GULF BREEZE — Gulf Breeze Mayor Cherry Fitch congratulated Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners Sept. 13 for the recent county-city partnerships resulting in a 20 percent reduction in impact fees for water and wastewater customers thanks to grants subsidizing growth-related costs.
Grants also are assisting with the expansion of reclaim water and wastewater treatment to provide for growth in south Santa Rosa County, and septic elimination funding.
This amounts to $9 million in non-tax RESTORE dollars within the Gulf Breeze Regional Water System, and $10 million from state dollars leveraged by local non-tax dollars for reclaim expansion from Gulf Breeze to Navarre.
In the letter to the commissioners, Fitch stated, "The city received notice on Sept. 8 that the Federal Department of Treasury approved the application submitted by the county for the $6 million grant to fund in part the expansion of the Tiger Point Wastewater Treatment Facility. This expansion will allow for growth in the south end of the county, including new residential and commercial development, as well as the conversion of properties from septic systems to central sewer with non-tax dollars.
"The grant allows the city to reallocate funds previously dedicated to the wastewater treatment expansion towards a septic to sewer conversion project, which the City Council has committed to match dollar for dollar to complete the city-wide $15 million program in eight years," he added.
To read the entire letter, visit https://bit.ly/3Cd7bva.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosas Press Gazette: City/county partner on wastewater treatment project