Goodyear staff propose citywide stormwater fee; council agrees to advertise notice of intent for public hearing

Barbara Chappell, the city's water services director, and Jared Askelson, finance director, presented staff's evaluation of a citywide stormwater fee at the Sept. 15 Goodyear City Council work session and sought direction on whether to include a stormwater fee in the notice of intent the council will adopt next week.

Why it matters: Goodyear currently pays for stormwater operations from the general fund. Staff said stormwater-related expenditures have risen from about $400,000 to $3,000,000 in the current budget and are projected to continue growing; a dedicated fee would create a stable, targeted revenue source for maintenance, regulatory compliance and capital work.

What staff proposed: - Staff presented two general approaches: an aggressive recovery plan targeting 100% of operating costs by fiscal year 2027 (illustrative residential rate shown at $7 per month in early years and rising toward $9) and a phased approach that starts lower (examples shown beginning at $2.25, rising over four years toward $9 in the final year of the plan). - Staff said the Citizens Water Advisory Committee adopted a rate-plan recommendation on Sept. 10; some committee members objected to overall utility impacts but the committee otherwise provided a recommendation to council. - Staff noted the proposed public-notice schedule: adopt a notice of intent next week, set a public hearing for Dec. 15, 2025, and, if adopted, new fees would roll out in billing cycles beginning Jan./Feb. after the hearing. "At that time, you're not gonna be making a decision on an increase, just noticing what that increase may be," Askelson said.

Key clarifications and constraints: - Staff said the stormwater service area would be the entire city; accounts north and south of I-10 would be included and Liberty Water Service commercial accounts could be incorporated administratively. - Staff said commercial and non-single-family properties were described as a separate category for billing; staff explained per-acre charging and other commercial-specific approaches present administrative and statutory limits, so staff recommended a flat non-single-family/commercial rate at the start. - Staff said the federal regulatory framework for jurisdictions over 50,000 people is enforced by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, which requires jurisdictions to meet permit obligations for runoff and pollutant control; staff cited this regulatory context as part of the need for stable funding.

Council reaction and next steps: - Several councilmembers expressed reservations about a long-term $9 monthly rate that would be among the highest in the region; others said stormwater costs should not be deferred and supported beginning the public-notice process. - Council gave direction to proceed with the notice of intent next week and to set the public hearing for Dec. 15, 2025. Staff will return with the full utility-rate discussion at the Oct. 21 council retreat and the formal rate adoption would occur in December if council chooses to move forward.

Ending: Staff emphasized that a stormwater fee would create a dedicated revenue stream for ongoing maintenance, reserves and capital work; council authorized advertising the notice of intent while reserving final rate decisions for the public hearing and subsequent council actions.