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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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ADMINISTRATIVE FEE
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A charge assigned to an MSBU for recouping costs incurred in support of establishing, managing and administering the MSBU. Includes an allocation of operating costs such as personnel, office/computer equipment, supplies, data processing, postage, insurance premiums, and programming.
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| ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW & RECTIFICATION |
Boundary or structural modifications recommended by the MBSU Program and applied to established MSBUs for the purpose of rectifying or maintaining the integrity between common benefit and cost allocation based on land use, land developments and/or assessment criteria. |
| AD VALOREM TAX |
A charge levied by a government to provide funding for general public services and improvements; amount due is based on official valuation (appraised value) of real property and authorized millage rate. |
| ASSESSED VALUE |
Valuation set on real estate or personal property by the Property Appraiser as a basis for levying ad valorem property taxes. [Refer to Property Tax] |
ASSESSMENT
(Non-Ad Valorem) |
An assigned dollar amount representing property cost share; allocated on basis of benefit units; and levied for funding a specific service or improvement.
[Refer to Fixed Term and/or Variable Rate Assessment] |
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ASSESSMENT BASE
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Unit of measure on which non-ad valorem assessment is calculated. Examples: Per parcel, per dwelling, per front foot, and per acre.
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| ASSESSMENT ROLL |
Formal record adopted by the Board of County Commissioners at a public hearing that provides a complete listing of the non-ad valorem assessments levied and assigned to specific property. Roll is certified and submitted annually to the County Tax Collector for inclusion on annual property tax bills for collection. |
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AQUATIC PLANT
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Plant species that grow in, or closely associated with the aquatic environment around lakes and waterways; may be designated as floating, emersed, submersed, and shoreline species. |
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AQUATIC WEED
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A noxious aquatic plant with potential to hinder the growth of beneficial aquatic plants, to interfere with irrigation or navigation, or to adversely affect the public welfare or natural resources of the state. |
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AQUATIC WEED CONTROL
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Controlling or managing noxious and/or invasive plant species through chemical, biological or mechanical systems. Often requires compliance with federal, state and local agency regulations, as well as permitting. |
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AQUATIC WEED CONTROL [MSBU]
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Public services critical to restoring, developing and/or maintaining aquatic conditions that enhance the water quality and overall health of the waterbody; concentrating on the aquatic plants in direct association with the waterbody (i.e. water and shoreline). Often requires compliance with federal, state and local agency regulations. [Vegetation that does not represent a detriment to a waterbody is not targeted as a priority within the scope of public aquatic weed control services funded by assessment.]
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BENEFIT
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An advantage, improvement or assistance gained from association with service or improvement.
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BENEFIT UNIT
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Equitable unit of measure on which non-ad valorem assessment is allocated. Examples: Per parcel, per dwelling, per front foot, and per acre.
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BEST LAKE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
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Professionally developed and recommended measures for evaluating, monitoring, addressing and promoting optimal conditions for restoring, developing and/or maintaining water quality and environmentally sound waterbodies and habitats for wildlife. Often requires compliance with federal, state and local agency regulations. |
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BID
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Offer to perform work; offer to supply labor, materials and/or goods at specified price.
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| BIOASSESSMENT (Aquatic Vegetation) |
A scientific evaluation of the vegetation growing in, or in the vicinity of, a waterbody; identification, classification, and characteristics of vegetation in a given area [native, noxious, aquatic, wetland, upland, etc.]. When an aquatic vegetative bioassessment is conducted, dominance is determined by areal extent within the lake. When formulating an aquatic vegetation bioassessment, a variety of factors are considered - such as, but not limited to, species present, growth characteristics of species, and mass and/or percentage of area represented by each species. |
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BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
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Governing body of Seminole County, composed of five members serving staggered terms of four years with election on a countywide basis; one Commissioner per each of the five commission districts.
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| BUDGET |
Financial operating plan for fiscal year; summary of anticipated revenue and expenditures. |
| BUILDER |
A person who constructs buildings under contract or as a speculation. |
| CADASTRAL |
Map or survey showing or including boundaries of property lines. |
| COMMUNITY COLLECTION LOCATION |
A central site that is nearby multiple residential properties and designated by the County for placement and collection of residential solid waste. |
| CENTRAL TRANSTER STATION |
Waste processing facility where solid waste is unloaded from collection vehicles and is compacted and reloaded onto larger long-distance transport vehicles for shipment to a landfill for disposal or other treatment facilities. |
| COLLECTION SERVICE |
The contracted service by which residential solid waste is removed and transported to an authorized disposal facility for processing. |
| COLLECTION LOCATION |
Location designated by the County for placement and collection of residential solid waste. Includes curbside to residential property where feasible (most common in developed subdivisions) and central/community collection locations when necessitated by less developed conditions. |
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CONSOLIDATED STREET LIGHTING ORDINANCE
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Declaration/document established by the Seminole County Board of County Commissioners for the purpose of defining the governing parameters of the street lighting non-ad valorem assessment district in unincorporated Seminole County.
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CONTINGENCY FUNDS
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Funds set aside or reserved to cover unforeseen events that occur during fiscal periods or improvement projects
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CULVERT
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A drain pipe or masonry structure under a road or embankment.
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| DEVELOPER |
A person/entity that invests in and develops the urban or suburban potentialities of real estate, especially by subdividing the land into home sites and then building houses and selling them. |
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DISTRICT
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A division of territory (such as a county) marked off for administrative, electoral, or other purposes.
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DISTRICT BOUNDARY
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The geographic area and/or properties included in an area identified as a district. |
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DRAINAGE
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Conveying water from one place to another to dry the form and prevent water from accumulating. |
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EASEMENT
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A limited right of use over the property of another, such as any strip of land legally dedicated or conveyed for public or other private utilities, drainage, sanitation, or other specified uses having limitations, the title to which shall remain in the name of the property owner, subject to the right of use designated in the reservation of servitude.
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ENGINEERING REPORT
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A written report prepared by a licensed engineer describing the project background, findings, assumptions, permit recommendations, and probable costs to complete a specific MSBU project.
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FISCAL YEAR
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A twelve month time frame designated for managing and monitoring financial aspects of a government or other types of organizations; included budgeting and financial performance tracking. (Seminole County Fiscal Year: October 1 through September 30.)
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FIXED TERM ASSESSMENT
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Type of assessment, typically associated with construction improvement projects, with specific repayment terms that include installment payment arrangements and financing interest charges. Installment payments are collected annually via property tax billing; early payoff of outstanding balance may be made at any time without penalty.
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Any commonly available light gauge steel, plastic or galvanized container of nonabsorbent material, closed at one end and open at the other, furnished with a closely fitted top or lid and handle(s); may also be defined as a waterproof plastic bag of heavy mill construction which can be safely and securely closed. For collection purposes, a garbage receptacle and contents shall not exceed 50 gallons in capacity or 50 pounds in weight. |
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A substance or chemical that will destroy or kill vegetation. |
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INTEREST EARNED
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Favorable financial gain on revenue, savings, or investment.
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INTEREST EXPENSE
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The price paid for borrowing money; generally expressed as a percentage rate over a period of time.
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Long-term focus and integrated plan for restoring, developing and/or maintaining waterbody conditions that will enhance the water quality and overall health of the waterbody. Requires compliance with federal, state and local agency regulations. |
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LAKE RESTORATION
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Specific efforts directed toward improving a waterbody so that deterioration is reduced, corrected, and/or controlled. Typically supplemented by long-term aquatic weed control and shoreline replanting requirements.
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LAKE VEGETATION INDEX (LVI)
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A scientific methodology for evaluating the condition of a waterbody based on the vegetation growing in or in the vicinity of the waterbody. Developed and regulated by FDEP; requires certification (individual audit) to execute. |
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LEASEHOLD
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Land or property held under a contract (lease) that conveys certain property rights to another person or entity for a specific period of time.
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LEVY
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To impose taxes, special assessments or service charges for funding County activities. |
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LIAISON
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A person submitting an application for establishing an MSBU, or an owner of property within the boundaries in an MSBU that voluntarily serves as a spokesperson for the community during the various phases of the MSBU process. |
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LIEN
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A financial encumbrance or claim against a property by the County for repayment of service or improvement provided (or to be provided) by the County. The amount of the lien is equal to the preliminary and/or levied assessment. |
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LINNEAR FOOT
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A one dimensional measurement pertaining to length and equal to twelve inches. |
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The property tax rate; levied in mills per dollar of taxable property value. |
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MUNICIPAL
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Of or relating to a community or civic unit, purpose or service.
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| MUNICIPAL SERVICE BENEFIT UNIT (MSBU) |
A special assessment district established for funding an essential public service and/or improvement that benefits the property included in the assessed boundary of the district. Assessment (property cost share) is allocated on a unit of measure that equitably represents benefit. MSBU assessment is not determined according to property value. [Refer to Assessment Base and Benefit Unit.]
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| MUNICIPAL SERVICE TAX UNIT (MSTU) |
A special tax district established for funding a public service and/or improvement provided to a specific geographic area or sector of the County. Property cost share is allocated based on property value.
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| MUNICIPALITY |
Political unit usually having powers of self government. There are seven incorporated cities (municipalities) in Seminole County: Altamonte Springs, Casselberry, Lake Mary, Longwood, Oviedo, Sanford, and Winter Springs.
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| NON-AD VALOREM |
Not according to value. [As related to taxes and assessment; property taxes are levied ad valorem - according to property value; assessments are non-ad valorem - levied according to benefit or other measure other than property value.]
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NON-AD VALOREM ASSESSMENT
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Special assessment for a specific purpose that is collected on the annual property tax bill (example: Fees assessed for services or improvements accessed through the MSBU Program)
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| OPERATING CONTINGENCY |
Funds set aside or reserved to cover unforeseen events that occur during fiscal periods or improvement projects. |
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ORDINANCE
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A formal legislative enactment by the governing board of a municipality or other political subdivision. As related to the MSBU Program, a declaration/document authorized by the Seminole County Board of County Commissioners for the purpose of (a) creating a special assessment district [MSBU] (b) defining the governing parameters of the MSBU and (c) adopting the initial and/or preliminary assessment roll for the MSBU.
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PETITION FOR IMPROVEMENT
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A formal document, prepared and distributed by the MSBU Program, used to determine the level of community support of an improvement project and the establishment of an MSBU for funding the improvement.
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PETITION OF INTEREST
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An informal communication to/from property owners distributed to determine preliminary interest in pursuing services or improvements through an MSBU.
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| PLATTED LAND |
Land that is described by lot, block, and tract. A plat (map) is filed in public land book records. After the filing of a plat, legal descriptions can refer to block and lot numbers rather than portions of sections. |
| PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING REPORT |
A written report prepared by a licensed engineer describing the anticipated conditions, requirements, methods, permits, and estimated costs to be addressed to complete a specific project. |
| PRIVATE LAKE OR WATERWAY |
A body of water that is surrounded by land that is privately owned and without provisions for public access. |
| PRIVATE ROAD |
Privately owned land/property used as a roadway. |
| PROJECT MANAGER |
A person whose responsibilities include managing the activities, resources, and scheduling of a project. |
| PROPERTY TAX |
A debt imposed by a government for funding general public services and public improvements; levied according to authorized millage rate and taxable value of property. |
| PUBLIC |
Of, relating to, or concerning the people as a whole; maintained at the expense of, servicing, or for the use of a community. |
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PUBLIC HEARING
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A special meeting of the Board of County Commissioners which allows the public to comment on proposed plans and projects before officials (commissioners) make a final decision.
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| PUBLIC LAKE OR WATERBODY |
A body of fresh water of considerable, surrounded by land that includes provisions for public access, and/or associated with submerged lands owned by the state by right of its sovereignty in navigable freshwater lakes, rivers, and streams. [Refer to Florida Statute 253.12] |
| PUBLIC ROAD |
Publicly owned land/property used or designated as roadway (travel route). |
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RECONSTRUCTION
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Replacement of existing structure.
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RESERVE
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A specified amount of funds set aside for the purpose of meeting future or unanticipated expenses.
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RESOLUTION
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A special or temporary order of a legislative body with less legal formality than an ordinance or statute. Resolutions applying to MSBUs identify final MSBU boundaries and/or final assessment rates, certifications to applicable sections of the County Administrative Code, and confirmation of variable rate recommendations.
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| RETENTION POND |
Storm water treatment facility constructed by specific design to retain volumes of storm water for defined basin area. |
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RETENTION POND RENOVATION
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Re-establishing functionality of existing retention pond through site cleanup, dredging, aquatic weed control and other restorative efforts
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| RIGHT OF WAY |
Land dedicated, deeded, used or to be used, for street, alley, walkway, boulevard, public utilities, drainage, access for ingress/egress, or other purpose by public, designated individuals, or governing body. |
| RIPARIAN STEWARDSHIP |
Responsible protection and preservation of a waterbody by an owner of waterfront property; following recommended lake management practices for actively protecting water and environment qualities; pursuing use of land in a manner that will yield optimal positive environmental influence on water quality and healthful condition of waterbody; includes activities such as planting shoreline with desirable native plants, avoiding use and runoff of chemicals that negatively impact water quality or are detrimental to wildlife, reducing or eliminating use of certain fertilizers, proper disposal of grass clippings and leaves, and many other responsible practices. [For additional information, contact the Seminole County Lake Management Program or other public environmental agencies.] |
| SATISFACTION OF LIEN |
The payment in full of an obligation or debt (such as an assessment) that releases the claim or charges that are held on property; providing payment in full of a levied assessment. |
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SCOPE OF SERVICE/WORK
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The required work effort, divided into tasks, to complete a specific project. The specific set of improvement requested.
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SERVICE LEVEL
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Specific the collection of residential solid waste, the service level identifies the frequency of household garbage collection (once or twice per week) and the collection services (with or without yard waste collection) selected by the property owner.
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SERVICE YEAR
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Specific to residential solid waste management, the calendar year to which the annual assessment is applied.
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| SEWER LINE |
Utility system components that connect residences or other building facilities to centralized waste-water processing facilities. |
| SHORELINE |
The line where shore and water meet. |
| SOLID WASTE |
Garbage, rubbish, yard waste, white goods, furniture and recycle items.
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| SOLID WASTE ASSESSMENT |
An annual charge levied on a per residential dwelling basis in unincorporated Seminole County to provide funding for the management of residential solid waste in the unincorporated areas of the County. [Refer to Variable Rate Assessment] |
| SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT (Residential) |
A county-wide program established for the purpose of centrally administering the collection, disposal, and processing of residential solid waste. |
| SOVEREIGN WATERS/LAND OF THE STATE |
Those lands waterward of the ordinary or mean high water line, submerged beneath fresh water (i.e., inland lakes). Such sovereign land includes all submerged land to which title is held by the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund, who provides by statute the acquisition, administration, management, control, supervision, conservation, protection, and disposition of state-owned lands under its control. Activities on, and sales of, sovereign submerged lands must not be contrary to public interest. |
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STATUTE
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A written law enacted by an official legislative body.
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| STORM DEBRIS (Vegetation) |
Large size or volume vegetative debris generated by winds, rain and other storm conditions. Typically requires direct disposal by owner at County disposal facilities. |
| STREET LIGHTING |
Equipment system installed for providing enhanced roadway lighting intended to provide quick, accurate, and comfortable visibility at night that will safeguard, facilitate, and encourage vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Within the structure of individual MSBUs, the authorized services may extend to ancillary lighting and electrical expenditures, such as entrance lighting and flood lights in common areas and metered account services that are considered to be part of the overall street lighting plan within a specific geographical area. |
| STREET LIGHTING ASSESSMENT |
An annual charge levied on a localized basis in unincorporated Seminole County to provide funding for the street lighting equipment operated in the local geographic area. [Refer to Variable Rate Assessment] |
| TAX COLLECTION FEE |
The amount paid by the MSBU Program to the County Tax Collector for providing the billing and collection services associated with the non-ad valorem assessments levied by the County. |
| TAX ROLL |
Formal listing of property tax records as prepared annually by the Property Appraiser and certified to the Tax Collector for collection. |
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TERM ASSESSMENT
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Type of assessment, typically associated with construction improvement project, with specific repayment terms that include installment payment arrangements and financing interest charges. Installment payments are collected annually via property tax billing; early payoff of outstanding balances may be made at any time without penalty.
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| TROPHIC STATE INDEX (TSI) |
A classification system designed to "rate" individual lakes, ponds and reservoirs based on the amount of biological productivity occurring in the water. |
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UNINCORPORATED AREA
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Land/property within the County boundary that is not within the taxing boundary of any incorporated area - such a municipality (city).
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| UNPLATTED LAND |
Land that is not defined or described with a legal description inclusive of lot number, or lot and block number as shown in the county records office. [Refer to Platted Land] |
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VARIABLE RATE ASSESSMENT
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Type of assessment that is levied on an annual basis for long-term or continuing services. Assessment amount may be adjusted annually based on budgeted cost for service continuation.
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| WATERBODY (or Body of Water) |
Stationary accumulations of water, such as lakes, ponds or wetlands; as well as moving bodies of water such as rivers, streams, and canals. |
| WATER LINE (Potable) |
Part of the County's water system that provides distribution or conveyance of water that (a) has been treated by a facility permitted by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and (b) meets the requirements of the Florida Safe Drinking Water Act. |
| WHITE GOODS |
Inoperative and discarded refrigerators, ranges, washers, water heaters, and other similar domestic appliances, household goods and furniture from improved property. |
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YARD WASTE
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Vegetative matter resulting from residential yard and landscaping maintenance (leaves, grass clippings, shrub trimmings, small branches, etc.). To be eligible for collection service, branches shall not exceed four feet in length and four inches in diameter; yard waste must be tied/bundled, bagged or containerized; no bundle, bag or container shall exceed 50 pounds in weight. [Refer also to STORM DEBRIS]
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