Landmark Sewer Problems Near Solution

Within six months, the roughly 500 customers of the problem plagued Landmark Utilities sewage plant should be hooked into the city sanitary sewer system.

The city's purchase of the Landmark treatment plant, which has operated without a permit from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection since 2002, should be finalized by then, as a result of actions taken this week by Sebring City Council and the Highlands County commissioners.

Landmark's customers are likely to see assessments, in the range of $50 to $60 per year for 10 years, to finance the county's share of the costs for the city's takeover, according to county Engineer Ramon Gavarrete.

Assessments would be set following a public hearing which will be scheduled by the county commissioners.

"The public hearing will probably be held in May," said county Administrator Michael Wright. "That is the earliest that we could schedule it."

The Landmark plant, which has been legally abandoned and is in receivership, serves about 500 residential customers in the Thunderbird Hills area plus commercial customers along the west side of U.S. 27 just north of Thunderbird Road.

Sebring City Council has agreed to purchase the Landmark system, upgrade lift stations, connect Landmark customers to a city sewage treatment plant, and then close the Landmark treatment plant. The $100,000 purchase price includes the city acquiring 23 residential lots in the subdivisions served by Landmark.

On Tuesday, the county commissioners voted to pay half the cost, up to a maximum of $200,000, for improvements needed to tie Landmark customers into the city sewage system.

The commissioners then tentatively agreed to cover that cost by assessing Landmark customers.

Commissioner Barbara Stewart said assessments are likely because it would not be fair to have county taxpayers pick up costs to solve problems at one sewage plant.

"It makes a great deal of sense, that you pay for the benefit you receive," Commissioner Don Bates said about the likely assessments.

However, Bates said the commissioners may consider paying half the cost and raising the other half through assessments on Landmark customers.

"I think that's a possibility," Bates said. "In the public hearing we will address all of that.

"The big issue," he added, "is that the city has stepped up and this problem is being solved, and I'm grateful for the city for stepping up."

Under state law, if a sewage treatment plant is abandoned, the county has to assume responsibility for operating it and bringing it up to DEP standards. About a year ago, county officials estimated that scenario would cost more than $2 million, resulting in assessments on Landmark customers in the range of $5,000.

"This is the best solution we could have hoped for," said Gavarrete, who also serves as the county's utilities director. The possible assessments are about one-tenth of what they could have been if the city had not agreed to take in Landmark customers, he said.

"If every one was assessed at the same amount, it would come out to about $55 per year for 10 years, and that would be part of the tax bill, a special assessment," Gavarrete said.

Different assessment levels will probably be set for residential and commercial customers, as well as for owners of vacant lots within the current Landmark service area, he said.

Bob Swain, Sebring city attorney, said there will be no assessments by the city for its cost in tying the Landmark system into the city's wastewater treatment plant.

"The city will charge its regular monthly service fee for the users," he said. "It will not charge an additional fee to recover the capital costs."

Sebring has a "binding contract" for purchase of the Landmark system, Swain said. To close on the deal, four legal steps have to be taken and were agreed to by the county commissioners and Sebring council this week.

Swain called the deal "almost completely done."

He explained, "There are a few procedural issues left to be resolved. I believe those all will be resolved. But technically until they are resolved, the matter is not completely finalized."

Swain said city officials expect Landmark customers will become part of the city sanitary sewer system by September.

"You never know what issues may come up," he said, "but that is certainly our expectations."