Consultant says Edgewater needs $99.6 million in stormwater fixes; proposed impact fee would rise from $210 to about $1,450

Brian Manns, a consultant with Gov rates, told the Edgewater City Council at a second "extraordinary circumstances" workshop that the city's comprehensive stormwater and flood-risk master plan identifies about $99.6 million in capital projects over the next five years and recommends raising stormwater impact fees above the phased limits set by the Florida Impact Fee Act.

"Stormwater impact fees support a policy of growth paying for growth," Manns said, adding that the proposed fee per equivalent dwelling unit would rise from the current $210 to about $1,450 — a level that exceeds the standard phased increase permitted under Florida statute 163.31801.

The consultant said the master plan calls for prioritized projects including a Mango and Queens pump station and the Duck Pond pump station, and that the stormwater fund has only about $3.3 million in cash reserves. "There's just no capacity to fund these improvements without debt financing," Manns said, noting lenders typically expect an adopted rate plan in loan packages.

Under the Florida Impact Fee Act, Manns explained, an impact fee increase is generally phased (no more than 25% in a year and no more than 50% total) and may occur no more than once every four years. He said a local government may exceed those phasing limits only if a study demonstrates "extraordinary circumstances," the local government holds two publicly noticed workshops (this was the second) and the governing body approves the increase unanimously.

Manns also said the proposed fee calculations exclude road grant-funded infrastructure and are tied to capital costs attributed to growth. He cited Edgewater's vulnerability to flooding and hurricanes and the city's rapid growth as factors that could justify the extraordinary-circumstances finding.

Manns noted comparable fee adjustments in other Florida municipalities, saying that, adjusted for inflation, some cities' current fees are similar to Edgewater's proposed amount. He urged the council to consider adopting a multi-year rate plan to secure debt financing but emphasized the council retains authority to lower rates later if it chooses.

No formal motion or vote was taken at the workshop. Manns recommended that, if the council unanimously finds extraordinary circumstances exist, the next step would be a public hearing to adopt updated stormwater impact fees linked to an adopted rate plan. The council adjourned the session without taking action.

What happens next: the council would need to hold the required public hearing and secure unanimous approval to adopt any fee increases that exceed the statutory phased limits. The presentation and the fee proposal also flagged the city's limited reserves and the likely need for debt financing to deliver the master plan projects.