City of Silver Lake
ORDINANCE 85: ESTABLISHING STORM WATER UTILITY FUND & FEE
IN THE CITY OF SILVER LAKE
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SILVER LAKE ORDAINS AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT. Pursuant to Minnesota Statutes Section 444.075, the City of Silver Lake establishes a Storm Water Utility Fund and authorizes the imposition of just and reasonable fees for the use and availability of storm drainage facilities. The Storm Water Utility operations shall be a part of the Street Department and under the administration of the City Clerk/Treasurer.
SECTION 2. FINDING AND DETERMINATION.
Subdivision 1. In the exercise of its governmental authority and in order to promote the public health, safety, convenience and general welfare, the City has constructed, operated and maintained a storm water system. This ordinance is adopted in the further exercise of such authority and for the same purposes.
Subdivision 2. The system, as constructed heretofore, has been financed and paid for through the imposition of special assessments and ad valorem taxes. It is now necessary and desirable to provide an alternative method of recovering some or all of the future costs of improving, establishing, enlarging, replacing, repairing, maintaining and operating the system through the imposition of charges as provided in this ordinance.
Subdivision 3. In imposing charges, it is necessary to establish a methodology that undertakes to make them just and equitable. Taking into account the status of completion of the system, past methods of recovering system costs, the topography of the City and other relevant factors, it is determined that it would be just and equitable to assign responsibility for some or all of the future costs of improving, establishing, enlarging, replacing, repairing, maintaining and operating the system on the basis of the expected storm water runoff from the various parcels of land within the City during a standard rainfall event.
SECTION 3. STORM WATER UTILITY FUND. There is hereby created a Storm Water Utility Fund into which all charges, when collected, and all monies received from the sale of any facilities or equipment or any by products shall be placed. Such monies shall be used first to pay normal, reasonable and current costs of operating and maintaining the facilities.
SECTION 4. RESIDENTIAL EQUIVALENT FACTOR (REF) DEFINED. For the purpose of this section one (1) Residential Equivalent Factor (REF) is defined as: "the ratio of the average volume of surface water runoff generated by 10,000 square feet of a given land use, to the average volume of runoff generated by 10,000 square feet of typical single family residential land, during a standard one (1) year rainfall event."
SECTION 5. STORM WATER UTILITY FEE. In determining charges, the City Council shall by Resolution establish a Basic System Rate to be charged monthly against 10,000 square feet of land having an REF of one (1). The charge to be made against each parcel of land shall then be determined by multiplying the REF for the parcel's land use classification times the Basic System Rate. (REF Rate x Basic System Rate=Monthly Storm Water Utility Fee.)
The Classification Numbers and REF Rate for various land uses set as follows:
Classification Land Use REF Rate
Residential Lots
1 Apartment Units
apartment - (each unit) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . ..0.25
or to apartment owner based upon
non residential square footage below
2 Single Family Residential . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.0
3 Twin Home (each unit) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.0
4 Four Plex (each unit) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0.5
5 Single Family Manufactured Home
in Manufactured Housing Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0.25
Non Residential Lots
6 up to 7,000 square feet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.0
7 7,001 to 14,520 square feet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.0
8 14,521 to 43,560 square feet . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . 4.0
9 43,560 to 87,160 square feet . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . 8.0
10 87,161 to 174,240 square feet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12.0
11 over 174,241 square feet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16.0
12 Vacant Lot (no structures/no hard surface) . . . . . . . . .0.0
SECTION 6. STANDARDIZED ACREAGE. For the purpose of calculating storm water utility fees, all developed single-family and duplex parcels shall be considered to have 10,000 square feet.
SECTION 7. OTHER LAND USES. Other land uses not listed in the foregoing table shall be classified by the City Clerk/Treasurer by assigning them to classes most nearly like the listed uses, from the standpoint of runoff volume for a standard rainfall event and lot square footage. An appeal of such classifications from the determination of the City Clerk/Treasurer may be made to the City Council.
SECTION 8. ADJUSTMENT OF CHARGES. The City Council may by resolution adopt policies providing for the adjustment of charges for parcels based upon land use data supplied by affected property owners which demonstrates a runoff volume for a standard rainfall event substantially different from the REF being used for such parcels. The Public Works Supervisor shall make such adjustment or credit. No adjustment or credit shall reduce the REF below .25 (except for properties under Classification 12) without approval of the City Council. An appeal of the Public Works Supervisor’s determination shall be made in writing to the City Council. Such adjustments for storm water utility fees shall not be made retroactively.
SECTION 9. EXEMPTIONS. Public street right-of-way, public parks, and vacant unimproved land with ground cover (grass or crops) are exempt from storm water utility fees and shall be classification number 12.
SECTION 10. PAYMENT OF CHARGES. Statements for storm water utility fees shall be made a part of the present utility billing system invoiced through the Silver Lake Public Utility Commission at City Hall on a monthly basis. All charges shall be subject to established procedures for determining and collecting customer charges.
SECTION 11. LATE PAYMENT PENALTY. Each billing for storm water utility fees which are not paid when due, shall incur a penalty charge of 5% on the amount past due.
SECTION 12. ESTABLISHMENT OF TAX LIEN. Any past due storm water
utility fees will be certified to the County Auditor for collection with real estate taxes against the property served by the utility established in this ordinance for collection as other taxes are collected in the following year pursuant to M.S. Section 444.075, Subd. 3 and City Code. In Addition, the City may have the right to bring a civil action or take other legal remedies to collect unpaid charges.
Adopted by Council this ____ day of ______, 2016.
________________________ Seal of the City:
Bruce Bebo, Mayor
________________________
Kerry Venier, Clerk/Treasurer
Links:
[1] http://glencoenews.com/category/section/news/public-notices