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)CITYOFSOUTHBEND OFFICE OF THE CLERK <br /> started the MS4 programs back in 1999, they never really funded anything in South Bend. Most <br /> other communities funded their programs through some storm water fee. That storm water fee <br /> would go both to supporting operations for the staff that needs to continue maintaining that <br /> program and also for capital improvements with the storm water issues. South Bend never did that <br /> and are one(1) of few communities that did not. So it is becoming an increasingly big issue for us <br /> and is something we feel important that we fund because otherwise we don't have the money to <br /> do capital storm water projects. In the past,because there was a need,we tried to fit them in various <br /> Funds. More recently, if you recall the 2017 and 2018 budgets, we had it in the Local Roads and <br /> Streets Fund. We had a portion in there for drainage and that was taking away from our ability to <br /> do roads. We are also spending down our cash reserves that we have in those Funds, so, I think it <br /> is important we have a dedicated Storm Water Fund and that is why we are asking for this today. <br /> He went on, I would like to go through this presentation (which is available in the City Clerk's <br /> Office). This is essentially setting up a separate Fund and a funding mechanism for that Fund. <br /> We've said, as we went through the budget presentation, that our intent is to initially not use this <br /> for any operations. We will continue having the operations paid for like it is today but to use this <br /> for capital projects and professional services in relation to those capital projects. So what we are <br /> proposing and what you will see here (referencing a slide in the presentation) is slightly different <br /> from what I showed you at budget time. At budget time we had two dollars ($2) per residential <br /> customer, per month. That has not changed, but we had a tiered program for non-residential and <br /> that was four dollars ($4), eight dollars ($8) and twenty dollars ($20) depending on how much <br /> impervious surface you have. The problem is our current billing system is about twenty(20) years <br /> old and it is really difficult for us to get that into the system. We have to go through and change <br /> each bill separately. So, we decided to just change that to a five dollar ($5) flat fee for non- <br /> residential customer. So any non-residential is going to be five dollars ($5) a month. The thought <br /> is, and what is in the ordinance if you read the two (2) year issue here at the very beginning, it <br /> talks about this being in place from June 1, 2019 and for two (2) years. We will take that time to <br /> start studying what we need to do to go to an impervious-based rate system. We are currently <br /> starting our process of a new billing software on the Utilities side and that is about an eighteen <br /> (18)month process. We would be in a good position, two (2) years from now, to put in a different <br /> system that would be more in line with being charged, per ERU, based on the amount of <br /> impervious surface you have. This provides an incentive to have less impervious surface. <br /> He continued, So what does a system like that look like? If you look at all of our residential <br /> properties and we figure out the average residential property has 2,000 square feet of impervious <br /> surface and that is roof, asphalt and other stuff that doesn't allow water to sink into the ground and <br /> it runs off, and I have a commercial property that has 10,000 feet square of impervious, then I <br /> would pay five (5) ERUs because it is five (5) times the residential average. Moving to a system <br /> like that is a lot more complicated. It will be time consuming in terms of figuring that out because <br /> we will have to figure that out for each and every parcel in the City, and then bill each and every <br /> parcel separately. We didn't want to do that right off the bat just because of the complications, so, <br /> we put in a very simplified approach to start but that is what we are looking to do long-term. We <br /> look to sit back down with the Council in a couple of years and talk about a program that is based <br /> on impervious surface and is more reflective on what your impacts are on the storm water. Most <br /> utilities, you'll see they have storm water fees and they do it based on impervious surface. About <br /> four(4) in five (5) cities do it on an impervious surface basis. The other thing to show you is that <br /> we have 1,600 plus storm water utilities in the US and the national average is about five dollars <br /> EXCELLENCE ACCOUNTABILITY INNOVATION INCLUSION j EMPOWERMENT <br /> 455 County-City Building 227W Jefferson Bvld South Bend,Indiana 46601 p 574.235.9221 f 574.235.9173 TTD 574.235.5567 www.southbendin.gov <br /> 2 <br />