FELLSMERE — Water connection and stormwater fees are the two hang-ups the City of Fellsmere is working to get passed in order to move forward with annexing two streets near the Hall Carter James community.
“We need to decide the next steps,” City Manager Jason Nunemaker told the Fellsmere City Council at last Thursday’s Council meeting. Either the City needs to work with Indian River County to take the handful of properties on 100th Lane and 100th Place or drop the matter altogether.
For Nunemaker, the issues that still need to be addressed are how the City would handle connecting the half-dozen or so homes to the City’s water utility and how it would assess the $4 a month stormwater fee.
Currently, the properties in question run on well and septic, but the lots are too small to do so safely, according to the Department of Health, Nunemaker has said. The wells and septic tanks need 75 feet of separation, which was not achieved when the wells and tanks were installed.
John Randall, who owns a piece of property in the subject area, has raised concerns about forcing the elderly homeowners there to foot the bill for connect to water and paying the water bill.
He pointed to their fixed incomes and the possibility that they wouldn’t be able to afford the connection costs, the water bill, City taxes on top of what they already pay the County, and more.
Nunemaker told the City Council that he has discussed the issue of the water connection with Julianne Price, of the Health Department. He said Price believes there are opportunities for grant funding to cover some or all of the water hookups.
In the meantime, Nunemaker suggested holding off on mandating a water connection, which would relieve any immediate burden on the homeowners regarding that matter.
Mayor Susan Adams asked if it would be possible to require a connection once a home changes hands. Nunemaker said that could be tricky to catch, explaining that other homes in the city have been passed among family members but the deed is never updated.
“We need to go ahead and take care of it,” Adams said of pursuing the forced annexation.
State law does not require public hearings or the like, however Nunemaker said he expects the Indian River County Board of Commissioners to hold a hearing or two on the matter before giving its blessing.
The City, too, could hold a hearing before making its final decision.
By state law, according to Nunemaker, all that is needed is an inter-local agreement between the County and the City to achieve the annexation.
Councilwoman Sara Savage had expressed reservations about forcing the annexation when the issue was brought up earlier this summer. She told the Council Thursday that she no longer has a problem with moving forward.
Savage explained that all the property owners have been notified about the possibility and the only one they’ve heard from is Randall.
“We’ve heard nothing,” Nunemaker said, agreeing with Savage.
The councilwoman suggested the City reach out to the County and request it participate in some way in cleaning up the two-street area, whether financially or with manpower to run the water line, clean up the drainage and cut back the foliage.
Adams agreed.
“I think it’s only fair to ask,” she said.
