Laserfiche WebLink
SWBDT Fee Review <br /> December 1, 2014 <br /> Page 5 <br /> 2. Special assessments for local improvements performed under authority of Minnesota <br /> Statutes Chapter 429. <br /> 3. Revenue generated by Watershed Management Special Tax Districts provided for <br /> under Minnesota Statutes Chapter 473.882. <br /> 4. Project funds could be obtained from watershed district levies as provided for in <br /> Minnesota Statutes Chapter 1030.905 for those projects being completed by or in <br /> cooperation with MCWD. <br /> 5. Other sources potentially including tax increment financing, tax abatement, state aid, <br /> and others. <br /> The SW&DT Fee, originally intended to be collected from new development projects as <br /> well as from redevelopment of individual sites, has since 2002 generated $857,000 or <br /> approximately $66,000 per year, during which time the City has expended $1.01 million <br /> on stormwater capital improvement projects. The City of Orono 2014-2028 Capital <br /> Improvement Plan projects annual expenditures well in excess of $400,000 per year on <br /> stormwater operations, maintenance and improvements. While O&M will generally be <br /> covered by the Storm Water Utility funding, CIP projects will rely on the SW&DT fees as <br /> well as the five potential sources noted above. The SW&DT fees attributable to new <br /> development are expected to diminish as Orono becomes completely developed, and <br /> timing of future development is somewhat unpredictable. <br /> Developer Feedback <br /> Two specific SW&DT issues were identified in the May work session memo - how much <br /> acreage to use in calculating the fee when a large parcel is proposing to just split off <br /> one lot; and the inequities inherent in the SW&DT fee structure for redevelopment <br /> projects, which has never been implemented. A third issue has recently been brought <br /> up by potential developers, including the developers of Lakeview as well as potential <br /> future developers of the Eisinger property and the property on Orchard Park Road. <br /> Each of these has questioned the basic justification for the fee as well as its magnitude <br /> as a result of being charged for the entire property acreage as opposed to some other <br /> method. <br /> Pat Hiller recently sent the following email to the Mayor and cc'd it to staff: <br /> Mayor McMillan: <br /> Thank you for taking the time Monday night to listen to our concerns regarding the <br /> magnitude of the storm water trunk fee for Lakeview. We understand that what we are <br /> asking the council to consider is not contemplated in the code as it is currently written, so a <br /> code amendment appears to be necessary if the council is willing to ease the fee burden. <br /> We have been discussing some ideas internally about how that code amendment could read <br />