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Public Works previews proposed stormwater utility, fee structure and credits policy
Summary
Public Works proposed a stormwater enterprise fund with an approximate $1 million annual budget and a fee structure that would spread costs across residential and non‑residential parcels; the department plans a May public hearing on fees and a credits policy to reward on‑site mitigation.
Alan Cathcart, director of Public Works, presented the town’s planned stormwater enterprise fund to the Finance Committee and described a proposed fee schedule, credits policy and next steps.
Cathcart and staff said the enterprise is intended to create a dedicated funding stream for stormwater activities — MS4 compliance, system assessment and maintenance, inspection and cleaning of catch basins, and capital stormwater projects tied to road work and resiliency needs. The presenters said the town proposed a FY26 stormwater operating budget in the range of about $1 million annually and is developing a fee structure to distribute cost equitably across residential and non‑residential parcels.
Presenters showed sample fee illustrations: a small residential parcel with low impervious cover could see a charge in the neighborhood of $41 per year; larger residential parcels or properties with more impervious area would be higher, and commercial parcels carrying a substantial share of impervious area would pay proportionally more. The presenters said earlier analysis shows roughly 51% of total impervious cover in town is on residential properties and 49% on non‑residential parcels; the fee design is intended to capture that split.
The proposed policy includes credits for on‑site stormwater management (rain gardens, porous pavers, vegetated practices) so property owners who invest in mitigation can reduce their assessed fee. The staff also proposed a senior/low‑income discount; presenters said they would refine the precise eligibility criteria in follow‑up materials. The town plans a public fee‑setting hearing in May and said final warrant-language and fee schedules will be available before Town Meeting.
Committee members asked whether stormwater work overlaps with the proposed roads program and whether the enterprise fund assumptions already assume or defer certain road/stormwater costs. Cathcart said the two efforts are being coordinated: stormwater assessment is needed to understand pipe condition and how stormwater repair can be timed with road projects, and enterprise revenues would fund maintenance and projects that historically were underfunded in operating budgets.
Presenters said the model is designed to be self‑funding over time and that the town will seek grant matches where possible; they also emphasized credits for private best practices and said a detailed fee schedule and credit policy will be posted for public comment before final adoption.
Ending: Public Works will hold outreach, present a fee schedule at a May hearing, and provide a final fee table and credit policy in advance of any Town Meeting-related approvals.
