Florida HB 4077: Charlotte County

Bill Text

CS/HB 4077 2026

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hb4077-01-c1
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to the City of Punta Gorda, Charlotte 2
County; providing a short title; providing legislative 3
intent; providing boundaries of the Punta Gorda 4
Utility District; authorizing Charlotte County to 5
assume responsibility for utility functions in lands 6
outside the district; authorizing the City of Punta 7
Gorda to continue to own and maintain assets outside 8
the district; requiring the city and the county to 9
enter into interlocal agreements for specified 10
purposes; providing reporting requirements; requiring 11
the city to continue to provide potable water and 12
wastewater utility service to certain customers and to 13
maintain the potable water and wastewater utility 14
service infrastructure under certain circumstances; 15
providing construction; requiring continuation of 16
powers, duties, and obligations of the district and 17
city until the transfer; providing an effective date. 18
19
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 20
21
Section 1. Short title.—This act may be cited as the 22
"Punta Gorda Utility District Boundary Codification and Utility 23
Transfer Act." 24
Section 2. Legislative intent.—The Legislature finds that: 25

CS/HB 4077 2026

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(1) The boundaries of the Punta Gorda Utility District 26
must be established. 27
(2) The district is wholly located within the corporate 28
boundaries of Charlotte County, which provides potable water and 29
wastewater utility services. 30
(3) The public interest is best served by authorizing the 31
county to provide potable water and wastewater utility services 32
for certain uncertificated lands lying outside the district, 33
which will ensure uninterrupted service and efficient regional 34
utility management. 35
Section 3. Establishment of district boundaries.— 36
(1) The boundaries of the Punta Gorda Utility District are 37
hereby codified to include all lands lying within the corporate 38
limits of the City of Punta Gorda, Charlotte County, as such 39
municipal boundaries exist on the effective date of this act. 40
(2) The City of Punta Gorda shall provide the Department 41
of State and the Department of Commerce a certified map and 42
metes and bounds legal description of the city's municipal 43
boundaries as of the effective date of this act. This map and 44
description are incorporated by reference and constitute the 45
official boundaries of the district. 46
Section 4. Provision of potable water and wastewater 47
utility services.— 48
(1) Notwithstanding any interlocal agreement to the 49
contrary, Charlotte County is authorized to assume 50

CS/HB 4077 2026

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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

responsibility for potable water and wastewater utility service, 51
operations, billing, management, and associated assets and 52
obligations for utility functions located in certain lands lying 53
outside the district upon this act becoming a law. The City of 54
Punta Gorda may continue to own and maintain current assets 55
outside of the district as necessary to provide continuity of 56
service for the city's customers. 57
(2) The City of Punta Gorda and Charlotte County shall 58
enter into one or more interlocal agreements as necessary to 59
effectuate the assumption described in subsection (1). The first 60
interlocal agreement shall be entered into no later than 180 61
days after the date upon which this act becomes a law. The 62
initial interlocal agreement shall memorialize the steps needed 63
to develop the fully executable transition plan as described in 64
subsection (3). 65
(3) The City of Punta Gorda and Charlotte County shall 66
provide a written report, either jointly or separately, to the 67
Charlotte County legislative delegation no later than 365 days 68
after the date upon which this act becomes a law. The report or 69
reports shall describe the fully executable transition plans for 70
potable water and wastewater utility service, funding plan, 71
operations, billing, management, and associated assets and 72
obligations for utility functions located in certain lands lying 73
outside the district. 74
(4) Until the assumption described in subsection (2) is 75

CS/HB 4077 2026

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finalized pursuant to one or more interlocal agreements, the 76
City of Punta Gorda shall continue to provide potable water and 77
wastewater utility service to existing and new customers and, as 78
owner, must maintain it