Century Considers Millions In Proposals To Fix Gas, Sewer Problems With Little Upfront Cash

October 31, 2019

Century is considering two proposals to bail the town out of million of dollars of trouble with the natural gas department and aging wastewater treatment facility (WWTP) without much upfront cash.

Millions In Sewer System Problems

The nonprofit Florida Rural Water Association (FRWA) has created an asset management plan that identifies the most urgent and critical needs in the town’s water system. The plan is a requirement for participating in the State Revolving Fund Program. Century may receive financing or a grant up to 90% of an estimated $7 million plus price tag to fix the WWTP and sewer system to bring them into compliance with Florida Department of Environmental Protection regulations.

If the town receives a 90% grant, they hope to cover most or all of the 10% match with funds from Sen. Doug Broxson and the state, and Commission Steven Barry and Escambia County.

Installing Gas Meters At No Real Cost

Florida Gas Utility (FGU) is proposing to connect Century to the Peninsula Pipeline Company (PPC) and the Florida Gas Transmission (FGT) Transportation Service Agreement, build a gate station for the town, connect to the town’s existing delivery system, and replace every natural gas meter not covered an existing agreement with Pensacola Energy.

Century currently receives service from the Gulf South Pipeline on a “pay as you go” type rate for the quantity of pipeline capacity at $1 per dekatherm, which is 1 million BTUs.

FGU is recommending a 20 year term with the additional connection to Peninsula Pipeline at a cost of 40 cents per dekatherm. There would be a contracted capacity of 120 dekatherm per day in summer, 750 dekatherm per day in winter. That’s higher than the town’s historical usage, allowing for growth. There would be a 273,000 minimum over the first five years.

Century would also need additional capacity  at a cost of 6 cents per dekatherm, using excess capacity from the Town of Jay. The total expected cost would be 46 cents per dekatherm, compared to $1 from Gulf South.

Under the agreement, FGU would build a new gate station to connect to PPC and pay the estimated $200,000 to $250,000 cost normally paid by the customer. In addition, PPC would build  Century’s part of the station and charge the town for the actual cost of such work plus a negotiated markup estimated at $50,000 to $75,000.

Pensacola Energy is under contract to replace 10 commercial gas meters, including the meter at Century Correctional Institution. FPU will replace all other meters, both commercial and residential, for the actual costs plus a negotiated markup over time. The cost is estimated at $75,000 for 500 meters at $150 per meter.

In order to pay for the gate station and meter replacements, FGU will bill Century the 46 cents per dekatherm for the pipeline capacity. The town will also repay the gate station at 22 cents per dekatherm and 33 cents per dekatherm for the meter installations for a total of $1.01 per dekatherm, just a penny over the current costs on Gulf South.

Pictured: Century’s Wastewater Treatment Plant. NorthEscambia.com photo.

Comments

16 Responses to “Century Considers Millions In Proposals To Fix Gas, Sewer Problems With Little Upfront Cash”

  1. Citizen on November 1st, 2019 8:25 pm

    @Bob
    ignore the fools

    cheers!

  2. Bob on November 1st, 2019 3:01 pm

    God bless America.

    I love this country, the military, our people, and most importantly our liberties. I hate political correctness, cupcakes, snowflakes and liberalism/progressiveness!!!

    I stand by my statement regarding “drunken sailors”. It is a metaphor that accurately describes the actions of the Town of Century. I am entitled to freely express my opinion in a manner that I feel is appropriate and responsible. If I wanted to attack and degrade the military (I don’t) it would be under a different forum and context.

    My metaphor was used to clearly communicate the actions of the town of Century not to minimize our military!!! People are so determined to be victims in our world today. Why does every comment have to be over analyzed and filtered by the standards of political correctness???

    God bless America!!!

  3. 429SCJ on November 1st, 2019 12:35 am

    External Intervention by competent authority; stat!

  4. fisherman on October 31st, 2019 9:58 pm

    @ Bob your comment of( stumble down the road like a drunken sailor ) is being disrespectful to all military personnel and I do hope that is not what you meant in your comment. Your comment could have read (stumble down the road like a bunch of incompetent people. (I do apologize for not proof reading my earlier post it should have read not what you meant)

  5. charlie Mike on October 31st, 2019 9:22 pm

    Aren’t all these grants and handouts constantly asked for by Century socialism?

  6. fisherman on October 31st, 2019 6:32 pm

    @ Bob your comment of( stumble down the road like a drunken sailor ) is being disrespectful to all military personnel and I do hope that is what you meant in your comment. Your comment could have read (stumble down the road like a bunch of incompetent people.

  7. chris on October 31st, 2019 3:17 pm

    @ Dave: Well played.

  8. sam on October 31st, 2019 12:14 pm

    can i put down a well? i am in the city limit. looks like i’ve been paying my bill and others too.

  9. Dave on October 31st, 2019 11:00 am

    I have 1900 porta potties I can rent The Town Council to help you out of this waste water dilemma…and on the upside…I accept EBT cards, to make it easier for the council to pay for my service

  10. Bob No-Hope on October 31st, 2019 10:15 am

    @ Bob….. “stumble down the road like a drunken sailor”

    Brah… You couldn’t come up w/ anything original? “Drunken sailor” ?? When was the last time you saw a “drunken sailor” stumbling down the road?

  11. Wayne J on October 31st, 2019 9:23 am

    Glad to see Century is trying to seek out help in their situations. The sewer system is a lot better system than they think Its only been in use for about 25 to 28 years and has a lot of years left in it if it had been maintained properly. Century has had too many fly by night yahoo’s that thought they were doing a job tant needed to be done but only was riding a cash horse into the ground. Yes the system is in dire need of repair. Now that we have a Local person Managing the Sewer system. Century has someone that we can count on to properly take care of the system. Not an easy job or a pleasant job. But a Man willing to do the Job. Now where the money comes from is the Job of Buzz and the council. Just keep a level head and do the town justice.

    Now the gas department. Use good judgment here also. Go ahead and get the meters installed as set to do and then look long and hard at changing the supplier. there just seems to be something rotten smelling in this offer. You may want to go to the now supplier and negotiate a lower price. Again it seem smelly that the offer is less than half of what is being paid now. just saying

  12. Uncle Sam on October 31st, 2019 8:29 am

    Here comes the tax man. Seems to be the big crutch… Whenever a failing municipality is discovered… tax man takes what he needs…. regardless of mismanagement. Just throw money at it.

  13. William 2 on October 31st, 2019 8:26 am

    When someone questions what is or is not appropriate, means they really do not have any information readily available to contribute rather easily to condemn.
    Some call it idle chatter, some say vote the same way you have been doing.so it would appear you had something to say. It

  14. M in Bratt on October 31st, 2019 7:43 am

    Forcing the taxpayers of the State, and Escambia County to dump more money into this bottomless money pit is a total injustice. To say that the State somehow owes TOC because of the prison is totally incorrect. The prison is TOC’s largest PAYING gas, water, and sewer customer and should be appreciated for that fact. Until all the corruption at city hall is flushed down the toilet, no state or county money should be dumped into this cesspool

  15. Bob on October 31st, 2019 5:42 am

    Town of Century is a money pit for the tax payers and at the same time a cash cow for board members and employees. The incompetent bureaucracy will continue to stumble down the road like a drunken sailor.

  16. Citizen on October 31st, 2019 2:07 am

    It is appropriate for the state and county to help finance this because the TOC handles the state prison wastewater which is outside of the boundaries of the town limits.
    Happy to see the upgrades rather than go to ECUA. The water grant is appropriate.
    Not sure about the gas situation. We don’t use gas but don’t want it to drag down the bottom line anymore.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News