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Highlands Today

City Still Flushing Out Sewer Deals

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By JOE SEELIG

Highlands Today

Published: November 23, 2008

SEBRING - With snowbirds on the move, flushing out a deal between the city, the Department of Environmental Protection and Highlands County on the purchase of Landmark Utilities will be met with an increasing sense of urgency.

The Landmark Utilities sewer system is getting full and winter visitors will only make it fill up faster, the city's Attorney Bob Swaine told the council.

The city has been working to get the DEP to release the systems owner David Plank from any fines, fees or legal actions, and the county to work with DEP over a recent law suit the county won, that declared the DEP would receive the system after Plank abandoned it.

"What the DEP wants most of all is to not be received and the courts said they have to and they don't want it," Swaine told the council.

The city just wants it free and clear of all encumbrances before it hooks it up with Highlands Utilities and demolishes Landmark's existing package plant, located in Thunderbird Hills.

It plans to buy Highlands Utilities for about $1.55 million.

The city is prepared to move forward with the blessing of the sale by the court. Meanwhile, the city remains in negotiations to purchase Landmark for $100,000.

Council briefly discussed the purchase of the Sebring Airport Authority's water and sewer systems, mostly about how it will pay.

First the city discussed buying it outright. Then it considered taking over a Rural Development loan from the airport. The latest idea is obtaining a local bank loan.
City Administrator Scott Noethlich was instructed to go out and shop for loans and see what kind of deals the city can get.

Another possibility was suggested by Councilman Dan Andrews that the city borrow the money from themselves, and if they need to finance the purchase later, shop for a loan then.

The downside of that idea they would not know ahead of time what interest rates may be at a later time.

Council also is looking at some unexpected expenditures at the Highlands Utilities sewer plant. It discussed its options of withholding repair costs dollars at the closing to make necessary repairs. Highlands Utilities is in the process of renewing its permit.

Council approved on second and final reading two ordinances amending its firefighter pension plan establishing a Partial Lump sum Option Plan (PLOP) and share accounts.

In the share account plan, any state tax money the city receives in excess premium tax dollars will be contributed to the firefighters' pension plan using a prescribed formula, much like a 401k plan.

Joe Seelig can be reached at (863) 386-5834 or jseelig@highlandstoday.com .

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