Dedicated program for municipal drainage management Street drainage evaluation and repairs Maintenance of pipes and drainage structures Mowing, debris and vegetation removal Erosion control and re-grading Easement maintenance (existing, new and conversions) Engineering design and evaluation assistance Inspections Administration of the federally mandated municipal separate stormwater sewer system (MS4) requirements Estimated program cost is $2.2 M (O & M only)
New Braunfels rainfall characteristics, topography, the Comal and Guadalupe Rivers present unique drainage issues and requirements Existing maintenance Approx. 188 acres right of way including constructed stormwater drainage ditches and channels Approx. 150 acres road right of way (safety and esthetics and most areas part of drainage system quantity/quality) Approx. 230 acres of new channel and easement conversion right of ways Old and new storm drain pipe, curb inlets and roadway culverts Without stable, dedicated funding, challenges will remain
Improved drainage system maintenance begins immediately Proactive response to localized drainage problems O & M flood-reduction project construction on prioritized basis Will take years to address flood reduction backlog City Council will review fee and utility progress as part of annual budget process Challenges adjacent property owners, numerous private drainage easements, and legacy drainage issues
Estimated at $2.2M Personnel Operations & maintenance Administrative costs Future costs Additional personnel Easement conversions Maintenance additions Federally mandated MS4
Stormwater Utility Fee Proportional to service demand Equitable user fee basis like Solid Waste and Recycling Based on stormwater runoff of developed properties, not property value Impervious area is used to assign the fee What is impervious area? Rooftops, driveways, walkways and parking areas Impervious area increases the flow rate and volume of stormwater runoff
Developed properties within the City of New Braunfels including: Homes Public facilities Churches Businesses
Undeveloped property State of Texas property Institutions of higher learning Properties with private drainage systems that do not contribute to the drainage system of the City. School Districts
Appraisal district records Aerial photographs Calculated via computer imaging
Single-Family Property Roof Impervious Area Drive way Parcel Boundary (Total land area) Roof + driveway + walkways + patios + outbuildings Sidewalks are not included in impervious area total
ERU is a unit of measure based on the currently estimated average impervious area for a single-family property in New Braunfels Effective average impervious area = 2,690 sq. ft.
Using the proposed $4.59 as the base ERU fee: Tier A - less than 1,885 square feet of impervious area - fee is $2.69 per month Tier B - between 1,885 & 2,190 square feet of impervious area - fee is $3.37 per month Tier C - between 2,190 and 3,205 square feet of impervious area - fee is $4.59 per month Tier D - over 3,205 square feet of impervious area - fee is $6.61 per month
Parking lot Office Building Impervious Area = building roof + parking
Using the proposed $4.59 as the base ERU fee: Small sites of up to one ERU (2,690 square feet) have a fee of $4.59 per month (the minimum fee) All other sites are calculated on their number of ERU s multiplied by the base ERU fee of $4.59 per month ERU s = Impervious area divided by 2, 690 Proposed cap of 175 ERU s
Not based on ad valorem value of a property Tax exempt properties are subject to the Stormwater Utility Fee (except State properties & school districts) Fees go into a dedicated fund that can only be used for stormwater/drainage related issues
New Braunfels Utilities (NBU) monthly billing Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative (GVEC) monthly billing
Appeal form at www.nbtexas.org/stormwater and at City s Municipal Building Customer must present data to support their impervious area or private drainage system statement
City Council directs staff to implement a Stormwater Utility Program, July 2011 Public Input Meetings March 13 th & 15 th, 2012 City Council feedback workshop on March 19 th, 2012 Ordinance public hearing City Council consideration of ordinance Sample bill mail out Resolve customer inquiries on sample bill Billing initiation proposed for late summer/fall of 2012