1986.03.24_FAB_Minutes_RegularTOWN OF HIGHLAND BEACH, FLORIDA
FINANCIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Monday, March 24, 1986 10 00 A.M.
A meeting of the Financial Advisory Board was held at Town Hall on
Monday, March 24,1, 1986 at 10:00 a.m.
Those attending included members Richard Brunton, Ben Cohen, Walter
Peklenk and Reese James. Commissioner Grier, Town Manager Williams
and Finance Director Fowler were also in attendance throughout the
meeting.
The Minutes of the March 10, 1986 meeting were approved as written.
This meeting was for the purpose of continuing the review and discus-
sion of the Town's current policy of charging for water service to the
residents.
Town Manager Williams and Finance Director Fowler presented some
additional data re water useage, plant operating costs and debt
service. It was noted that the 1966 Bond issue for the Water Treat-
ment Plant will be paid off during fiscal 1986/87.
At the FAB March 10th meeting, it had been agreed that in developing a
new "charging" policy, that the following should be the guiding
factors:
1. Equity for all property owners.
2. Availability of the service.
3. Recovery of costs of providing the service.
4. Water conservation.
From the ensuing discussion it was determined that "equity" required
that all property owners share equally in the costs of providing the
service and, that "availability" of the service should be the costs
associated with the physical plant and lines to the properties.
It was then determined that based upon our current plant depreciation
as provided in the annual budget ($75,600), pro -rated by the number of
residential units (3430) equaled approximately $2.00/month per unit.
It was moved and so voted to recommend that the Town Commission estab-
lish a $2.00/month charge as a "customer fee" beginning with the new
fiscal year 1987/88. This fee would recover the plant depreciation
expense and provide the funding of that item which has not heretofore
been funded.
The discussion then turned to "recovery of costs of providing the
service" and the matter of encouraging conservation.
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Financial Advisory Board
March 24, 1986
Page Two of Two
Current charges are $8.50/month per meter with a minimum of 10,000
gallons authorized for that $8.50 charge. Again, following discussion
it is the recommendation to the Town Commission that the $8.50 per
meter and 10,000 gal minimum be discontinued and that a charge of $.85
per 1,000 gallons be established and that the charge commence with and
run consecutively with each 1,000 gallons of water used per meter.
Recognizing that private property owners who are in residence only
during the winter months will be prone to shut off their water meter
in their absence as a money saving step, it is also recommended that
the Town Commission continue and strictly enforce the $50.00/"round
trip" charge for turning off/on the water meters.
Further, that although the water table has remained fairly high, and
in view of the current discussion regarding limiting Town growth to
the availability of water, it is also recommended that the Commission
conduct an on -going program to encourage water conservation including
the periodic publishing in the Town Bulletin of water use data.
The meeting was then adjourned at 12:00 noon with the next meetings
being scheduled for April 7th and April 21st, 1986.
Res ctfulllysubmitted,
Reese James, Chairman
copies: FAB Members
Town Commissioners
Town Manager