Moscow City Council to consider stormwater fee rate

Residents in about 90 percent of Moscow homes will be expected to pay a $7.92 monthly stormwater utility fee starting Oct. 1 if the Moscow City Council approves the rate proposal at its June 7 council meeting.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems Permit to the city in August 2019.

The stormwater permit requires the city to develop and implement a comprehensive stormwater management program. Stormwater user fees will help pay for the program.

Moscow chose the equivalent service units, or ESU, billing unit approach.

One ESU is the average amount of impervious surface area, like driveways and roofs, on statistically representative residential properties in Moscow, Moscow Environmental Services Manager Kyle Steele told the Moscow City Council Public Works/Finance Committee on Monday.

Steele said about 90 percent of Moscow homes fall around one ESU, or $7.92.

Tyler Palmer, deputy city supervisor of public works and services, said the city initially proposed $12.50 per ESU in 2019. He said city staff cut out everything it could to bring it to $9.40 per ESU in 2020. Since then, it worked further to refine the program, slashing it 16 percent to $7.92 per ESU.

“There’s no fluff,” Palmer said. “There’s nothing left in here. This is bare bones. We’re going to meet our permit.”

City Supervisor Gary Riedner said part of the $5.4 million Moscow was issued in federal American Rescue Plan money could help pay to implement the stormwater management program, which would take financial pressure off stormwater ratepayers.

For example, Riedner said the city needs about a $500,000 vehicle to help meet the permit’s requirements. Instead of paying that over a couple of years in the city’s Fleet Fund, the vehicle could potentially be purchased with the federal money up front.

Stormwater fees will only be charged to residents and business owners whose stormwater either directly or indirectly discharges to the stormwater system.

Residential property owners will fall into either a low-, medium- or high-impact tier based on the amount of impervious surface, which contributes most to stormwater runoff, on an owner’s property.

Commercial property owners will also pay based on the amount of impervious surface on their land.

The City Council in April adopted a stormwater user fee credits and waivers policy that will allow some groups to avoid paying a fee or get a credit. Steele said Monday the city is in the process of finalizing an appeals policy.

Failure by the city to comply with the permit requirements could result in civil and criminal penalties under federal law. Civil penalties can range up to $37,500 per day per violation.

“This is a federal mandate,” Riedner said. “We don’t have a choice on it.”

The Public Works/Finance Committee recommended approving the proposed stormwater user fee rate. The full City Council will consider the matter at its next meeting, June 7.

Cabeza can be reached at (208) 883-4631, or by email to gcabeza@dnews.com.