Moses Lake stormwater fee begins March 1
MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake City Council unanimously passed an ordinance establishing the stormwater utility rate for residential and commercial property.
The ordinance was passed on the second reading and will be in effect March 1.
The city is mandated by the state Department of Ecology and the Environmental Protection Agency to implement a stormwater treatment plan. The city estimates the cost to be roughly $610,000 to implement the plan and purchase equipment. The city established a utility fee to pay for the cost of the program.
The residential rate is $5 per month, per residence and will appear on monthly utility bills from the city.
The residential rate was established based upon the amount of impervious surface per residential lot. Through surveys and observations, the city determined there is an average of 4,000 square feet of impervious surface per lot. Impervious surface are surfaces that do not absorb water or allow it to pass through to the ground, including roofs, pavement and pools.
The city established rates and a series of utility credits for commercial property owners.
For commercial lots with up to 6,000 square feet of impervious surface, the monthly cost is $5, according to a city document. There are varying costs depending on size. Anything over 240,000 square feet, the monthly cost is $200.
The utility fee is not applied to undeveloped lots.
There are three credits commercial property owners may be eligible for if they meet criteria and are approved by city personnel. Property owners may only receive one credit. City personnel will notify all eligible commercial property owners. The credits allow for a percentage discount on the monthly stormwater fee.
A credit up to 80 percent is given to commercial property owners with on-site stormwater discharge systems with on-site treatment facilities, according to a city document. The facility must be in compliance with an active National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit and the Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan.
A credit up to 50 percent is available for commercial property owners with on-site stormwater discharge systems with an on-site treatment facility. It must meet the Best Management Practices with the most recent version of the Stormwater Management Manuel of Eastern Washington and must meet city requirements.
A credit up to 10 percent is granted to commercial property owners for portions of on-site stormwater discharge facilities managing discharge from roofs through the use of a rainwater harvesting system. The system must be compliant with Ecology.
All credits must have approval from the city municipal services office before they are granted.
Deputy Mayor Bill Ecret motioned to approve the ordinance and Councilmember Brent Reese seconded. It passed unanimously.
Council also unanimously approved an ordinance officially establishing the utility and related provisions including what stormwater revenue is used for, establishing exempt properties from the fee and the process for a property owner to appeal impervious ground cover determination.
Initially the ordinance proposed a non-refundable $50 fee for a commercial property owner to request the city reevaluate their determination in the amount of impervious surface they are being charged for.
Councilmember Karen Liebrecht voted to make the fee refundable if the city is found in error. Councilmember Reese seconded. The motion passed unanimously.