[Previous entry: "Here We Go Again? CC Takes Up Storm Water Ord"] [Next entry: "John Linde Is The New Judge"]

01/16/2008: "CC Splits Vote, Rejects Fee To Study Stormwater"

(Still friends after split vote on Stormwater Ord -Knapp not pictured, Ranker absent)

The County Council subcommittee on stormwater gave it their best shot, but failed to come up with a new funding ordinance for an existing stormwater utility. The interim ordinance was authored primarily by Councilman Rosenfeld, and promoted as a one year quick fix to raise money in 2008 for planning, monitoring, data gathering, and to staff a technical committee on stormwater. (previous story)

The final proposal was for a Basic Fee to be paid by all property owners in San Juan County. The fee would show up on all 2008 tax bills. Part of the money would be used to “measure the actual impermeable surface areas” of all of the commercial, institutional, and industrial parcels in San Juan County. This could then be used to calculate the amount of the fee they may have to pay once a new ordinance is passed in 2009.

Knapp said he was willing to go along with Rosenfeld’s draft, “but I put more of my confidence in the one that will follow next year.” Peterson told the Council the proposed interim ordinance did not fully address the issues that resulted in voter rejection, and Councilman Alan Lichter shared Peterson’s general concerns.


(continued from front page)
Lichter said he believed that one of the reasons the voters rejected the original funding ordinance was because “we had not made it clear” what the problem was, “and we had not made it clear what we were going to do with the money.”

He added “I am not comfortable establishing a fee to do research." He said the County should not ask the citizens to pay to define a problem they then have to pay for. He explained that “if we are going to the citizens and saying these are the problems we have to deal with, we (the Council) should somehow find the funding” to do the analysis.

After additional discussion a motion to approve the ordinance was made by Councilman Howard Rosenfeld, with a second from Councilman Gene Knapp. The motion failed to pass when Peterson, Lichter and Chair Bob Myhr voted against it (Kevin Ranker missed the vote; having been excused for unexplained personal reasons).

Due to the time requirements for public hearings, Tuesday was a make-or-break date to begin the public process for the proposed ordinance.

The failure of the motion means the Council now has the time to follow the advice of County Administrator Pete Rose and Public Works Director Jon Shannon, who had advised the Council to “take the time you need to do it right” -a directive that had also been supported by Councilmen Bob Myhr, and Gene Knapp, who reminded the Council after the vote that he had originally cautioned the Council that it would be a mistake to rush the process.