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Owners Would Help Pay For Cleaner Canals

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By MICHELE SAGER

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 17, 2008

TOWN 'N COUNTRY - Residents who want cleaner, deeper canals will have to decide whether they are willing to pay for them.

Hillsborough County leaders discussed a proposed coastal-canal dredging ordinance with about 100 residents last week.

The meeting came after the county completed a study on how to pay for the cleanup of canals along residential areas in northwest Hillsborough and the South Shore areas. The county identified 70 trouble spots where silt has built up, making residential canals difficult for boats to navigate.

The county's solution is to have waterfront residents in the Upper Tampa Bay neighborhoods of Bay Crest, Bayport, Essex Downs and Dana Shores pay for a portion of dredging costs, while the county chips in a portion. County leaders estimate the dredging will cost each community about $1.5 million, to be divided among the waterfront residents. The entire cost for all canals in the county is about $15.2 million.

It will be up to the residents to get enough support for the dredging project, according to the county's project manager, Martin Montalvo.

"The county doesn't want to impose a tax on you," he said. "This is a community-driven action."

Some residents say the county should pay all costs.

The road to dredging will take several steps. First, the residents will have to designate special taxing units and determine which properties fall into those taxing units. Residents will have to weigh the benefits of bigger units versus smaller ones. The bigger the unit, the more there are residents to share the costs, but the harder it will be to get the required number of people to support the project.
Montalvo said some people also could fall into multiple taxing units, depending on their location on the canal and benefits to their property. Benefits - the amount a project increases property values - are determined by the county.

Residents will likely need 40 percent resident support to start the process and 60 percent for final approval, Montalvo said. County commissioners will determine final percentage requirements.

The county will pay for a feasibility study of properties along the canals and any dredging along public properties. Estimated costs show that Bayport residents could pay the most because it has the fewest waterfront properties - 235. That means the average cost for a Bayport resident who lives along a canal would be $1,106 a year for 10 years.

Bay Crest waterfront residents would pay on average about $524 a year for 10 years. The price would vary because it would be determined by linear foot along the canal. For Bayport residents, it is $11.73 per linear foot. Bay Crest would pay $10.04 per linear foot, and Dana Shores would pay $6.68 per linear foot.
Montalvo said estimates are about 30 percent higher than expected costs, to give residents the worst-case scenario.

Some residents told leaders that other funding sources should be explored, such as fees on boater registrations or more county funds.

Brian Garry, president of the Save Our Canals project, noted that federal grants were being pursued, but getting those funds would take time. Residents would also have the chance to reduce costs by reducing the amount dredged, although that wasn't recommended by county staff.

Other residents wanted the county to fix the stormwater problems, noting the canal problems would simply return.

"Dredging is not a permanent fix," Montalvo said. "This is a one-time project cost with a 10-year minimum life span. It's not perfect, but this is the best solution we can offer at this time."

County Commissioner Rose Ferlita agreed it isn't a fair process.

"Fairness doesn't play into this," she said. "You don't think it's fair, and I don't think it's fair. But if we keep saying it's not fair, it doesn't get done. So here we are, and it's now left for you to decide."

Once the special taxing units are declared and initial support is declared, the board will likely discuss the issue in November. Then hard costs will be determined, and residents will have 90 days to prepare and submit a final petition to establish their taxing unit, with an option for a 90-day extension.

The county said it will provide residents with any data and assist with the ordinance process but won't gather support. "We won't knock on doors," Montalvo said. "That is something the residents will have to do themselves."

If the project gets the needed support and final approval from the county commission, all residents in a taxing unit that benefits from the dredging would be charged. The assessment would appear on the property tax bill, and all would be required to pay, whether they supported the project or not.

Reporter Michele Sager can be reached at (813) 865-4843 or msager@tampatrib.com.

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