Septic Upgrade Incentive Project Grant Agreement No. LPF5701 Standard Grant Agreement, State of Florida Department of Environmental Protection – Septic Upgrade Incentive Project to Encourage Homeowners to Install Nitrogen-Reducing Enhancements – $2,222,222.22

2:49:29And a second. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Motion passed five zero. Next item is a regular item which is number Fifty eight or fifty seven. R fifty seven. David, welcome.

2:49:50Welcome, Chairman Oakley and County Commissioners. Um, I'm David Allen, I'm the utilities director, and I'm just gonna tee up uh the presentation. We have a presentation for you on this one, and uh basically what's being presented before you is a two point two million dollar grant from Florida Department of Environmental Protection to allow uh Um eligible residents in South Central Pasco to upgrade their septic systems to an advanced treatment system. And so with that I'd like to introduce uh both Garrett Van Lent. He is our uh utilities

2:50:21policy analyst, as well as his supervisors here, Cisco Pavez, and both of them were instrumental in getting this grant together for us. And so I'd like to turn it over to them. Thank you.

2:50:31Okay.

2:50:32Hello, Commissioners. My name is Garrett Van Land. I'm with the Utilities here to present on septic upgrade incentive program. A little bit of background on the program. A variety of legislative initiatives in the past couple years have established basin management action plan areas, or called B MAP areas, which are environmentally sensitive spring shed areas. So what ends up the nitrogen, the phosphorus that goes into the soil in this area ends up in Wiki Wachi

2:51:03Springs, which is to the northern hurricane. Yeah. Lately, there's been more further initiatives by the state to solidify the maximum amount of nitrogen and phosphorus and other chemicals that go into the ground in these areas. And this grant is a response to that. This grant will help us eliminate nitrogen by encouraging homeowners to upgrade their septic systems to have nitrogen-reducing enhancements. And D this grant has been offered to other counties

2:51:33that have B MAP areas in the springshell.

2:51:38A location map has the area. This is the WikiWatchy Basin Management Action Plan priority focus area, highlighted in yellow. You see to the south it's 52, to the north it's the county line. Over east, it's Highway 41, and in the west it's Suncoast Trail, then transitions into Shady Hills of Boulevard. So this is the area in which residents can qualify for this septic upgrade incentive program to have their set septic systems upgraded. This is in District

2:52:08Five.

2:52:08Perfect.

2:52:10Like uh Mr. Allen said, it's a $2.2 million grant with FDEP for Department of Environmental Protection. There is no matching or local funds that are going to be required from this grant. Um the FDEP would reimburse Pasco County utilities monthly for the money that comes out of our pocket for these reimbursements to the homeowners. We would offer $10,000 to homeowners to assist them in upgrading their septic tanks. Typically, this project costs

2:52:41far more than $10,000. It could be in the T in the in the 15 area, depending on their septic tank and the upgrades. They have a variety of upgrades they could choose from. This is a pass-through grant. The grant funds go directly to septic installers. And we'll get into that in a second. And Pasco County plans on subcontracting the administration of this grant to uh uh uh a subcontractor that we'd hire. A little bit of the process of this program. The

2:53:11homeowner first would confirm via our website that they would qualify for the program. To qualify, you just need to live in that priority focus area. It doesn't matter what dwelling you have or a little the size of your lot. This is about the septic tank. So any s any septic tank is eligible for the program. Then the homeowner would choose a septic installer of their choice, a licensed septic installer or plumber. The septic installer would then apply for the program. They would submit an initial packet of information, including

2:53:42uh permits from Department of Health, uh if if applicable uh electrical permit from the building administration. They would submit their business license number and their state registration. They would uh include a vendor application form similar to uh what you other counties have uh in their processes. Then once they apply for the program, our program administrator would take a look at that appro uh the application, either approve it or deny it to move forward.

2:54:14Eventually the septic upgrade would be completed by the septic installer. Then they would apply for reimbursement from the county by a second packet of information that includes proof of work done, uh pictures, inspections, uh, and a uh proof that the homeowner has paid the balance, anything over $10,000. Then the Again, the program administrator would approve or deny that second packet of information. uh the uh

2:54:44county would reimburse the septic installer. And we would get we would request reimbursement DEP on a monthly basis.

2:54:54We have a timeline. Uh we're working with the purchasing department. After you, of course, approve the the grant, we would submit it to FDEP and then we would seek a program administrator using the purchasing department's uh processes. Uh we expect this to be early January uh based on our conversation with with the purchasing department and we would have to uh communications plan to outreach these folks have an online presence that would cater to both

2:55:24homeowners who are interested and SEPTIG and SARS looking for further information. That's my presentation today. I'm open for questions if there's any. Any

2:55:32questions?

2:55:35Thank y'all two tired questions. Yeah. Commissioner Mariano. All right, Commission

2:55:40Commissioner Mariano. All right. So with all the people that you're gonna be going out there looking at septic systems, it's it's probably quite a big number. To me, if you're gonna do this one by one by one I don't think you'd get the bang for the buck you could for the people. If you had one List out there of the people that wanted to get it done.

2:56:02And then put it out for a bid for someone to go bid on all the work in one shot? I gotta think there'd be some savings there. Have you looked at that approach and considered it?

2:56:10No, we've based this model on other successful counties. Hernando County, for example, has an incredibly successful program. So we really built our program based off of what currently has worked with counties. Uh but we can look into that and get back with your office later on.

2:56:25I

2:56:25mean

2:56:26what is the what is the boy think? If you have if if you're a contractor you can go bid on like doing a hundred jobs. Don't you think you can can put your resources to g together to go from one to the other to the other and

2:56:37Do it more Are they required to uh hook up?

2:56:42No, this this is sep this is different from septic to sewer. This is septic upgrade where the homeowner would actually get their uh septic tank to be better at treating nitrogen. So that's why the area is separated. But however, you would be correct if we can get a whole neighborhood and go in and get a contract and then you're not sure.

2:57:01If you're gonna get one guy you can bid on like ten of these jobs in one shot. Or a hundred of these jobs, he can put a whole team together.

2:57:11I gotta I gotta think it saved money.

2:57:13I just wanted to clarify what what your approach is, Commissioner. Are you suggesting that the county contract with the septic installer or are you suggesting that look if a neighborhood gets together and they can kind of self promote and hire someone There's a difference because if we're managing the work, I you know our our administrative costs will will go up and we do take on certain risk and liability with it that I don't think we really want to do.

2:57:36Well even if we can somehow coordinate for them. to go through to put the bit out. Let's let's say you you put it out there, okay, here's what we're gonna go do. You have a meeting, public place. Who wants to get it done? Subject to what the costs are. Once you get the n numbers together, you can then say okay, let's go put the bid out and see who wants to wants to bid on it, see where the numbers come in and those that want to sign up, sign up and those that don't, don't. But at least they got a chance to do a group bid and I gotta think it's gotta save money.

2:58:05I I don't necessarily have a problem with with kind of assisting uh a homeowners association with just information and allowing them to do their thing. I I would I would probably want to talk more about if we were to manage it. So I think from a communication perspective, Mr. Allen?

2:58:21Yeah, I just just the other the other thing to consider about this particular program, what makes this unique is that these are public dollars that are be going on to private property and typically with those kind of projects they would be within the the county um areas of responsibility, if you will, but these are are typically the responsibility of the private property owners and that's why we decided the recommendation was to have the homeowners then coordinate directly with their contractors that they choose so that they could get out they can get bids out and those types of

2:58:51things. But I think that you know certainly one of the things that we could look at is is you know the the feasibility of doing a larger bid this to to potentially pre-qualify contractors and get a set price on that.

2:59:03So m maybe the approach could be we we Announced it by the way, this is fantastic. Great job getting this money. It's it's something we talk about trying to get money so fantastic with that. But maybe just having a public meeting with everybody to show them what we've got. Rather than going but through the letters, et cetera. There's there's a couple of good places up there you can probably probably have a meeting. Uh present it to everybody, show them what's going on. Not only invite them. But invite contractors. So maybe when they do well for bid, maybe they'll get like three bids and a guy can look at it. Maybe that's the

2:59:33way to do it. But but again getting a big meeting everybody together.

2:59:42A lot of them will have their preference on a septake person.

2:59:45And you and you th thereby you may get a guy who looks I'm gonna get all this business if I keep my price low, so when I give my bids out I can do that? That may be without us touching it.

2:59:55You're talking about a lot of members of uh having questions. And how they handled their own particular situation. But this way you're educating the starting kind.

3:00:04Um so How are they gonna get their customers? I mean, who's is the septic company gonna go door to door? Are you gonna go with mailers? How are people gonna learn? about this because I could see if we gave territories Then diff different septic companies could go You know, do the marketing and sign up the people. So I I see merit in all different ways. Um but so I'm curious how they're gonna find out about this.

3:00:32Yeah, so we incl we're thinking about a communications plan, uh mailers to folks, an online presence for both homeowners and septic installers. Uh we're talking to our web development team and our communications team about how to best to do that, but we do plan a robust Communication strategy for these folks. And it's up to them to pick the uh septic install they would like, but we also want to let the septic installers know this is happening.

3:00:56So they may be get they may get a little aggressive to let people know. Um I have a question on a septic tanks and I've talked to a number of people about this and I don't know how we do it. or what the state rules are, but what are the requirements for people to be sure their septic tanks aren't failing?

3:01:15I do not know the answer to that question, ma'am, but I can get back to your office w with the answer to that with I can talk to DOH and get back to the right-of-way.

3:01:20Does anyone in your department know? 'Cause this is this is my little problem. I d I think it's unregulated.

3:01:26Yeah. It's the health department that is in charge of the

3:01:32so um you can sell your house and it has a thirty or forty year old septic field that's probably not working and we don't we don't require at closing Or uh a a a A check of the closing of the septic system.

3:01:49That that's part of the inspection period of the house.

3:01:52The the home

3:01:53return it privately.

3:01:54So they can they can choose to look at it if they want?

3:01:58It's part of the checklist. But that's done, and then there can be concessions on Dilphone's new SEPT, they can negotiate it during the inspection period. That's a private matter.

3:02:06But if um actually had one that failed. and had it replaced but

3:02:12I was just

3:02:13to decide once I uh came up with the conclusion with a plumber. that hey, your set tank's failing and it's not doing what it's supposed to, it actually backs up on you. So

3:02:23But if you didn't or it could be could it be draining stuff out that we don't want it to be draining out. Which is probably what's going on up here that the state's willing to pay for those

3:02:37I just think maybe the legislature someone needs to have their eye on septic systems and the failure of them. And um just so everyone remembers up here, we have yet to do one septic to sewer conversion in Pasco County.

3:02:51We're close.

3:02:52But we're getting some thanks to Representative Yeager and our staff who put a A grant and do we know about that grant yet? It's actually in this neighborhood where this park is.

3:03:03We have not heard.

3:03:04It's we're gonna find out pretty soon.

3:03:08We have not heard back yet officially, but um I think I think the plan with that grant is is is more of a package overall thing with with also with The um Oh you're talking uh never

3:03:23we have two we have a couple of different areas that we're really working with um State and and federal uh funding for septic to sewer.

3:03:31Okay. Well we'll know soon if that one's gonna be successful. Is this a require a mo uh motion or Mr. Chairman M Mr. Mayor

3:03:40on us?

3:03:42What I would like to recommend we do is let's as you set your mail is up and everything else, let's go have a public meeting though, so we can address it. Make it known to all the people, let it known to all the install installers that would do this type of work, get them all in the same room together, so when they're done they can figure out what they want to do to market themselves and decide who they want to get to. But at least we're going to be able to do that.

3:04:05Yes sir. Sounds like that.

3:04:10So move approval.

3:04:15Second.

3:04:19We said motion and second.

3:04:20Motion and second. Uh all those in favor say aye.

3:04:24Aye.