Essex Junction Council sets April 23 public hearing on Chapter 21 stormwater utility; approves credit framework

Essex Junction — The Essex Junction City Council voted April 9 to warn a public hearing on April 23 to consider changes to Municipal Ordinance Chapter 21 and the Stormwater User Fee Credit Manual that would formally establish a stormwater utility for the city.

The council’s action follows staff presentations explaining the city’s obligations under the federal Clean Water Act permit program for Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) and the Lake Champlain Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) limits on phosphorus. Staff said the utility will use impervious area to assign equivalent residential units (ERUs); the consultant-derived median impervious area used as one ERU is 2,823 square feet.

City staff member Chelsea Vanigo summarized the ordinance and credit manual during the April 9 public hearing. “The reason why we’re having this hearing again is because since the hearing in… December 2024 the exemption list of who is not part of the utility has been revised. So, this is now being revised to include GlobalFoundries,” Vanigo said. Vanigo told councilors the credit manual will allow non-single-family properties to apply for credits…