Storm Water Utility - faq's
What is a Storm Water fee?
A storm water utility fee is similar to a water or sewer fee. In essence,
customers pay a fee to convey storm water from their properties. The City of
Crawfordsville’s storm water user fee is primarily the result of new
environmental regulations (United States Environmental Protection Agency
(USEPA) and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) on
storm water discharges. This fee is used in part to finance annual
compliance with these regulations.
Is the Storm Water utility
fee considered a tax?
No, the storm water utility fee is not a tax. It is a fee generated to
maintain the storm sewer system and fund the NPDES permit compliance. It is
user based and the fee is based on contribution to the Municipal Separate
Storm Sewer System (MS4).
Is the Storm Water utility
fee legal?
The City of Crawfordsville has established a storm water utility through the
adoption of
Indiana Code 8-1.5-5, which enables an Indiana municipality to establish
a department of storm water management and storm water utility. The City of
Crawfordsville’s Department of Storm Water Management is responsible for the
management of the City of Crawfordsville’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer
System. The Utility funds storm water management activities by charging user
fees to owners of each and every lot and parcel of property within the
corporate limits of the City of Crawfordsville.
How is a Storm Water
utility fee generated?
All residential properties and combined residential/business properties are
charged a uniform user fee, which is a combination of a fixed customer
charge and an ERU charge based on the average ERU for all residential
properties within the City. User fees for non-residential properties are
based upon the amount of impervious surface area on the property. The amount
of impervious surface area for non-residential properties has been
determined by the City of Crawfordsville based upon GIS mapping information.
Who else is paying a Storm
Water utility fee?
Every property owner in the City of Crawfordsville’s Corporate Limits are
responsible for paying a storm water utility fee including County, State and
Federal government parcels and public institutions, along with commercial
and industrial parcel owners.
If I am paying a Storm
Water user fee to the City of Crawfordsville, am I exempt from paying an
assessment to the Montgomery County Drainage Board?
The storm water utility fees charged by the Utility are separate from any
fees or assessments that may be levied by the Montgomery County Drainage
Board on property owners served by its regulated drains, nor are they
related to any fees that may be charged to developers or others as a result
of compliance with the City’s drainage and subdivision control ordinances.
The payment of the storm water utility fee does not relieve any person
from the duty to comply with all other City of Crawfordsville and Montgomery
County ordinances and all other applicable state and federal laws and
regulations.
How often will the fee be
updated or changed?
It is the intent of the Board of Directors of the Department that all fees
be evaluated at least every three (3) years. Like any utility from time to
time, future service fee changes will be necessary to account for rising
operating expenses, new regulatory requirements and significant capital
improvements. Future service fee changes must be approved by the City of
Crawfordsville’s City Council.
Are there properties in the
Corporate Limits that do not have to pay the fee?
Yes. State roads are exempt since they are governed by a separate NPDES MS4
permit issued by IDEM to the INDOT. City roads are considered to be part of
the storm water management system along with city owned pipes, ditches and
swales that convey storm water to waters of the State. The City is required
to monitor, identify problems and improve outfalls that are part of the
storm water management system if necessary.
Does the Post Office or
Federal Courthouse pay a Storm Water fee?
Yes.
Does the City pay Storm
Water fees on City owned properties?
Yes.
I live at the top of a
hill. Why do I have to pay a Storm Water fee? Alternatively, I live at the
bottom of a hill and everyone else's Storm Water runoff impacts my property
- why do I have to pay the Storm Water fee?
Water quality affects all residents in the City of Crawfordsville and
therefore, all property owners must pay their fair share of the costs to
keep the rivers, creeks and streams clean and address drainage problems.
What is considered to be an
impervious surface?
An impervious surface is any surface that prevents water from penetrating
the ground. Examples include buildings, driveways, parking lots, swimming
pools, patios, paved areas, gravel areas, tanks, pads and other features
that do not allow rainfall to soak into the ground. Click
here to see how impervious surface area is
calculated.
Who do I talk to if I want
to dispute my bill or impervious area?
Appeals of storm water utility bills are handled by the Storm Water Utility
Board. You are welcome to call Gary Weliver at the City Building to discuss
your bill and the basis for the amount. If you desire to appeal your fee,
please have the most current information regarding your parcel available.
Is there anything I can do
to reduce my Storm Water bill?
Residential properties are not eligible for fee reductions. Because they
typically only have a small amount of impervious surface, they pay a small
fee based on an average of all residential properties.
Storm Water News