Municipal Service Benefit Unit (MSBU) Program

Road Paving - Stormwater Control Systems - Retention Pond Renovation

Established communities located in unincorporated Seminole County may apply for the creation of a capital improvement MSBU for funding road, storm water and/or retention pond improvements. Such municipal services meet public purpose criteria by providing an essential public health and/or safety benefit by improving driving conditions, flood control, and/or reduction of water pollution associated with storm water runoff. All properties that have special benefit as a result of the improvement will be required to share equitably in repaying the cost of the improvements. All such properties will be assigned an assessment.

The basic criteria for qualifying for these types of projects for MSBU funding are as follows:

Project must be for improving or renovating an established area. MSBU funding is not available for new construction or new development.
The properties to receive special benefit from the project must be within the jurisdictional boundaries of unincorporated Seminole County. [Boundaries may be extended if special agreements are established with other local government entities.]
The assessment boundary of the MSBU must include at least two assessed parcels.
Project must be supported by majority [65%] of the owners of specially benefited property.
Construction easement (such as right-of-entry), leasehold agreement for life-span of MSBU (i.e. creation of MSBU through repayment period) and/or other public dedication deemed essential by the County Attorney must be available for all locations where infrastructure will be accessed, renovated and/or constructed.
Road Improvements have specific requirements such as: The roadway must be brought to County Code standards through the scope of funded services. This includes provisions for required width, right-of-way, easement and other construction features.
- The improved roadway must connect to the existing County maintained paved road system.
- All (100%) of the roadway must be dedicated/deeded to the County upon project completion and County’s acceptance of roadway.
- All (100%) of the owners of roadway and/or right-of-way must provide voluntary agreement for conveying and meeting these requirements. Inability to obtain required easement/dedication could result in termination of project.
Retention Pond Renovation may include mechanical removal of exotic/invasive vegetation, excavating to remove accumulated sediment, on-site or off-site disposal of excavated material, and shoreline re-vegetation with native plant species. On-going maintenance of retention ponds, even after renovation, is excluded from the municipal services authorized for assessment funding. If the waterbody requiring renovation is classified as a lake, rather than a retention pond, please obtain an application packet for Lake Restoration.