10/03/2008: "Stormwater Funding Details Dribble Out"

In July Committee Chair Rich Peterson had informed the rest of the council that the first draft of a new stormwater funding ordinance was complete and waiting for review by the County Prosecutor’s office, but todate had not been reviewed.

The new draft ordinance is intended to replace the funding ordinance that was rejected by popular vote; and according to the Council, the new one may not be subject to a popular vote this time around.

Now that the arguing and disagreements between the subcommittee members (Peterson, Knapp and Rosenfeld) have been tempered by months of closed door meetings, members of the press were invited to a Stormwater Sub-Committee meeting to get a preview of the draft funding ordinance.

While the draft will not be handed out to the public until the legal review is complete, some of the funding details were explained, and fair to say, the two members of the media present predicted some turbulent waters ahead for the Council when the draft is launched for a public showing.

It was explained that everyone in the county will first be charged a yearly base fee of $24.00 to pay for maintenance of existing infrastructure, and for on-going studies to determine the need for additional fees for capital costs.

Based on the results of the studies, there will be a second yearly base fee to cover the costs of the capital improvements the study identifies. Everyone in the county will pay 50% of this second fee, plus property owners on the island that receives the improvements -and or new construction- will pay an additional 25% of the cost of the improvements; and, if the improvements are in a UGA (Urban Growth Area), then those in the UGA will pay a second 25% for a total of 100% of the total costs of the improvements.

It was pointed out that the taxpayer will pay the “fees” without knowing each year what they may be the next year -or at least not know unit a committee has made a recommendation to the Council as to what projects are needed. The public would be able to express their disagreement or approval at a public hearing before the new fee range is set.

What is known, is the current estimate for infrastructure projects is approximately $4 million dollars, and how much of that will be needed on a yearly basis is yet to be known, so there is now no way to know what the yearly “fee” will be when it shows up on the property tax bill.

Once the draft has been reviewed and released, more details of how all of this is going to work, and how the public feels about it, will begin the process of the Council passing the ordinance. Depending on the timing, the final process may take place with some new council members present.