Managing Roanoke’s Stormwater Infrastructure Challenges.

Managing Roanoke’sStormwater Infrastructure Challenges

City of Roanoke – Engineering Division

Stormwater Utility Fee

• What is a stormwater utility fee?

• Why is it needed?

• How will I be affected?


Stormwater Fee

• A stormwater fee (or utility) is similar to electric, telephone or cable TV charges. Fees are collected for specific services provided.

• Roanoke City Council authorized staff to develop a stormwater fee framework on July 20, 2009

• City Council will consider the program in late fall 2009

• Public Hearings will be held – November-December

• Planned adoption in early 2010


Dedicated Special Revenue

Dedicated to Operation and Maintenance of public stormwater systems

• Real Property for capital improvements

• Engineering design

• Construction costs

• Monitoring of control devices

• Regulatory compliance and enforcement

• Pollution control and abatement

• Maintenance of stormwater facilities

• Program Administration


Stormwater Fee

• All developed properties contribute runoff and

pollutants

• Fees are assessed in proportion to a property’s

contribution to runoff

• Runoff is proportional to Impervious Surface

• Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) is

regulated for water quality

• Service area is the City of Roanoke


Stormwater Fee - Background

• Roanoke has 13 major rivers and streams

• 9 of these are listed as impaired for water quality by the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)

• The amount of runoff is related to the amount of impervious surface, that is, roofs, driveways, parking areas

• Runoff carries pollutants to our rivers and streams


Stormwater Fee

• Roanoke’s storm drain system is aging and has numerous improvement needs

• No major storm drain improvement projects have been undertaken in more than a generation

• Nearly 200 projects have been identified

• Current management approach may not allow Roanoke to meet minimum water quality standards

• There is an urgent and compelling need to upgrade Roanoke’s stormwater system immediately


Stormwater Fee

• Current budget provides funding for only most urgent issues

• Proposed stormwater fee provides necessary financial resources to protect the city’s water quality now and in the future

• Water quality improvement is a community responsibility. We all contribute to the problem, and we all need to work together on the solution


Roanoke’s Identified Stormwater Needs

• Capital Improvements

$60+ million, approximately 200 projects

• Maintenance and repair of aging infrastructure

• Stormwater quality regulatory requirements for MS4– VPDES Permit

– TMDL

– Impaired waterways


Typical Drainage Issues

Delaware Avenue



Fresno Street



Cove Road

Beverly Boulevard


Typical Drainage Problems

Old Mountain Road

Melrose Avenue


Proposed Stormwater Utility

• Cash funded program based on collected revenue

• Capacity to implement $3.0 million in new projects annually

• Build a maintenance reserve (5%)

• Offer incentives and /or credits for those willing to go beyond regulatory requirements or retrofit existing facilities


Proposed Projects

• Projects have been identified for the first three years of the program– Neighborhood Projects

– Average project value $105,000

• An incremental approach to correcting our stormwater problems


2012 39 Projects $2.7M2010 20 Projects $2.7M


2011 29 Projects $2.9M


2012 39 Projects $2.7M


Shovel Ready Projects

• Camille Avenue-Moomaw Avenue

• Westside Boulevard

• Andrews Road

• King Street and Belle Avenue


Program Outline

• $3.00 per month per Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU) for residential properties

• Non-residential properties will be assessed on the measured impervious surface– $3.00 per month per 1,920 square feet of impervious

surface

• Estimated annual revenue $3.6 million

• 1/3 residential, 2/3 non-residential


Current Stormwater Utilities in Virginia

Locality NPDES Phase I /Phase II

Single-Family Residential Stormwater Fee(per month)

Non-residential Stormwater Fee(per month)

Total Annual Revenue Generated

City ofNorfolk, VA

Phase I $8.08 Non-Residential - $8.08/2000 ft2 of impervious area/day

$10.6 million

City of Virginia Beach, VA

Phase I $6.05 $6.05 per 2,269 sq. ft. of impervious area

$15.0 million

City of Portsmouth, VA


$4.6 million

City of Newport News, VA


$8.5 million

City of Hampton, VA


$4.8 million

City of Chesapeake, VA


$6.2 million

HRPDC/City of Suffolk

Phase II $5.24 $5.24 per 3,200 sq. ft. of impervious area

$3.5 million



• All developed properties pay the fee

• Exemptions

– Follow the state code for required exemptions, generally public streets and City property

– Vacant unimproved properties

– “Self contained” drainage systems



• Credits and Incentives– Development

– Existing Properties

• Stormwater management facilities that exceed minimum requirements

• Credits must be proportional to the permanent reduction in runoff and pollutant loading


Schedule Milestones

• Authorize formal development July 20, 2009

• Verify utility rates and revenues July - Oct 2009

• Develop Credits and Incentives July – Oct 2009

• Public Education/Information Sept – Nov 2009

• Interim Progress Briefing Nov 2, 2009

Authorize public hearings

• Hold Public Hearings Dec 2009

• Adopt Ordinance Jan 4, 2010

• Begin Project Construction 1st Quarter 2010


Issues We’ve Heard

• $3M/year will take too long to take care of $60M needs list.• Why a new fee? Why not finance these projects with bond funds instead of

doing other bond-funded projects like the amphitheater since City can't incur additional bonded debt for years to come.

• The average home-owner can't take on any more taxes or fees in this recession.• Instead of calling it a fee, it needs to be called a tax so that it can be considered

as a tax deduction.• If property owners qualify for stormwater utility exemptions, will the public be

able to FOIA this information to see who is getting these credits?• If property owners apply for exemptions, will there be a timely review or an

extensive wait?• What is the potential for rates to continue to rise?• If two-thirds of the program revenue will be paid by commercial and other

nonresidential properties, those costs will simply be passed along to the consumers (i.e. residents).

• In other Virginia cities that have a storm water utility fee, do any provide exclusions for charitable agencies?


Issues We’ve Heard

• Are gravel parking lots considered pervious? This program seems to discourage paving those lots.

• The program should be, as discussed, accomplished without the addition of any additional employees or consultant expense.

• If credits are given for retrofit or extraordinary measures, there should be a method for timely, rapid evaluation and award.

• Impervious, as the primary basis for evaluation, should be fully defined in the new ordinance. The definition would eliminate possible ambiguity and legal testing.

• Churches, non-profits and businesses with extremely large exposure should be afforded and opportunity to phase this expense over a few years.

• The City should adopt codes and building standards that demand efficient storm water management and runoff reduction. Let’s not have to ask future generations to pay for our timidity, laziness or ‘politically’ directed engineering.

Managing Roanoke’s Stormwater Infrastructure Challenges.

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