Fla. Stat. § 153.03 — Florida Code / Title XI / Chapter 153 / Part I / Section 153.03
153.03 General grant of power.
Status: in_force

Any of the several counties of the state which may hereafter come under the provisions of this chapter as hereinafter provided is hereby authorized and empowered:

(1) To purchase and/or construct and to improve, extend, enlarge, and reconstruct a water supply system or systems or sewage disposal system or systems, or both, within such county and any adjoining county or counties and to purchase and/or construct or reconstruct water system improvements or sewer improvements, or both, within such county and any adjoining county or counties and to operate, manage and control all such systems so purchased and/or constructed and all properties pertaining thereto and to furnish and supply water and sewage collection and disposal services to any of such counties and to any municipalities and any persons, firms or corporations, public or private, in any of such counties; provided, however, that none of the facilities provided by this chapter may be constructed, owned, operated or maintained by the county on property located within the corporate limits of any municipality without the consent of the council, commission or body having general legislative authority in the government of such municipality unless such facilities were owned by the county on such property prior to the time such property was included within the corporate limits of such municipality. No county shall furnish any of the facilities provided by this chapter to any property already being furnished like facilities by any municipality without the express consent of the council, commission or body having general legislative authority in the government of such municipality.

(2) To issue water revenue bonds and/or sewer revenue bonds or general obligation bonds of the county to pay all or a part of the cost of such purchase and/or construction or reconstruction.

(3) To fix and collect rates, fees and other charges for the service and facilities furnished by any such water supply system or water system improvements and sewage disposal system or sewer improvements and to fix and collect charges for making connections with the water system of the county.

(4) To receive and accept from the Federal Government or any agency thereof grants for or in aid of the planning, purchase, construction, reconstruction, or financing of any facility and to receive and accept contributions from any source of either money, property, labor, or other things of value to be held, used, and applied only for the purpose for which such grants and contributions may be made.

(5) To acquire in the name of the county by gift, purchase as hereinafter provided or by the exercise of the right of eminent domain, such lands and rights and interests therein, including lands under water and riparian rights, and to acquire such personal property as it may deem necessary for the efficient operation or for the extension of or the improvement of any facility purchased or constructed under the provisions of this chapter and to hold and dispose of all real and personal property under its control; provided, however, that no county shall have the right to exercise the right of eminent domain over any such lands or rights or interests therein or any personal property owned by any municipality within the state nor to exercise such right with respect to any privately owned water supply system or sewage disposal system including without limitation ponds, streams and surface waters constituting a part thereof, provided any such system is primarily used, owned or operated by an industrial or manufacturing plant for its own use as a water supply system or in disposing of its industrial wastes.

(6) To make and enter into all contracts and agreements necessary or incidental to the performance of its duties and the execution of its powers under this chapter and to employ such consulting and other engineers, superintendents, managers, construction and accounting experts and attorneys and such other employees and agents as it may deem necessary in its judgment and to fix their compensation.

(7) Subject to the provisions and restrictions as may be set forth in the resolution hereinafter mentioned authorizing or securing any bonds issued under the provisions of this chapter to enter into contracts with the government of the United States or any agency or instrumentality thereof or with any other county or with any municipality, private corporation, copartnership, association, or individual providing for or relating to the acquisition and supplying of water and the collection, treatment and disposal of sewage.

(8) To acquire by gift or purchase at a price to be mutually agreed upon, any of the facilities or portions thereof, provided for by this chapter, which shall, prior to such acquisition, have been owned by any private person, group, firm, partnership, association or corporation; provided, however, if the price for same cannot be agreed upon, the price shall be determined by an arbitration board consisting of three persons, one of whom shall be selected by the board of county commissioners, one shall be appointed by the private company or corporation, and the two persons so selected shall select a third member of said board; and provided, further, that in the event said board cannot agree as to the price to be paid by the said board of county commissioners, then the board of county commissioners shall exercise the right of eminent domain.

(9) To enter into agreements and contracts with building contractors erecting improvements within any duly platted subdivision within the county, the terms of which said agreements or contracts may provide that such building contractors shall install within such subdivision water mains, lines and equipment and sewer mains and lines, to be approved by the county commission, said mains and lines to run to a point or location to be agreed upon, at which said point or location said mains and lines shall be connected to the water supply system or water system improvements and/or to the sewage disposal system or sewer improvements of the county. In the event such agreements or contracts are entered into they shall provide that upon the connection of the mains or lines within the subdivision to the water or sewer facilities of the county said mains, lines and equipment running to the various privately owned parcels of land within such subdivision shall become the property of the county and shall become a part of the county water system improvements and/or sewer improvements.

(10) To restrain, enjoin or otherwise prevent any person or corporation, public or private, from contaminating or polluting (as defined in 1 s. 387.08) any source of water supply from which is obtained water for human consumption to be used in any water supply system or water system improvement as authorized by this chapter, and to restrain, enjoin or otherwise prevent the violation of any provision of this chapter or any resolution, rule or regulation adopted pursuant to the powers granted by this chapter; provided, however, that this chapter shall not apply to or affect any existing contract that a municipality may have for water or sewage disposal without the consent of both parties to said contract but this subsection shall not authorize the institution or prosecution of any proceeding hereunder nor the adoption of any resolution, rule or regulation which shall in anywise affect the right of any industrial or manufacturing plant to discharge industrial waste into any nonnavigable or navigable waters unless such waters are now being used or are hereafter used hereunder as a source of water for human consumption and unless the industrial wastes of any such plant are not being discharged into such waters prior to the time that action is taken by the commission under this chapter to include such water as a part of any water supply system.

(11) To acquire by gift or purchase, at such price, and upon such deferred or other terms, as may be mutually agreed upon, all the capital stock of any domestic or foreign corporation which, prior to such acquisition, shall have owned or operated any of the facilities or portions thereof provided for by this chapter; to pledge the revenues from the facilities as security for payment of the purchase price for said stock; and to operate the facilities through the corporation so acquired or to dissolve said corporation and operate the facilities in any other manner authorized by law.

History: s. 3, ch. 29837, 1955; s. 1, ch. 57-774; ss. 1, 2, ch. 57-1985; s. 1, ch. 77-187.