City of Ocoee extends Lake Apopka Natural Gas District agreement

The Ocoee City Commission approved the extension of the franchise agreement with Lake Apopka Natural Gas District Franchise at its April 19 meeting. 

The franchise agreement was approved for its first 10 years of service to the city in September 2010. This agreement gives Lake Apopka Natural Gas a non-exclusive right to manufacture, import, transport, distribute and sell manufactured or natural gas in Ocoee.

In exchange, Ocoee receives 6% of gross revenues from sales within city limits.

Currently, the gas line extends all through Maine Street in the downtown area and serves the majority of the businesses. However, houses located near Bluford Avenue have not been connected yet. Ocoee City Mayor Rusty Johnson would like those homes connected to the service.

“How much more money (will) the citizens get if we hooked up the houses, too?” Johnson said. “The phone company could do it; the power company could do it.”

Before voting on the extension, both commissioners Rosemary Wilsen and Larry Brinson commented on the item. 

“It’s kind of a commitment, it looks like, between the neighbors,” Wilsen said. “And hopefully, where you are, enough neighbors will want it (so) that it would be the ideal situation.” 

“Let’s do this,” Brinson said. “Let’s figure out a way that we can have townhomes from different communities that are available to you to be hooked up to that line.” 

The extension of the franchise agreement passed unanimously.  

BUDGET AMENDMENTS

The commission discussed the second reading of an ordinance regarding extra funding for the General Fund and the Water/Wastewater fund. 

The initial General Fund, $78,712,989, and the Water/Wastewater Fund, $21,378,568, were adopted Sept. 23, 2021. 

The General Fund requires an additional appropriation of $650,000. This extra funding will go toward general government operations, an increase for the allocation of ARPA funding to cover public safety salaries, potential acquisition of downtown property, an increase of the fire and police operations regular salaries, unanticipated replacement of ballistic helmets and shields for the police department, landscape replacement on State Road 50 and to Fleet Operations for parts and repairs to vehicles damaged in car accidents, and the increase in the cost of fuel. 

The Water/Wastewater Fund requires an additional appropriation of $304,000. This extra funding will go toward the unanticipated replacement of a water line on Silver Star Road; increased costs related with the water main on East Oakland Avenue; emergency repair and replacement of the water meter and by-pass at the hospital; and emergency repair of a vac-truck. 

The ordinance passed unanimously. 

SELF-STORAGE MORATORIUM

The commission also held the first reading of ordinance of the Land Development Code Amendment relating to self-storage facilities. 

The commission on Sept. 21, 2021, approved a temporary suspension pertaining to the processing and consideration of applications for development orders and development and building permits regarding self-storage facilities in the general commercial (C-3) and restricted manufacturing and warehousing (I-1) zoning districts for a six-month period.

Currently, the city has 11 self-storage facilities that are either operating, under development or approved. 

The recommendations to be discussed are to further maintain the current code provisions for the properties that are located within special overlay districts with a C-3 or a I-1 zoning designation. These include whether self-storage will be permitted only as an accessory use, and for the use of self-storage facility to be considered a special exception in C-3 and I-1 zoning districts within the city. 

The second reading of the ordinance for this item will take place during the commission’s next meeting, May 3.