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The Lewes Board of Public Works is reviewing the feasibility of a stormwater utility service in the city. A recent study details several factors involved in establishing a utility; foremost is how much a system is likely to cost individual homeowners.
URS Corp., a global engineering firm with local offices in Millsboro and Wilmington, spent the past several months developing the comprehensive analysis.
The 20-page report and its related appendices, charts, maps and photographs cost $38,000.
The Board of Public Works (BPW) and a state grant split that expense.
Board members and the public received a copy of the report at the board’s Thursday, Feb. 21 regular meeting at Lewes Public Library.
In the report, URS estimates that under a fully implemented stormwater program, based on impervious surface coverage, homeowners in the old town zone would pay $7.50 a month, beach residential zone homeowners would pay $12.53 a month and homeowners in the outer ring residential zone would pay $17.63. That translates into $90, $150 and $212 a year, respectively.
Nonresidential properties would be assessed $3.33 a month per 1,000 square feet of impervious surface.
“Fees associated with the full program would place Lewes at the high end of utilities nationwide,” the report states.
“Under the full program, all costs associated with material, personnel and equipment, as well as all capital and program costs would be fully funded over a five-year period.
“A limited program would partially fund personnel, material and equipment costs with capital projects funded through bonds and extended beyond a five-year period.
“This more moderate approach would result in lesser services to customers and increased long-term debt. Both scenarios sought to spread out costs over multiple years in an attempt to balance cash flow throughout the five-year time period,” the report states.
Methods used to reach many conclusions contained in the report involve engineering information that, perhaps by its nature and without intended obfuscation, defies understanding. For example:
“An analysis of the imperviousness of property within the city limits of Lewes was performed. Separate approaches were utilized for residential and non-residential properties. First, as recommended by Gov. Minner’s Task Force on Surface Water Management in 2005, several properties in each residential zoning district were investigated and an average amount of impervious cover per lot in each was determined.
“The smaller lots in the old town zoning district established the baseline Equivalent Runoff Units (ERUs) at 2,250 square feet. The amount of imperviousness in the beach residential, and outer ring residential, are 1.67 and 2.35 times as much, respectively. In other words, for each $1 per month ERU rate, homeowners in the old town, beach residential and outer ring residential would therefore pay $1, $1.67 and $2.35 a month respectively,” the report states in part of the executive summary.
Stated clearly elsewhere in the report is URS’s determination that it is feasible for the Board of Public Works to create a stormwater utility.
“There are numerous obstacles to be overcome before implementation as there have been in other jurisdictions,” the report states. The report recommends:
• Creation of a citizens advisory committee that would “better define the program and assure that it matches residents expectations and willingness to pay.”
• Creation of a joint City of Lewes-BPW committee that would coordinate and resolve policy decisions such as the basis for the utility fee, the use of credits and the allowance for exemptions to be made.
• Creation of a business plan to build upon and use to fine-tune expenditure and revenue estimates.
Board members debated whether the panel has authority to move forward with discussions to create the stormwater utility.
“It seems to me that we ought to first change the charter and then take this up,” said Jim Gayhardt.
But E. James Monihan disagreed. “I have the distinct impression that you’re trying to hold this study hostage to change the charter,” Monihan said. Under its existing charter the BPW is allowed to provide only electric, water and sewer service.
The board took no action on the report; however, the panel voted to hold a public hearing on the topic before its regular meeting at 7 p.m., Thursday, March 27, at the Lewes Public Library.
Gayhardt cast the sole vote against the hearing. Board member Jay Carmean was unable to attend the meeting.
The board’s March meeting is being held a week later than usual because of meeting room availability.
Contact Henry Evans at hevans@capegazette.com
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