12-10-2001 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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**»**^TINQ DfC 1 0 2001 Ui r urUHU/VO REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION DATE: December 10. 2001 ITEM NO.: ^ DeparUnem Approval: N mbc Gregory A. Gappa Title Director of Public Services Administrator Reviewed: Agenda Section: Public Services's Directors Report Item Description: Establishment of a Siorm Water Utility and Fee Structure-Ordinance Introduction On November 13*“. the Council conducted a Public Hearing to consider the adoption of a Storm Water Utility. The fee will be based on a uniform fee per unit for all residential properties. Non-rcsidential properties will be cliarged a fee bas^ on the number of 'Residential Equivalent Factors' (REF) for the property. The proposed fee is $9.00 per quarter per residential unit. There was only one question from the public at this hearing. Cliff Otten inquired if there would be credit against the storm water utility fee for ponds that were constructed on his property at the time of developnicnt. Purpose of Storm Water Regulations The basic intent of stonn water regulations is to minimize tlic impact of development on natural drainage systems. Any development in an area will change tlic natural conditions by increasing tlie total volume of runoff and the level of pollutant loading. Storm water controls that limit die flow rate to the natural undeveloped conditions reduce the impacts from higher flow rates, but there will still be a greater volume of water flowing from the developed area. Water quality controls can reduce the impacts of greater pollutant loading from the site, but these controls cannot effectively remove all of the additioiul pollutants NURP ponds are designed to remove appro.ximatcly 50^ of the pollutants generated from the site. This means that development will still increase the pollutant loading over the natural conditions. As we have gained increasing knowledge of die impacts development has on natural drainage systems, the standards for stonn water controls have changed substantially over the years from no storm water controls being required to die comprehensive standards in place today. The result of these ever changing storm water regulations is that developments in Orono range from no storm water controls, to developments w idi only rate controls, and newer developmeiiis w ith both rale and water quality treaiment controls When developments were constructed, the developers were required to :..ect the rules that were in place for storm water controls at that time. Recognizing the fact that development does have permanent impacts on the natural drainage systems, and that stonn water rules have been developed to minimize these impacts; the concept of providing storm water utility fee credits for developments that incurred costs to ncet the storm water rules is not logical. Page I