[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6482935,"mediaKeyId","5682239-788df978b283491ca7859e48ffb947d0","parentId",5682239,"title","Hialeah warns county—wholesale wastewater hike will push utility costs higher; council approves fee relief and credits policy","audioSeconds",11732,"startMs",3448000,"endMs",15180000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5682239-788df978b283491ca7859e48ffb947d0&start=3448&end=15180","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5682239-788df978b283491ca7859e48ffb947d0/thumbnail_3448000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6482935/Hialeah/Miami-Dade-County/Florida/Hialeah-warns-countywholesale-wastewater-hike-will-push-utility-costs-higher-council-approves-fee-relief-and-credits-policy","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6482935-2ce7e85f4c92e56368c3aff1cc9c2fda/orig.mp4?Expires=1771152405&Signature=YqHCPXW08g1sT-SYVnHR4qbweXXvJMj4IGAmpNUsJBGGDnNJ7hUhRuOMH6UvS9Z9c74Q~mifc2ofW-viV6-ldBu8IHwpSglpTyjwimsCFJcv5ignrDpJ4ICBK4xt-TC0k8VCzVdg2vu6OE~aIbXQvrD8Z3vS0fN3mJId7t3hRMCCTbG9KRpw9ZPpy1JHfoQN37JbAFCtaSgGPkJsZONLlrV5KWaULURFk11AgZZpdp4sRpAGOUPy8e3OhWOwMljNv93SNruRd-cG9haGOfzyKkL0F2HtYP92BlaT9vTsc6CKNr-Fu1KXlu-hZeOZp2UaekjC9DPb~TF96IYPFDdVJg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Hialeah","date","2025-08-27T02:08:22Z","article","HIALEAH, Fla. \u0011 City officials warned Tuesday that a proposed 19% wholesale wastewater rate increase by Miami-Dade County would sharply raise Hialeah\u0018s utility costs and leave the city facing a budget gap unless officials act.

Kevin Linsky, Hialeah\u0018s director of public works, told the City Council his department\u0018s analysis shows roughly 70% of the utility department\u0018s operating costs are payments the city makes to the county to treat wastewater and provide wholesale water. Linsky said the county\u0018s planned 19% increase for wholesale wastewater this fiscal year would, by itself, raise Hialeah\u0018s total utility costs by roughly 11 percentage points.

\"The wholesale customer for wastewater, like Hialeah, will go up 19%. That\u0018s an amazing increase,\" Linsky said during a presentation on the city\u0018s public-works budget and water system. \"It\u0018s almost mathematically impossible because they have to buy their own services. ... I did find things I can\u0018t explain, and it would be better for a forensic accountant to go in and explain these things to me.\"

Why it matters

Linsky told council members the county\u0018s audited financial statements show retail revenues have risen far less than revenues the county reports it receives from wholesale customers over recent years. He said the discrepancy suggests cost-shifting between the county\u0018s internal retail and wholesale accounts but that city staff could not determine whether the difference represented accounting choices or errors.

That gap matters for Hialeah because the city buys treated water and pays for wastewater processing the county performs. \"When they try to give a 19% increase on us, that alone increases our total cost by 11%,\" Linsky said. The increase would produce a multi-million-dollar shortfall in the coming budget cycle, he said.

Council actions

Facing the projected increase and resident concerns about water affordability, the council took three actions during the meeting:
- The council voted to suspend collection of the city\u0018s water-and-wastewater franchise fee for one year. The motion passed in roll-call vote during the administrative agenda. (Second reading and an implementing ordinance were scheduled for a later meeting.)
- The council approved a resolution that revised the city\u0018s leak-adjustment policy. The approved change sets clearer limits and conditions on credits for unusually large bills: for confirmed (\"known\") leaks the council limited relief to bills at least twice a customer\u0018s 12-month average; for cases where no clear cause is initially found (so-called \"unknown\" high bills), council approved a higher threshold and tighter limits. The council adopted the resolution after amending staff\u0018s draft; the motion passed in roll call. (The resolution as adopted specifies a once-per-12-month credit for most qualified cases, and restricts the \"unknown leak\" credit to two credits within a 10-year period.)
- Councilmembers discussed but did not vote on a separate, broader repeal of the franchise fee at that same session; the council later approved an ordinance in first reading to remove the city\u0018s water-and-wastewater payment-in-lieu-of-franchise-fee section of city code (second reading was scheduled for 09/09/2025).

The council did not tie the franchise-fee suspension to a guaranteed offset from the county. Linsky and multiple councilmembers said the city will need to decide whether to absorb increased wholesale charges in city revenue or pass increases on to customers.

City response and next steps

Linsky said the city is preparing additional proposals to limit the budget impact, including an ongoing program to find and repair leaks and reduce infiltration into the sewer system (lining and inspection work). He described a multi-year program the administration has funded with roughly $40 million to inspect and line sewer pipes and reduce inflow, which he said could cut wastewater flows and reduce the wholesale charge.

Council members pressed for more review of county accounting. Several members supported an independent forensic review of Miami-Dade\u0018s water-and-wastewater finances; Linsky said he found anomalies while reviewing county documents and recommended an audit.

County litigation reported

Late in the meeting the city attorney\u0018s office informed the council that Miami-Dade County had filed a lawsuit claiming approximately $18 million in unpaid charges from the city. City attorneys described a process of dispute-resolution meetings and mediation earlier in 2025 that failed to resolve the disagreement; the county filed suit after the mediator declared an impasse. The city attorney said the city will contest the lawsuit and evaluate potential counterclaims. The city must file a response to the complaint by September 11, 2025.

What council members said

Several council members framed the county\u0018s actions as a cost-shift that needs outside scrutiny. One council member said residents feel they are \"being gouged\" by the wholesale charges, while others urged caution about immediately shifting costs onto residents without exploring administrative and legal options.

Linsky noted operational realities as well: the city cannot control wholesale charges and must pay for the treated water and wastewater the county provides. \"If we keep our rates completely flat, we will generate about the same revenue ... Because primarily of the rate increases from the county, we would be short about $13,400,000,\" he told the council.

The council scheduled follow-up budget hearings and a second reading of the franchise-fee repeal ordinance for 09/09/2025.

Ending note

Council members said they want more analysis of county accounting, clearer information for residents about how bills are computed, and quicker progress on the city\u0018s pipeline repair work that staff say could reduce wastewater flows and ease future wholesale increases.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Meeting 8-26-25","oneSentenceSummary","Hialeah officials warned that a proposed 19% wholesale wastewater rate increase from Miami\u0018Dade County would sharply raise the city\u0018s water-and-sewer costs. The council voted to suspend the city\u0018s water-and-wastewater franchise fee for one year and approved revisions to the city\u0018s leak-credit policy while staff seek further review of county accounting.","taxTitle","Hialeah, Miami-Dade County, Florida","taxId",2891,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6482926,"Council postpones vote on 50-year lease with City of Hialeah Education Academy after questions on parking, phasing and insurance",1096,12154000,13250000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5682239-788df978b283491ca7859e48ffb947d0&start=12154&end=13250","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5682239-788df978b283491ca7859e48ffb947d0/thumbnail_12154000.jpg","/articles/6482926/Hialeah/Miami-Dade-County/Florida/Council-postpones-vote-on-50-year-lease-with-City-of-Hialeah-Education-Academy-after-questions-on-parking-phasing-and-insurance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6482926-80edfd3710993a7d56030ad9a4dc41c1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771152405&Signature=bIaRAe7428U-XBo-gYPFTH7ao3rGR5fSozSqa~G6Vnf-h-UzTu-Gf8MlMC2Z6JgdU4gTq5PCtpdieGpywyMTm~Z7ITz0fghUz17IV3ktaNqNwV4LmnX6xygu~qG4WZFwQ6RqXRm1z7mJr0dqH74zd8XC8duhpDrtSXcJoFh7ujZMXVSVKYaO~QinpXEqbl1HvxYA~2L-k80oThnVRuVWAVlBTLUHe3ypIeDHCNLsiB0XYLCbgRm~BD1BjEaIQ98IFAS5iZF4z1WzDFxmc8k0uMvrBXDRLBCiL852r0qFVThqRrntbk7x7v8fN8VOLjyUv32Te6XEz38XgbEP7lgzpQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","HIALEAH, Fla. \u0011 The City Council on Tuesday postponed action on a proposed 50-year lease with City of Hialeah Education Academy Incorporated (COHEA) for city-owned land at 2590 West 70th Street after council members and city staff raised questions about parking, construction phasing and insurance.

The draft lease would grant COHEA a long-term lease for the site and authorize a sequence of phased construction projects including a classroom building and later athletic and recreation improvements. The administration also described a separate \"use agreement\" that would set rules about how COHEA and the city share parking and public facilities; staff said that use agreement would come back to the council as a resolution at a future meeting.

Key issues raised

Council members and staff focused on three subjects before voting to postpone:
- Parking counts and access: An exhibit prepared for the lease shows 46 parking spaces reserved for the city; a separate line in a draft lease text contained a different number (40). Council members asked staff to correct the discrepancy and asked for explicit language describing access and daytime/evening availability for city users and partner organizations.
- Phasing and timing: The lease describes multiple construction phases. The council requested clearer timetables for the building and for later phases that include athletic fields, gymnasiums and courts; the lease currently lists a target completion date for later phases in 2029, but council members asked for firmer schedules and assurances about interim public access.
- Insurance, indemnity and public access: The city attorney noted the lease requires substantial insurance coverage from COHEA and includes indemnity language; staff said an implementing use agreement would specify day-to-day access, parking schedules and details about maintenance and public use.

Staff summary

City staff and the law department said the lease seeks to allocate costs and responsibilities between the city and the charter operator: the city would not be liable for cost overruns on construction funded by a $2.9 million state expansion grant that the administration expects will pay for phase 4 improvements, and COHEA would be responsible for certain operating costs, utilities and day-to-day maintenance. The school would also provide required liability and property insurance levels before operations.

Next steps

Council members voted to postpone the item to the Sept. 9 council meeting to allow staff and the applicant to reconcile parking counts, supply a clearer phase schedule and submit the separate use agreement that will define parking access, hours and the city\u0018s retained rights. The law department said the lease and the use agreement address different legal issues: the lease requires legislative approval and the use agreement will be handled by resolution.

What proponents say

Representatives for COHEA told the council the project will replace older buildings that were already demolished and provide school facilities and a planned sequence of community-serving improvements. City staff said the site plan includes a dedicated set of spaces for the city and that the administration will correct any typographical differences between the site exhibit and the lease text.

Why this matters

If approved in future readings, the 50-year lease would commit a long-term public asset for educational use and require multi-year construction and operating coordination between the city and a charter operator. Council members said they wanted explicit protections for public access and clear milestones for the multi-phase construction before approving the final lease.","Council members asked for more detail on a proposed 50-year lease with City of Hialeah Education Academy Inc. (COHEA) for city-owned land at 2590 W 70th St. The lease would allow the charter operator to build classroom space and later athletic facilities; council postponed the item to 09/09/2025 and directed staff to return with clarifications.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6482931,"Hialeah parks report busy summer; managers say pool repairs and staffing remain priorities",2137,7928000,10065000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5682239-788df978b283491ca7859e48ffb947d0&start=7928&end=10065","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5682239-788df978b283491ca7859e48ffb947d0/thumbnail_7928000.jpg","/articles/6482931/Hialeah/Miami-Dade-County/Florida/Hialeah-parks-report-busy-summer-managers-say-pool-repairs-and-staffing-remain-priorities","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6482931-00dde9a3633117b71acb084dc12cef2d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771152405&Signature=frWZRV3JjIaGkjWbnvvv~DjjHuVqkwb~HjU3NL3wyF3KkHpzqssxdpUf2tKZA71h1ffNI5q-nmNhFZ4KWfzHL19uIRP-Bc5Ao-Eea0whBNU2jz7hpluf0qYs6yXjNHa5n-A6wjCgRJjZmhQb87y3He0sXfNzpXqAMpfry7wUb5BeGLynjBvuPCiCk~708ufd3mi-FLdZk-A-Co8a2lisQmiLL0~ww7qLABUCPJwsrdECP3-plZLk2JC1g2uzNwImL0wHU2Y0K7dEJUZTwB1aWu8eE-lem3eBBYXJy0W4TfTb1PChPhKELbwPfanLCO41OhZhXXaEdqxTThCrszKMOg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","HIALEAH, Fla. \u0011 Hialeah\u0018s parks and recreation department briefed the City Council Tuesday on an active summer of programming and on remaining facility repairs, particularly pool and aquatic infrastructure that city staff said will take multi-year work to fully restore.

Willie Sanchez, parks director, and staff reported summer highlights: more than 900 participants in paid camps and recreation programs; 300 participants in the city\u0018s basketball league, which the director called \"the largest league in Dade County\" this year; travel and competitive youth sports growth; and new activities including archery classes and parent-and-me toddler programming.

Douglas Cordovi, parks aquatics supervisor, said staffing levels reached 80 applicants hired this year, enabling expanded pool hours and increased lessons including a new snorkeling class and adult swim programming. \"We were able to recruit the staff that we needed for this summer,\" Cordovi said, adding that lifeguard training and customer-service improvements helped maintain operations.

Pools and repairs

Officials told council members that several pools remain out of general public service. Bucky Dent pool has been out of operation since the COVID years and needs a phased rebuild, department leaders said; staff identified multiple leaks and deferred maintenance that must be fixed before the pool can reopen for routine public use. Cordovi and other staff said they expect the facility to reopen in a phased way next year and that the administration is pursuing contracts to repair and resurface pools.

The parks director also said a city consultant recently completed a review of pool facilities and the administration will provide a report to the mayor and council within weeks listing estimated repair costs and timetables.

Participation and awards

The department highlighted an expanded summer-learn-to-swim initiative that provided 97 residents with free lessons through partnerships with local commissioners. Parks and recreation staff said their archery youth club won a statewide award for educational programming, and volunteer programs also received state recognition.

Cost, staffing and next steps

Staff asked for continued council support for advancing repairs and for finalizing three large contracts in the coming months to accelerate pipe lining, leak detection and surface repairs. Council members asked for timetables and cost breakdowns and requested updates about when closed pools would reopen for general public use.

The parks and recreation annual report and a fuller facilities presentation were scheduled to return to the council at a later meeting.","Parks and Recreation staff told the council the city\u0018s summer programs ran at high participation, with expanded swim lessons, leagues and camps. Officials said four pools remain closed, Bucky Dent pool needs major repairs, and the department plans contracts to accelerate pipe and facility fixes.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Hialeah warns county—wholesale wastewater hike will push utility costs higher; council approves fee relief and credits policy

Council postpones vote on 50-year lease with City of Hialeah Education Academy after questions on parking, phasing and insurance

Hialeah parks report busy summer; managers say pool repairs and staffing remain priorities