Community Development District 7 supervisors have made it clear they are ready to play hardball to wrest concessions in the 20-year Project Wide Advisory Committee agreement by which they are currently bound.
CDD 7 supervisors held a workshop Monday afternoon at Savannah Center to explore the direction it might take as it tries to negotiate a better deal from the PWAC agreement they signed “under duress” in 2019. The workshop was attended by several community development district supervisors, some of whom serve on PWAC. Community Development District 10 Supervisor Don Wiley, who serves as PWAC’s chairman, was among those in the audience.
One of the chief concerns is the 20-year duration of the contract with PWAC, which oversees and pays for joint infrastructure south of County Road 466.
“A contract of 20 years would suggest it would span five more of our boards – and that’s just with elections,” said CDD 7 Supervisor William VonDohlen.
His fellow supervisors agreed.
“Bottom line is that when we approve contracts for maintenance or such, it’s two to three years. Here they claim that 20 years is a ‘reasonable time.’ That makes no sense to me,” said Supervisor Steve Lapp.
Another concern is the amount of money CDD 7 is paying into PWAC, which represents about half of its entire budget.
Former CDD 7 Supervisor Ron Ruggeri, a founding member of PWAC, said it amounts to “taxation without representation.” He said PWAC’s parent board, the Sumter Landing Community Development District Board, dictates what CDD 7 will pay into PWAC, which now amounts to $1.3 million annually.
Meanwhile, the commercial districts, Sumter Landing and Brownwood, provide less than 1 percent each toward the PWAC budget. The formula is based on accessible acreage, with residential housing taking up much more land than the commercial developments.
“This agreement was reached before the Developer decided to build apartments. Maybe it should be figured on occupancy,” Supervisor Lapp said.
There is also concern about the quality of infrastructure being accepted from the Developer, a prime example being the Morse Boulevard bridge embankment, which is on tap for a more than $1 million renovation.
“The problem is we don’t have a warranty. You buy a refrigerator, you get a warranty. I hate to use the word ‘inferior’ with regard to what we are getting, but if it breaks down after a few years, there’s a problem,” CDD 7 Chairman Jerry Vicenti said.
He also pointed out the infrastructure is inspected before it is turned over, but the inspection is handled by the Developer.
There have been concerns raised about potential problems with the blind acceptance of the golf cart bridges recently turned over to Community Development District 13, which could be inherited by PWAC or its possible future sibling, PWAC II.
CDD 7 appears to be holding a powerful trump card that could block the formation of PWAC II south of State Road 44. Every CDD that is now part of PWAC must give its approval for CDD 12 to leave PWAC and become part of PWAC II.
“They can’t have PWAC II, until they go through CDD 7,” Vicenti said.
CDD 7 supervisors are feeling particularly emboldened because they have hired an independent law firm specializing in the CDD form of government.
