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Council approves stormwater utility ordinance; council discusses $2 homestead discount for eligible homeowners
Summary
Council gave second reading approval to a stormwater utility ordinance that will create a utility effective Jan. 1 and addressed a proposed $2 monthly discount for homeowners who qualify for the homestead exemption.
Plain City councilors approved a stormwater utility ordinance on second reading and discussed a proposed discount for some homeowners on the monthly rate.
Council voted, by roll call, to approve Ordinance 36-2025, the enactment of a stormwater utility in the village’s codified ordinances; the ordinance passed 5-0. During the council discussion earlier in the meeting staff explained the utility would go into effect Jan. 1 and that residents would first see charges on their first quarterly bill (in March or early April). The proposed baseline rate presented to council was $5 per month per equivalent residential unit (ERU).
Staff proposed a $2 monthly discount for residents who qualify for the county homestead exemption, reducing their stormwater charge to $3 per month. The homestead exemption is administered by the county auditor’s office and applies to homeowners meeting specified criteria (examples mentioned by staff included homeowners age 65 or older who meet income requirements, homeowners permanently and totally disabled, veterans with a 100% disability rating, spouses of first responders killed in the line of duty, and those grandfathered into the program). A council member said they were “very okay” with the discount and another acknowledged the amended resolution circulated by staff incorporating the change.
The ordinance and related resolution were presented as second readings and recorded as passing unanimously at the meeting. Council signaled support for aligning billing to the quarterly cycle and using the county’s homestead status information to identify eligible accounts without requiring additional local certification.
The council did not set additional discounts, waivers, or exemptions at the meeting. Implementation details — such as billing mechanics, customer notification, and administrative processes to identify eligible accounts — were described as staff responsibilities and will be carried out before bills are issued in spring.
Ordinance and resolution identifiers recorded at the meeting include Ordinance 36-2025 (stormwater utility) and related amendment/resolution language discussed on the agenda; council approved the package by recorded vote 5–0.
