By Cite of Boerne News Flash, November 18, 2020
Boerne Utilities created a Storm Water Utility last year to provide funding for the installation, operation, and maintenance of drainage infrastructure at various locations in the City. A Storm Water Utility is a user-fee-based funding program to maintain and expand the City’s drainage management activities and provide funding for drainage infrastructure needs. The funds collected through the fee will be managed separately from other city funds and will be dedicated to addressing the stormwater and drainage needs of the City.
Texas Local Government Code, Chapter 552 provides a funding mechanism for drainage projects, storm water public education, operation and maintenance of the existing storm water system and describes the basis on which a municipal storm water utility system may be created, funded and how fees may be assessed, levied and collected.
The City of Boerne has identified several needed drainage projects throughout the City. A comprehensive study to create a drainage plan for the City and to further identify and prioritize capital projects is underway. The current project list totals over $5,000,000 of capital projects. In addition, the City performs maintenance of the existing drainage facilities, such as mowing drainage right-of-way, street sweeping, and repairs, which require about $500,000 in funding annually.
The City’s Storm Water Utility is similar to others adopted throughout Texas, where the rate will be based on impervious area. The more impervious area on a parcel, the greater amount of stormwater volume that runs off the property eventually entering the City’s drainage system.
Most cities set a common residential charge – an equivalent residential unit (ERU) based on the average amount of impervious area on residential properties within the City limits. Owners of nonresidential and commercial developed properties that discharge to the City’s storm system would be charged a storm water fee based on the amount of impervious area on the property that is proportionate to the residential ERU fee.
The residential charge in the City of Boerne is proposed to be split into four tiers. The proposed monthly fee for an average single-family property is $4 per month, which equates to $48 per year. The fees would be billed using the current Utility Billing System.
| Residential Storm Water Utility Fee breakdown | ||
| Tier | Square Footage of total impervious area | Cost per month |
| One | Less than 3,100 | $2.00 |
| Two | Between 3,100 and 5,400 | $4.00 |
| Three | Between 5,400 and 20,000 | $7.60 |
| Four | More than 20,000 | $25.20 |
| Commercial – nonresidential Storm Water Utility Fee calculation | ||
| Non-residential | Actual Square Feet divided by 4,700 X $4.00 | Will vary based on actual sq ft. |
An ordinance for the creation of a Storm Water Utility was approved at the March 12, 2019 City Council meeting. Public Hearings, as required by state law, were held on April 9th and April 23rd, 2019. The first billing for the Storm Water Utility was initially planned for the January 2020 Boerne Utilities billing, but was pushed to April 1, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, implementation was delayed until January, 2021. If you have any questions, please contact the City of Boerne Utilities Customer Service Office at (830) 249-9511.
See the original article: https://www.boernelibrary.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1032
