Discussion
of Issues
Issue 1:
Should the Commission acknowledge Resolution No.
R17-12 by the Board of County Commissioners of Leon County?
Recommendation:
Yes. The Commission should acknowledge Resolution
No. R17-12 by the County Commissioners of Leon County,
effective June 20, 2017. All non-exempt, privately-owned water and wastewater
utilities in Leon County should be
directed to comply with the provisions of Chapter 367, F.S. (M. Watts, Janjic)
Staff Analysis:
On June 20, 2017, the Board of County Commissioners
of Leon County passed and adopted
Resolution No. R17-12, which transfers jurisdiction over the County's
privately-owned water and wastewater utilities to the Commission. The
Resolution contained a list of the privately-owned water and wastewater
utilities, which were regulated by Leon County on June 20, 2017. In addition, staff
has contacted the County requesting information on each utility’s current
rates, charges, and territory served. Since they are now subject to Chapter
367, F.S., each utility must continue to collect the rates and charges for
water and wastewater service, which were being collected on June 20, 2017,
until changed by the Commission.
Staff has contacted the Florida Department of Environment
Protection (DEP) to advise it of the Resolution, and to obtain a list of all
privately-owned water and wastewater facilities in Leon County, which the DEP
monitors for environmental compliance. The utilities identified by the County
and the DEP will receive a letter from Commission staff advising them of the
transfer of jurisdiction and providing them with information to determine
whether or not they are exempt from Commission regulation pursuant to Section
367.022, F.S.
Entities
which are not exempt from Commission regulation will receive instruction for
filing an application for grandfather certificates. The resulting applications
will be processed in individual dockets. These applicants will also be advised
of their responsibility to file an annual report for 2017, pursuant to Rule
25-30.110, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.), as well as their
responsibility to remit Annual Regulatory Assessment Fees (RAFs) effective the
date a certificate is issued pursuant to Rule 25-30.120, F.A.C. The applicants
will also be advised of their right to file for a pass-through of RAFs, should
they not be currently collecting RAFs, or if they are collecting a lesser
amount than they would be paying to the Commission. Seminole Waterworks, Inc.,
one of the utilities now subject to the Commission’s jurisdiction, filed for a
grandfather certificate and pass-through RAFs in Docket No. 20170155-WU, In re: Application for grandfather water
certificate in Leon County and application for pass through increase of
regulatory assessment fees, by Seminole Waterworks, Inc.
Staff recommends that the Commission acknowledge
Resolution No. R17-12 by the County Commissioners of Leon County,
effective June 20, 2017. All non-exempt, privately-owned water and wastewater
utilities in Leon County should be
directed to comply with the provisions of Chapter 367, F.S.
Issue 2:
Should this docket be closed?
Recommendation:
Since there are no pending issues in this docket,
the docket should be closed upon the issuance of a final order. (Janjic)
Staff Analysis:
Since there are no pending issues in this docket,
the docket should be closed upon the issuance of a final order.
