Max Usina told First Coast News the family always planned to sell the utility to the county.
ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla — People in Vilano Beach and North Beach could be sending their water bills somewhere else.
St. Johns County has agreed to buy the North Beach Utilities for $6 million dollars. According to the county, there are about 1,400 customers. It means the county would provide water and take care of storm water and wastewater management. The county says rates will remain the same for now but could decrease later. Long-time owners, the Usina family, started the private utility in the 1970s at a time when people on the southern tip of the island depended on their own wells and septic tanks.
He explained that 60% of the transitioning North Beach Utility customers who use 6,000 gallons or less will see a rate reduction when St. Johns County takes charge. The other 40% who use more water will see a rate increase. :"We always planned to sell the utility to the county. The opportunity arose, and we decided it was a good time."
Vivian Browning, a resident and business leader of Vilano since the 1980s, is thankful for what the Usinas have done over the years. She also thinks $6 million"is a good deal" for the county, noting that in that area, it equivalent to the price of two ocean-front houses. The deal between St. Johns County and North Beach Utilities is expected to be final in late August or early September.'We've come a long way': St.
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