Stormwater Fee: Changes Are Happening

Flooding from extreme weather events like sunny day flooding from sudden microburst storms that dump inches of rain within hours and King Tides have changed the modeling of management. Not only do we look at pipes and pumping but we need to evaluate roadway heights, sea wall replacement and lake capacities.

We are currently reevaluating our plan understanding that to address sea level rise our system will need to migrate from gravity drains to active pumping.

Funding this improvement will require a robust dependable financing model.

Our City has had a flat stormwater fee which is on utility bills. Stormwater, unlike water and wastewater fees and rates are not tied to consumption. The rates are based on property and their type and size. Residential and commercial.

Fees that are tied to property can be placed on the tax bill. A good example is the Fire Fee. It is based on property and the overall number of calls for service citywide. A methodology to distribute the costs is based on a formula. The fee as part of the taxes must be paid by the owner not the occupant.

In order to ensure stormwater is paid for by the property owner we are moving the fee to the tax bill this year. Our Staff is in the process of notifying our property owners about this change.

The residential fee establishes the cost‑apportionment methodology based on Equivalent Residential Units (ERUs), with one ERU equal to 958 square feet of impervious area. The process involves incorporating the existing planned improvements costs. The ERU will be applied in a process to all properties even commercial and property types.

The current monthly rate is $10.79. When it is moved to the tax bill it will be $12.13. It reflects the recommended 10% revenue adjustment. It also includes statutory allowances for the 4% early payment discount and the 2% Tax Collector and Property Appraiser administrative charges.

Due to the typical 100% collection rate on taxes this new method to bill property owners provides a stable, predictable revenue stream that will cover targets in the rate study and enables future borrowing to fund the $101 million ten year stormwater plan.

It needs to be noted the current plan does not include any additional plans that may expand our system. It includes expansion of the NE system, canal dredging and other plans. This will allow the fee to be adjusted annually and plan for future Infrastructure.

We will be conducting community workshops over the next weeks for commercial and residential owners. If you have any questions, please visit our website or reach out to me.

As always, I am available anytime for your questions, concerns, and ideas to make our City a better place on my Phone/Text at: (954) 632-5700. Or you can email me at: jcooper@cohb.org. Please visit me on my Facebook page at: Mayor Joy Cooper. Like! Follow! And share!