For residents in an unincorporated area of the county near Kings Bay in Crystal River, living where they do will soon cost them even more.

In the county's quest to rid itself of septic tanks around Kings Bay, it drafted an agreement with the city of Crystal River in 2009 that would sound the death knell to the use of "septics" around that body of water.

The county hopes to eliminate septic tanks along Fort Island Trail as well, all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. Even longer term, County Commissioner Dennis Damato has gone on record in previous county commission meetings as saying that he sees a day when there will be no septic tanks at all in the county.

But on Tuesday, those residents affected by the city-county agreement insisted that the county and city are going about things all wrong. Norman Hopkins spoke to the county commission about the concerns of the residents affected by the special wastewater assessment district. He also brought a petition signed by residents of the development in which those residents live.

"Residents don't object to the sewer, per se, but against the way it is being financed," Hopkins said. He also said that the county appears to have ceded its property rights to the city in the city-county agreement so that the project could proceed. Hopkins said that residents were being forced into an unfair financial burden by paying up front a $7,500 connection fee and then had to pay a 25 percent surcharge from the city. Hopkins maintained that the facts of the agreement and projects costs haven't been set apart from what the called "fiction."

County water department head Bob Knight disagreed. "It is patently wrong (for someone to say) that it's a windfall for the city. The "pants on fire" argument is patently false. I find these arguments (by Hopkins) misleading (and) factually way off base," Knight told commissioners.

County Administrator Brad Thorpe suggested that county staff could meet with Hopkins and the residents to discuss what was fact or fiction. After much discussion between Knight, commissioners and Hopkins, County Attorney Richard Wesch said that the commissioners needed to focus on what they were there for at this meeting. "You've entered into a contract with city of Crystal River and are determining the method of assessment. A balance was struck between the city and the county," Wesch said.

Wesch also said that a state-level compromise allowed surcharge of up to 25 percent. He said the city of Crystal River didn't have to agree to foregoing annexation, and that the city-county agreement "represents a meeting of the minds" in 2009 and was a fair compromise.

With the exception of attorney Clark Stilwell, representing the developer of that area of the county, those present on Tuesday did not favor the way the city and county were going about executing the agreement. And they weren't bashful when it came to telling commissioners what they thought.

The most colorful exchange of the meeting was Ben Torricelli, who said he was a 31-year resident of that area took County Commissioner Dennis Damato to task for what Trricelli said was the unfair way residents were being treated. "You sold us out. I'm not for your callous approach to what we have to pay," Torricelli, said. "You're sitting there like you're doing us a favor. We're not about being fleeced by the county or the city."

Looking directly at Damato, Torricelli said, "I voted for you.".

Damato began explaining his position, but Torricelli caused a stir by coming back to the public microphone. At one point, Chairman Webb called for a 10-minute recess.

RELATED STORY

• County votes to proceed with wastewater assessment district