New stormwater fees would trickle down to everyone

Turbulent weather is in the forecast for DuPage County leaders studying whether to create a new way to pay for flood control.

The county's stormwater program is funded mainly by property taxes, but a new report suggests switching to a user fee that every property owner -- even churches and government bodies -- would pay based on the amount of ground that water can't penetrate.

Property taxes aren't providing enough money to maintain flood-control facilities and keep up with federal pollution regulations, the study says.

The proposed billing plan would require every property owner in DuPage -- including school districts, municipalities and churches that are exempt from property taxes -- to pay based on impervious surface.

Thus, for every 500 square feet of ground that water can't penetrate, you could owe between $4 to $5.19. That figure is based on preliminary calculations and whether a basic, intermediate or comprehensive stormwater management program is adopted.

"It is a big change," said Jim Zay, the county's stormwater committee chairman. "But it's part of a county plan to go to a fee-based service. You pay for what you use."

Engineers estimate the owner of a typical house might pay $26 to $29 annually instead of the current $15 to $20.

A government complex could shell out a maximum of $2,600 a year, a large church $4,550, and a big school $6,790.

The fee could generate between $14 million and $15 million a year.

Not surprisingly, nonprofit groups are wary.

"It would be a blow for us," said Dave Brewer, business manager of Gary United Methodist Church in Wheaton. "It's one more nickel we can't use for missions."

Catholic Diocese of Joliet spokesman Doug Delaney agreed.

"It hurts those with the least income the hardest," he said. "It's a new form of taxation on nonprofits."

But local environmentalists call the user fee an equitable way of distributing costs. Plus, it offers incentives for reducing pollution.

Rationale

DuPage County is the lead local agency when it comes to stormwater control and flood prevention.

The county's stormwater tax levy used to generate about $11.5 million annually.

Now it's bringing in about $8.5 million after a decision to shift some of the money to other county expenses and start using reserves.

Debt payments from capital projects such as reservoirs consume about $7.3 million of that total.

The stormwater report warns of imminent problems if more revenues aren't available and lists $27 million in backlogged projects.

Stormwater division officials said during a Tuesday budget hearing cash reserves are so low they'll need a loan from the county's corporate fund to tide them over next year until property tax receipts come in.

The division has curtailed maintenance on large facilities such as the Elmhurst Quarry and Wood Dale-Itasca Reservoir, cut back on its stream-bank stabilization program, scaled down updating flood-plain mapping -- which affects homeowners insurance rates -- and halted buying properties that consistently flood.

In addition, "we're not able to build up replacement funds for the future," stormwater director Tony Charlton said.

He cited the Elmhurst Quarry, which has six enormous stormwater pumps costing $250,000 each. All are the same age, and if they fail at the same time, replacement could cost up to $1.5 million.

The switch to a user fee is also driven by deadlines for meeting provisions of the U.S. Clean Water Act, which requires local governments to monitor water quality, identify problems and come up with solutions.

That involves testing storm water as it enters streams and educating the public about reducing pollutants -- from the homeowner who puts fertilizer on the lawn to the local car wash that lets soapy water containing phosphorus drain into the storm sewer, Charlton said.

"The goal is to make streams swimmable and fishable," he said, adding numerous counties across the U.S. collect a stormwater user fee.

Mixed reactions

Local and federal government buildings, such as Argonne National Lab, and schools also are in line to start paying for stormwater control.

Although some of its Naperville schools are in Will County, the potential fee "still is a significant amount," Indian Prairie Unit District 204 Assistant Superintendent Dave Holm said.

And with "no magic pot of money," the district will have to either cut programs or raise new revenues.

"Either way, the taxpayers end up paying for it," Holm said.

Zay countered that "churches and schools are a huge factor in stormwater."

But he said schools would be eligible for grants to teach students about the environmental aspects of stormwater.

Meanwhile, municipal leaders are cautious.

While commending the county's overall stormwater-control program, Addison Village Manager Joseph Block isn't convinced a user fee is the best way to go.

"They can potentially get into a struggle with not-for-profits and churches," he said, adding there also were concerns about the administrative fees involved.

Carol Stream Village Manager Joseph Breinig doesn't oppose the concept of a user fee but had questions about implementation and costs.

Noting that while extensive flood-control projects had been conducted in certain parts of DuPage, "others were waiting patiently," he said.

The issue could face some opposition among DuPage County Board members who aren't expected to vote on the issue until 2008. At that time, the county will have a geographic information system system that identifies how much impervious surface every house and building in DuPage has. Most driveways and large walkways also would be subject to a fee, although gravel and permeable pavers are exempt.

Certain details are still being worked out, including offering credits to property owners with stormwater innovations of their own. These could range from a rain barrel to permeable brick pavers to green roofs.

Brook McDonald, director of the Naperville-based Conservation Foundation, applauds the idea.

"People who do not contribute much to stormwater would be paying less. People with big impacts would be paying more," McDonald said.

"It provides incentives for people to do the right thing and also provides incentives for new developments to do the right thing."

Implementation

Three plans of varying intensity are listed. The cheapest is $14.5 million and provides a fix for all the areas where the county's been slipping. It entails:

• Adding staff to work on flood-plain mapping and updating watershed models.

• Hiring a supervisor to oversee removal of radioactive thorium from the West Branch of the DuPage River.

• Educating the public about ways to reduce pollution.

• Monitoring stormwater discharge sites.

• Employing additional people to maintain and repair flood-control sites.

• Reinstating the streambank stabilization program.

The intermediate plan includes all that and brings back a voluntary buyout program of properties in the flood plain plus includes capital projects to address flooding and water quality as funds are available. It would cost $15.6 million initially.

The comprehensive program builds on that model plus expands water-quality oversight and inspections and capital projects. It would cost $16.7 million.