicated customary use ordinances could substitute for permanent easements.
Direction to Revisit Golf Course Reclaimed Water Agreements
Board directed staff to include review of seven golf course reclaimed water agreements in rate study. Golf courses currently receive approximately 500 million gallons annually at significantly reduced rates (ranging from $0.05 to $0.35 per 1,000 gallons versus retail rates). Six of seven agreements have no expiration dates.
Market Signals (4)
Infrastructure
County utilities infrastructure is greater than 30 years old in many areas, requiring prioritization decisions between reactive maintenance and proactive capital replacement programs.
Housing Demand
Property tax revenue projections for FY27 budget expected to be significantly different due to real estate market conditions, according to county administrator.
Infrastructure
Reclaimed water system experiencing supply constraints - North County and South County systems are not connected, with North County having less water available due to smaller sewer basin.
Sentiment
Commercial property owners may face increased tax burden if property tax reforms shift costs from residential to commercial, making county cautious about adding utility rate burdens on commercial users.