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Spokane County proposes countywide stormwater service area expansion and new monthly fees to pay for road drainage work
Summary
Public works staff presented a proposal to expand the county stormwater service area to cover the unincorporated county and to implement stepped monthly rates (proposed monthly fees shown) to fund ditching, culvert repairs and other drainage work; staff said the fees would reduce pressure on preservation budgets.
Spokane County Public Works on Tuesday briefed commissioners on a proposed expansion of the county stormwater service area to cover the entire unincorporated county and a stepped monthly-fee schedule to fund roadway drainage, ditching and culvert repairs.
Ben (surname in transcript varies) and staff presented background: the current stormwater utility boundary covers largely urbanized areas; staff said rural drainage needs have grown and that the county now faces an unusually large set of culvert and drainage repairs that strain the existing preservation budget.
Proposed change: staff proposed expanding the stormwater service area to the full unincorporated county and introducing monthly fees (proposed step-up approach was presented as monthly amounts). The presenters framed the proposal as funds that could be used for ditching, culvert replacement, sweeping, inventory and cleaning of stormwater structures, and to reduce emergency repairs that now pull funding out of scheduled preservation work.
Why it matters: public works estimated roughly $2 million in repair needs in the current year and said without a broader fee mechanism the county would have to shift a significant portion of preservation dollars to urgent drainage repairs; staff argued the proposed fee would allow the county to preserve pavement and reduce long-term repair costs.
Public process: staff said a public hearing on the rate proposal would be held that afternoon. Commissioners asked about the legal constraint that current stormwater funds can only be spent inside the current service area and confirmed that under current code the existing utility revenue is restricted to the existing boundary; expansion would allow countywide spending under the utility structure.
Ending: staff reaffirmed intent to limit new positions where possible and to use existing maintenance staff; commissioners will hear the public hearing and set rates if they choose after the hearing.
