TO: Honorable Mayor & Members of the North Port Commission
FROM: A. Jerome Fletcher II, ICMA-CM, MPA, City Manager
TITLE: Approve the First Amendment to City of North Port, Florida and Lighthouse Baptist Church of North Port, Florida, Inc. Wastewater System Developer’s Agreement for Reduction of Reserved Capacity and Revised Payment Schedule.
Recommended Action
Option 1: Approve the First Amendment to City of North Port, Florida and Lighthouse Baptist Church of North Port, Florida, Inc. Wastewater System Developer’s Agreement for Reduction of Reserved Capacity and Revised Payment Schedule.
Additional Commission Options
Option 1: Approve the First Amendment to City of North Port, Florida and Lighthouse Baptist Church of North Port, Florida, Inc. Wastewater System Developer’s Agreement for Reduction of Reserved Capacity and Revised Payment Schedule.
• Pros:
o Approval of the agreement will reduce the charges to the Developer to align with calculated estimated impact to the City’s wastewater system.
o The City will not dedicate system capacity beyond what is needed by the Developer.
• Cons: Approval of the agreement will reduce the anticipated fees that will be paid to the City by the Developer to support the City’s wastewater system.
Option 2: Deny the First Amendment to City of North Port, Florida and Lighthouse Baptist Church of North Port, Florida, Inc. Wastewater System Developer’s Agreement for Reduction of Reserved Capacity and Revised Payment Schedule.
• Pros: Denial of the reduction will result in the requirement for the Developer to pay all capacity fees originally estimated for the project to the City.
• Cons: Denial of the agreement will result in potential overallocation of system capacity to this development, that would then not be available for other future developments.
Background Information
Lighthouse Baptist Church is located on the Charlotte County side of Chancellor Boulevard. The church is currently on a septic system that needs replacement due to the condition of their system. The church approached Charlotte County and requested to connect to their wastewater system; however, Charlotte County wastewater system does not run near the property currently and the County cannot serve the church.
Lighthouse Baptist Church then contacted the City of North Port seeking to connect to the City’s wastewater system. An agreement was developed to connect the church to the City of North Port’s wastewater system that runs along the City’s side of Chancellor Boulevard. When service to the parcel is available from Charlotte County, the church will be required to connect to the County’s system. In addition, Lighthouse Baptist Church will be required to install the infrastructure necessary to serve their property and connect to the City’s existing system where it currently ends.
The original developer agreement was approved by Commission on January 14, 2025. After approval, Lighthouse Baptist Church approached the City requesting an alternative capacity calculation in accordance with the City of North Port Code Section 78-30(d)(8). The request was reviewed and approved by the Utilities Director with a decreased capacity requirement based on historical usage. Their original agreement needs to be amended to show the decreased capacity payment requirement in Section 20.3. Further, included in the Amendment is the City of North Port Code Section 78-30(d)(8)(h), which allows the City to confirm this decreased impact to the system twenty-four (24) months after connection. If the impact is greater, the difference in capacity fees will be collected.
The First Amendment to City of North Port, Florida and Lighthouse Baptist Church of North Port, Florida, Inc. Wastewater System Developer’s Agreement for Reduction of Reserved Capacity and Revised Payment Schedule has been revied by the City Attorney’s Office and is legally correct as to form.
The First Amendment to City of North Port, Florida and Lighthouse Baptist Church of North Port, Florida, Inc. Wastewater System Developer’s Agreement for Reduction of Reserved Capacity and Revised Payment Schedule was provided to the City Clerk’s Office on March 3, 2026, for signatures, subject to City Commission approval.
Strategic Plan Pillar
Infrastructure & Facilities Integrity
Financial Impact
The total overall reduction in wastewater capacity fee revenue will be $24,270.00.
Procurement
Not Applicable.
Attachments:
1. First Amendment
2. Original Agreement
3. Florida Division of Corporation Documents
Prepared by: Michelle Tipp, Senior Business Manager
Department Director: Tricia Wisner, Utilities Director