§ 6. Assessments.

The board is authorized to impose assessments, charges and fees for the provision of street lighting improvements and services. The assessments, charges and fees imposed upon benefited properties shall be collected on the water and/or sewer utility bills.

(A)

Improvements. Assessments for improvements for street lighting purposes in an existing area or in an area that seeks to institute street lighting services shall be calculated on a per lot or parcel basis. The cost of the improvements shall be determined and allocated equally among those benefitted properties on a per lot or parcel basis. The cost of providing improvements to an area within the Street Lighting MSBU shall not be allocated to other properties which are not receiving the benefit of those street lighting improvements. The cost of those improvements may be funded over a period of two years on equal monthly payments collected on the water and sewer utility bill. The cost of the improvement shall be in addition to the monthly charge for street lighting services and shall be approved by resolution.

(B)

Services. Assessments for street lighting services in an existing area or in an area that seeks to institute street lighting services shall be calculated on a per lot or parcel basis with all other benefitted properties within the Street Lighting MSBU. The county, through its staff, shall determine the projected amount of the cost of street lighting services over the next year for all benefited properties that are receiving street lighting services. Such projected amount shall be determined based upon historical data, projected estimates provided by the utilities company or any other reasonable methodology. The board shall annually adopt, prior to October 1, a resolution setting forth the projected amount to be collected annually from the Street Lighting MSBU. Such resolution shall constitute the assessment resolution. That amount shall be allocated to all benefitted properties within the Street Lighting MSBU and collected by equal monthly payments on a per lot or per parcel basis. In addition to the cost of street lighting services, the county is authorized to include an amount for actual administrative costs and reserves as authorized by county policies.

(C)

Payments. All benefited properties which utilize the services of the Okaloosa County Water and Sewer System shall be billed and pay the monthly assessment for the Street Lighting MSBU along with water, sewer and other charges included within that bill. In the event the monthly assessment for the funding of the Street Lighting MSBU is not paid when due, then a penalty of ten percent shall be assessed against the benefitted property that failed to pay the amount due. In the event that a partial payment is made toward the charges contained on the bill from the Okaloosa County Water and Sewer System, then the amount actually paid shall initially be allocated for the payment of the cost of street lighting improvements and other services prior to allocating that amount towards water and sewer charges. Water and sewer utility services shall not be discontinued solely as a result of the failure to pay the assessment for street lighting improvements and services.

(D)

Other utility providers. The county may enter into agreements with other utility providers to collect assessments for the Street Lighting MSBU where such projects are located in that providers service area. A list of those previous created municipal service benefits units which are merged into the Street Lighting MSBU and within for which the assessments are collected by another utility provider is attached as Exhibit "C".*

( Ord. No. 16-09 , § 6, 7-19-16)

*Exhibit C is not set out herein, but available as an attachment to Ord. No. 16-09.