ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION AND UTILITY SERVICE FEE

Board of County Commissioners · 2026-07-21 · ordinance

The document is a legislative item for an ordinance relating to environmental remediation and utility service fee, amending Section 24-34 of the Code of Miami-Dade County, Florida. It establishes a loan program for environmental remediation that meets existing requirements of Section 24-34, without changing said requirements, and creates requirements, parameters, and procedures for said loan program. The ordinance was introduced on 6/2/2026, adopted on first reading on 7/21/2026, and set for a public hearing before the Infrastructure Innovations and Technology Committee (IITC) on 9/10/2026. The prime sponsor is Raquel A. Regalado. The ordinance establishes a loan program using utility service fee monies for environmental remediation of certain properties for drinking water supply protection. Eligible properties must be 10 acres in size or greater and either currently owned by the County in fee-simple (including long-term leases) or formerly owned by the County as of January 1, 2025. Loans to non-County entities are repaid from the sixth year in annual installments of one percent of principal, with balance due within 35 years, zero percent interest, secured by a second priority lien and mortgage. Loans to County departments are repaid within 35 years, no interest, set forth in an interdepartmental memorandum. The Loan Fund is funded by legally available, unencumbered funds in the Utility Service Fee Fund as of September 30, 2026, and beginning fiscal year 2026-2027, all legally available, unencumbered utility service fee monies collected each fiscal year, with at least 20 percent of the Fund Balance and Annual Collection remaining unavailable for the Loan Fund. The ordinance becomes effective ten days after enactment unless vetoed by the Mayor.